Saturday, May 14th, 2011 at 12:48 pm ?
hi i was wondering how to get started on scuba diving from my knowledge i hear you have to enroll in a scuba class is that correct?? also how much does it cost for the classes and how much does starter scuba gear cost? thanks for any advice or info
Yes, you have to enroll in a scuba certification course to become a scuba diver. You can find the nearest 7 dive centers to your location using this link http://www.dtmag.com/dcsearch.html
The cost of lessons depends on where you are and what the market will bear in that region, just like any other service. Usually you can expect to pay somewhere between 300 and 500 dollars for the course and you will often have to provide your own mask, snorkel, and fins suitable for the diving conditions where you live. If you have to buy them, that will usually cost between 150 to 300 dollars.
The price of scuba gear also varies. Basic scuba gear at a minimum costs of a regulator with octopus and gauges and a BC. This will cost somewhere on the order ot 800 to 1000 for something of decent quality. Other things you might want to consider for a "starter kit" would be a dive computer (about $300 for a basic model, up to $1000+ for something more advanced) and a wetsuit (150 to 400+ depending on style and thickness). A gear bag to organize/carry your equipment is very useful and will run around $50 for something basic. You may want to buy your own weights for local diving, they usually run somewhere around 3 to 4 dollars per pound. The last thing you might want to buy is your own tank(s), the typical aluminum 80 most recreational divers use run around $200 apiece. Unless you plan to do a lot of local diving, tanks (and weights) are something that many people will rent instead of buying. You would also want to allocate $50-100 or more for accessories like clips, octopus holders, a spare mouthpiece/straps, BC/wetsuit hangars, a dive light, etc.
Nobody said this was an inexpensive hobby.
Addendum:
Sarah makes a valid point in that you can become a scuba diver for the cost of the certification course (of which $300 is a lowball figure) and the cost of personal gear ? mask/fins/snorkel ? which as I said will run in the $150-300 range. You certainly have the option to rent the remainder of the necessary equipment each time you go diving, the cost of which is again highly variable but will probably cost $50-75 per day for local diving. Dive resorts will usually give you a better rate for weekly rentals.
However, I interpreted your question to be how much does it cost to BUY scuba equipment. Since I work for a dive shop I can assure you the price ranges I gave you are not "grossly exaggerated"?if anything they are on the lower end of the scale.
Sarah?s statement implying that rental gear is maintained better than your own gear is?naive. I see how rental gear is treated by customers (students in particular) and I can say with confidence that renting scuba gear ? especially a regulator ? should only be done for convenience, never for reliability. If you want to make sure the life-support equipment you are using is well maintained and treated with care so that you can rely on it working properly every dive you should ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS buy your own.
In regards to dive agencies, the quality of instruction you get is much more important than which bunch of letters (ie PADI, NAUI, SSI, SDI, PDIC, IDEA, BSAC, CMAS, etc etc) end up on your certification card. Here is a link to a pretty good list of things to consider when choosing a dive center/instructor: http://www.articlesbase.com/scuba-diving-articles/tips-and-advice-for-choosing-a-scuba-instructor-1156643.html . Choosing the "easiest" or cheapest training is probably not the best strategy when it comes to being prepared to survive in an environment that is hostile to air-breathing creatures like humans.
Filed under: Scuba Diving Gear
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