Should You Buy Equipment Before Your Course - Sidemounting.com

[@subjektobjektpradikat7902]

I really enjoy your vids on this platform. Thanks for the good work. A newbie's perspective on the purchase of equipment: I started my scuba career last year and bought a mask, snorkel (cause the shop said I should, never used it) a 5.5 mm wetsuit on sale and some cheap boots from decathlon before I took the OWD cert, later on I found some used mid quality fins in a thrift shop. All in, my beginner kit was around 360€, could have saved around 50€ on the mask, but found a modell without any fog issues, so it was worth the money. After the course it was time for a low-mid range dive computer with bluetooth connectivity, gloves, some under garment, better boots. Now after around 22 dives and a lot of hours back seat diving on youtube I am slowly getting better at defining my needs and valuating dive gear > rather last years collection than no name stuff from ebay. Next purchase will probably be a back inflated bcd or a wbp-system, where lucky to try a wing setup for the first time a week ago and liked the feeling of it. A regulator would be nice too, but I know I will stick to holiday diving and am not really attracted by the local lakes or the baltic sea, so the dive count and the service intervall do not match at all, I prefer to save the money. Compared to other sports diving might be expensive, but to other it's not.

[@ivoryjohnson4662]

This was an excellent presentation without trying to overwhelm new divers, knowing we are not dripping with money

[@Exlr8Films]

I really stand by the idea of 'don't buy everything before or during the course' principle. Especially basic open water. We let our students use the equipment they used during the course for two weeks after with no additional cost. Simply so they can go and dive so hey can decide whether they even enjoy scuba diving. We simply hate the idea that people take a course, get pushed to buy equipment that might not fit fantastically and then they leave the sport soon after and sell their brand new equipment at 70% loss because they didn't enjoy it because a suit was too large or too small.

[@BlueHorizonDiving]

Great video Steve!

[@lifebelongstowater203]

I brought pretty much everything copycat you in your videos now from head to toe

[@Enivaldo1]

Hi from Brazil. I Will start my Sid mount course. I Will start with the BCD and Regulators from my dive instructor. After some dives rent the equipment I Will by my on. The problem is the tax makes the stuffs pretty expense here in Brazil and I Will wait to buy in Europe. I wish to know If the Hollis SMS 75 or sms100 is a good options think in save money, buy and travel with Just one BCD where I can choose dive with back cilinder or Sid mount in the same trip. I have plans to dive in truck Lagoon and with trimix, around 50/60 meters. Its good or its better by a SD BCD? Good job guys, Very good vídeos. Cheers

[@lifebelongstowater203]

hey steve, are you back to malta already?

[@sidemountscubadiving]

No, I might get there later this summer 2020. Audrey and Vas are both there now and running courses. www.sidemounting.com/about-us/ Cheers, Steve

[@lifebelongstowater203]

@@sidemountscubadiving I am expecting to join your in-water training :)