Quality/Moderate Price Equipment Recomandations?

My son (15yrs) and I (42yrs) are taking a PADI Course here in SE Florida
and will be shopping for new equipment in the $3000 price range for both.

Since we are new to diving we are not yet sure how much diving we will be
doing.
Our max budget now is $3000 excluding the basics (Mask, Snorkel, Fins).

It seems obvious that Net Shops are cheaper even those with Factory
Warranty,
but would prefer to buy locally for ease of service if I can find a good
bargain.

We are doing our PADI cert with a small dive shop that has barely any
items
on display but he is a certified
- GENESIS
- SHERWOOD
- AKONA
- BARE
shop that can order any above items at decent Mark Up compared to most
shops
in the MIAMI-LAUDERDALE-PALM BCH area that seem to have their
merchandise prices set at 100% and over.
Especially SCUBAPRO-AQUALUNG dealers.

We are looking to purchase:

- BCD Jacket Style w/Weight Integration
- REGULATOR (balanced 1st & 2nd stage)
- OCTO
- COMPUTER Console
- WETSUIT Fullsuit 3mm
- TANK

QUESTION:

1) Are the the brands my Instructor selling
- Good Quality
- Reliablity
- Value

2) Or are other brands better for the money we can afford to spend?

3) Should I just go with Net Shops and get high end stuff for the same
price
we would spend at a local shop
-or is -
dealer service more important for warranty repairs and exchanges?

Any suggestion would really be appreciated in our first DIVE into this Sport


Thank You

>From: "G-Force" geabnyc@bellsouth.net

> Since we are new to diving we are not yet sure how much diving we will be
>doing.
>Our max budget now is $3000 excluding the basics (Mask, Snorkel, Fins).

> - BCD Jacket Style w/Weight Integration

http://makeashorterlink.com/?D1E963FE9

Sea Elite, none better.

>QUESTION:
>
>1) Are the the brands my Instructor selling
> - Good Quality
> - Reliablity
> - Value

Yeah, for average trash.

He expounds their virtues because that's what he sells.

It's very run of the mill.

Masks?

Shop around for one that fits.

Brand and price are irrelevent, high or low.

>3) Should I just go with Net Shops and get high end stuff for the same
>price
> we would spend at a local shop
> -or is -
> dealer service more important for warranty repairs and exchanges?

Buy from a net shop that has ground locations, get the warranty.

Fins?

Mares Quatrros from where ever you can find them cheapest.

Get a wrist computer, not a console.

Akona makes a good wetsuit.

Try Diver's Discount as well as Diver's Supply.


Popeye
The only working atomic bomb platforms the
Japanese ever had were delivered via airmail.

buzcutt454@aol.comByteMe (Popeye NCAT3) wrote in
news:20041203163021.08392.00001619@mb-m04.aol.com:

>>From: "G-Force" geabnyc@bellsouth.net
>
>> Since we are new to diving we are not yet sure how much diving we
>> will be
>>doing.
>>Our max budget now is $3000 excluding the basics (Mask, Snorkel,
>>Fins).
>
>> - BCD Jacket Style w/Weight Integration
>
> http://makeashorterlink.com/?D1E963FE9
>
> Sea Elite, none better.
>
>>QUESTION:
>>
>>1) Are the the brands my Instructor selling
>> - Good Quality
>> - Reliablity
>> - Value
>
> Yeah, for average trash.
>
> He expounds their virtues because that's what he sells.
>
> It's very run of the mill.
>
> Masks?
>
> Shop around for one that fits.
>
> Brand and price are irrelevent, high or low.
>
>>3) Should I just go with Net Shops and get high end stuff for the
>>same price
>> we would spend at a local shop
>> -or is -
>> dealer service more important for warranty repairs and exchanges?
>
> Buy from a net shop that has ground locations, get the warranty.
>
> Fins?
>
> Mares Quatrros from where ever you can find them cheapest.
>
> Get a wrist computer, not a console.
>
> Akona makes a good wetsuit.
>
> Try Diver's Discount as well as Diver's Supply.

Diveus.com ain't bad either.

....and go for Apeks regulators

--
Michael Wolf
------------

Cthulhu for President! Why settle for the lesser evil?

remove stopspam to reply

G-Force wrote:

> My son (15yrs) and I (42yrs) are taking a PADI Course here in SE Florida
> and will be shopping for new equipment in the $3000 price range for both.
>
> Since we are new to diving we are not yet sure how much diving we will be
> doing.
> Our max budget now is $3000 excluding the basics (Mask, Snorkel, Fins).

Don't do it!

Use the money to dive.

Rent gear. Borrow gear. Do not buy gear until you are sure what kind of
diving you will be doing, where you will be doing it, how often, what is
available, and what best suits your specific needs. Spend the money on
getting experience.

If you insist on buying gear right now, there's lots of it available for
about ten cents on the dollar from new divers that found that their gear
is not what they really want to dive with.

Once you have some dive experience, you won't have to ask the question.

This is Gold.

Use it as such.

"mike gray" <scrubadub@att.net> wrote in message
news:k78sd.87238$7i4.68981@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> G-Force wrote:
>
> > My son (15yrs) and I (42yrs) are taking a PADI Course here in SE
Florida
> > and will be shopping for new equipment in the $3000 price range for
both.
> >
> > Since we are new to diving we are not yet sure how much diving we
will be
> > doing.
> > Our max budget now is $3000 excluding the basics (Mask, Snorkel, Fins).
>
> Don't do it!
>
> Use the money to dive.
>
> Rent gear. Borrow gear. Do not buy gear until you are sure what kind of
> diving you will be doing, where you will be doing it, how often, what is
> available, and what best suits your specific needs. Spend the money on
> getting experience.
>
> If you insist on buying gear right now, there's lots of it available for
> about ten cents on the dollar from new divers that found that their gear
> is not what they really want to dive with.
>
> Once you have some dive experience, you won't have to ask the question.
>

Thanks to everyone for their input!
Got some good advice here.

BTW DiversDirect.com in Dania Fl. has lower prices
than DiversUnlimited.com in Pembroke Pines on same items. Though they both
have good selection and really helpful staff.
The DiversUnlimited salesperson even insisted my son and I try on several
items in their pool before we purchase anything.

"G-Force" <geabnyc@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:cA4sd.85244$IQ.13540@bignews6.bellsouth.net.. .
> We are doing our PADI cert with a small dive shop that has barely any
> items
> on display but he is a certified
> - GENESIS
> - SHERWOOD
> - AKONA
> - BARE

> We are looking to purchase:
>
> - BCD Jacket Style w/Weight Integration
> - REGULATOR (balanced 1st & 2nd stage)
> - OCTO
> - COMPUTER Console
> - WETSUIT Fullsuit 3mm
> - TANK
>
> Any suggestion would really be appreciated in our first DIVE into this
> Sport
>
> Thank You

Mike Gray is completly right, you should see what kind of diving you want to
make . If you plan on going deeper or doing wreck diving ( after getting the
courses ... ) you should not buy the same equipment that you would for
shallow diving .
I personnaly want the best regulator you can get since your life depends on
it . I use a Poseidon Jetstream since 1997 , it never failed me and gives
great performance in any dive situation . And I do most of my dives in the
north-east .... not the best condition there is .
"mike gray" <scrubadub@att.net> a écrit dans le message de news:
k78sd.87238$7i4.68981@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> G-Force wrote:
>
>> My son (15yrs) and I (42yrs) are taking a PADI Course here in SE
>> Florida
>> and will be shopping for new equipment in the $3000 price range for both.
>>
>> Since we are new to diving we are not yet sure how much diving we will
>> be doing.
>> Our max budget now is $3000 excluding the basics (Mask, Snorkel, Fins).
>
> Don't do it!
>
> Use the money to dive.
>
> Rent gear. Borrow gear. Do not buy gear until you are sure what kind of
> diving you will be doing, where you will be doing it, how often, what is
> available, and what best suits your specific needs. Spend the money on
> getting experience.
>
> If you insist on buying gear right now, there's lots of it available for
> about ten cents on the dollar from new divers that found that their gear
> is not what they really want to dive with.
>
> Once you have some dive experience, you won't have to ask the question.
>

Thanks for the Tip Mike.
Never considered Poseidon since I have not seen them
locally (SE Fla) which is where I see doing most of my diving.
Though as a native NY I did dive their 23 years ago.
And can see myself doing a few dives their but only during the summer.
But I going to do my homework on POSEIDON

Thanks Again!

BTW Mike back then I had:
Aqualung BC w/CO2-Tank AL80
VOIT Reg
Whit Stag Farmer/Jacket Wetsuit
Calypso Mask-Fin-Snork
And a really COOL Knife!

"Grand Nic" <grand_nic@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:UG%sd.16834$dC3.320394@news20.bellglobal.com. ..
> Mike Gray is completly right, you should see what kind of diving you want
> to make . If you plan on going deeper or doing wreck diving ( after
> getting the courses ... ) you should not buy the same equipment that you
> would for shallow diving .
> I personnaly want the best regulator you can get since your life depends
> on it . I use a Poseidon Jetstream since 1997 , it never failed me and
> gives great performance in any dive situation . And I do most of my dives
> in the north-east .... not the best condition there is .
> "mike gray" <scrubadub@att.net> a écrit dans le message de news:
> k78sd.87238$7i4.68981@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>> G-Force wrote:
>>
>>> My son (15yrs) and I (42yrs) are taking a PADI Course here in SE
>>> Florida
>>> and will be shopping for new equipment in the $3000 price range for
>>> both.
>>>
>>> Since we are new to diving we are not yet sure how much diving we
>>> will be doing.