If you are thinking about scuba diving, you may be wondering if you can afford the equipment. You may also be wondering if you need a special permit in order to buy equipment.
When you buy scuba diving equipment, there is no permit as such, but the retail shop will probably ask for your diving certification card. This isn’t required on all products you purchase, mainly on the items that would require user training such as the buoyancy compensator, regulators or cylinder tank. As you can understand, if they sell these items to someone that hasn’t used them before, they could ultimately be responsible for someone’s death.
An alternative, and recommended by diving experts, is to first hire your diving equipment before deciding to make a purchase. This will allow you to try and test different makes and brands. For instance, a particular type of regulator may give you jaw fatigue while diving, whereas another type may not. If you had not tested the different brands first, you may have purchased a regulator that was not suitable for you. Another good idea to rent first is to give you the opportunity to talk to other divers about their experiences with the equipment they use. You will normally get valuable tips and reviews from people that are actually using the equipment.
If you are thinking about taking up scuba diving, you shouldn’t worry about the cost of owning your own equipment, as you can rent the equipment from anywhere around the world. The scuba diving school that you will be doing your course through will also provide you with their equipment during the course. This will include all the required gear and not just the regulator, tank and BCD. You will be able to use their wetsuits, mask and snorkel. They will probably ask you to buy your own gloves and boots though.
So take your time and save up each month so that you can buy gear that you have tried and tested for yourself.
