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Choosing the Right Equipment

Choosing the right equipment takes a lot of time and patience, follow these guides to get what is right for you at the best possible price.

Get informed

The most important aspect in purchasing equipment is to get fully informed. Understand fully the pros and cons of a particular item, how it compares to alternatives and the costs of ownership i.e., servicing etc. The better informed you are, the better the purchase will be. For some, this will be part of the fun and learning, for others it will be a time consuming chore. You can get the information you need from magazine reviews, the Internet, shops, and other club members.

Listening to others is not the easy option though as most divers will of course, praise their own purchases and advise you to buy what they have bought. If it works for them, it will work for you. This is particularly true with owners of trendy or premium priced equipment, whereby divers may feel inclined to justify the price they paid, when a cheaper model would have performed just as well. Very few will admit to making a mistake, their ego won't let them and some measure themselves by what they own. Bear this in mind and listen out for comments reflecting where equipment has not met their expectations and the reasons why.

Understand 'lifetime costs'

When buying equipment, bear in mind that the initial price of an item is only part of the total costs. Consider aspects such as wear and tear, depreciation and the cost of ongoing maintenance and servicing.

Decide whether you intend to keep the item for as long as possible or do you want something that's cheaper, may not last too long, but will be replaced as you become more knowledgeable.

As a general rule, go for the well respected branded goods as these have a better resale value. They are normally more reliable and spares or repairs easier to get. The diving market is flooded with cheap imports so beware.

Stab jackets and regulators need be serviced at least every two years, preferably annually. Spares for some foreign items can be expensive or worse unobtainable. Before buying foreign items, check how many dealers there are and see if can find other divers with the same equipment to see how expensive servicing is and how long it takes. For example:

• AP Valves, who make 'Buddy' jackets, provide an excellent service, professional, well priced with that all-important fast turn-round.
• Another company, Apeks who make regulators have a similar reputation.
• When buying dry suits, remember that seals will probably need replacing every 2-4 years. Zips are expensive to replace and may last from 2-5 years depending on care and use.

Styles of diving

There are several big influences in basic equipment choice and configuration. Primarily driven by what you can afford and what kind of diving you intend to do. For example, most divers learn the basics, become a competent diver and then develop a preference for specialist forms of diving, such as deep diving, long duration, instructing, photography or wreck diving etc. Each will require its own range of equipment; for example, deep diving requires a larger air supply with backup. You will need at least a pony (additional 3 litre cylinder) or a twin set and if the latter you may need wings instead of the normal stab jacket as these will provide additional lift.

Prioritise your equipment needs

Even if can afford your equipment all at once, it is better to get experience first to see what suits you and buy equipment as you need it. Essentially the equipment required is as follows:

For initial pool training

• Fins, mask, snorkel.
• Stab jacket.
• Cylinder.
• Regulator including octopus (backup regulator).
• Pressure and depth gauge.
• Weight belt (possibly).

After you have completed your pool diving assessment you will embark on dry suit training, this will require:

• Weight belt.
• Suit, hood, gloves, under suit, booties and open heal fins.
• Depth and time instruments (gauge, watch, dive-timer or computer).

When you are ready for open water diving you will need:

• Knife.
• SMB and reel.
• Torch.

Additional Items

These are optional and can be purchases as you can afford them.

• Delayed SMB.
• Compass.
• Folding flag.
• Backup torch.
• Dive slate.
• Dive bag.
• Boat bag.
• Goody bag.
• Ankle weights.
• Second cylinder, regulators and pressure gauge.
• Strobes.
• Lifting bags.

Where to get equipment from

Buying new

If you intend to buy new, follow these general principals:

• Shop around; prices for the same item can vary enormously, check dive magazines and the Internet.
• Stick to well known brand names.
• Get advice from a number of experienced divers in the club.
• Get advice from your retailer, but bear in mind they have a product to sell and they are unlikely to recommend any items not stocked.
• See if you borrow equipment and try it out before you invest your cash.
• Most dive shops will give you discount, if you ask. Ring round, or better still visit, and get their best prices. Use that to bring the price down at your local shop.
• It is easier to get bigger discounts if you buy more, or buy more expensive items. Better still, get several friends together and do a 'bulk buy' deal. Be prepared to walk out of shop if you don't get a reasonable discount of about 10 - 30%.
• If you can't get the price down try getting additional items thrown in e.g., batteries, knife, hood, etc.
• Some shops offer a 'bring it back and swap it, if it doesn't suit you' policy.
• Be careful with Internet shopping.
• Buy from dive shows. You can get some excellent deals from the shows, but is sometimes difficult to get refunds or exchanges as the suppliers are based all over the country. Remember too that the location of the car park may be some distance away, if you are considering purchasing heavy items.

Local shops

The local shops around the Stockport area include:

Other nearby dive shops can be found at Capernwray Dive Centre.

Second hand equipment

New divers often fall into three different types:

1. People who try diving on hired/borrowed equipment and decide it's not for them and they give up.
2. People who get hooked and immediately buy their own equipment and use it till it drops apart.
3. People, who love the latest toys, do things in fads for a year then move on to next hobby (jet skis, snow boarding, motorbikes etc). They spend a fortune on all the best gear, do a few dives, and then sell it second hand for half the price they paid or less.

There are lots of this latter group around. Track them down and you can save a small fortune. The best place to look is in the 'free ads' papers and LootT. Some dive shops do sell second hand equipment but it always seems to be priced high. Also look out for serious divers who are upgrading, as often they will sell at a good price.

Club equipment is advertised on the notice board and the web site.

Get equipment given to you

Spend some time making a prioritised equipment list with prices and pass it out to friends and relatives (like a wedding list) so they can get you what you really want for Christmas, birthdays or passing that diving test etc.

Borrow/hire equipment short term

SUDG does have stabs jackets, regulators and cylinders that you can for hire for a small fee (currently £2.50 per item per week).

Sell off of unwanted equipment

As you do more diving, your equipment will needs upgrading or changing. Often this equipment lies in cupboards unused. Sell it to other divers (or donate it to the club). This may create a little more cash for your purchases. Advertisements can be displayed on the club notice board, in the 'free ads' newspapers or email the details to the SUDG Webmaster.

What brands to buy

Check magazine reviews and the Internet to get the 'best buys'. As a general rule stick to the popular brands as they have a reputation to uphold and spares/repairs are usually easier and quicker to obtain. Where possible purchase items that are branded with the CE mark, which indicates that it meets the certain safety and environmental requirements laid down in European Union law.

Colour schemes

Most new divers start off trying to co-ordinate, but most of us soon end up mish-mash as bits change or get lost. Go primarily for safety i.e., high visibility and not fashion and that means bright colours and not black.