The ideal way for a novice diver to purchase their own equipment is with a high limit credit card and the experience only seasoned divers have. Selecting a dive set up in a world you've just earned admission to is tough. Most start the search with misinformation, opinions from other divers and strangers recommendations. Poor buying decisions now can affect you later in time and money. With this in mind...let's look at making your first scuba gear purchases.

First, let me emphasize just how crucial your choice of gear is. Your personal safety and comfort depend on it. If your gear doesn't fit properly or isn't the right kit for conditions, you may find there are dives you opt out of or, worse yet, you choose to dive and accept too high of a risk by doing so.

The first step to making a smart buying decision is to consider the type of diving you will be doing. Try to think ahead. What underwater activities piqued your interest during your Open Water class? If your diving is going to be exclusively holiday diving in tropical locations, your gear will look much different than your classmates who opts to dive in the temperate local waters as well.

Where do you want your passion to take you? The equipment needs of someone who wants to delve deeply into fish identification is different than one who wants to explore wrecks at depth. Quality equipment, properly cared for, will last you many years, so its important to saving you money in the long run to take future diving plans into consideration now.

For the first step in your decision: Make a dream list of those places you want to go with your diving in the next 5 years. What classes do you wish to take? What environments are you most likely to be spending time in?