Anybody scuba certified??

I'm going to Mexico in July and have decided to get scuba certified before I go out. My friend's uncle is an instructor so I get a deep discount on the certification (only $150). Yesterday, I went to his dive shop to buy some new fins, mask, snorkel, boots, and gloves. I can't wait and I'm so excited to do this. Does anybody have their own BC and reg, or do you usually just rent? After my trip to Mexico I'll probably decided if I want to buy the rest of the equipment since I am still young (21) and wouldn't have to keep throwing away my money on rentals.

I've scuba'd twice. Both times I rented the stuff for quite cheap.

Are you sure you can't find any other things you'd rather drop $500+ on?

But yes, it's a beautiful hobby. Nothing compares to walking hundreds of feet below sea level on the ocean floor.

Sigh...looks out window to the busy highway

Well I'd consider the $500+ an investment and the safety of it all, because you don't know how well some of these Joe Shmoe dive shops in other countries maintain their equipment

I have been looking into getting certified...

A few of my friends have told me that for the first few times it is best to rent, because the gear is already broken in. But if you start going a lot then you will want to buy, you do not know how well the rented equipment has been cared for.

Is your uncle into teaching others? How much?

li wishes he had more than cubicle walls to stare at.

Here is a link to someone selling used in SD[=http//sandiego.craigslist.org/spo/76249481.html]Here is a link to someone selling used in SD, looks like a good deal though I have not looked into it.

i just spent 10 days getting certified in Honduras (cheapest place in the world to do it)... from what i gathered, you can rent the stuff anywhere you can scuba... and you dont really save much money by having your own equipment... even the dive masters there used the shops equipment... except for maybe a nice dive computer (watch) and perhaps a mask...

[quoteaccd990670="wood"]I've scuba'd twice. Both times I rented the stuff for quite cheap.

Are you sure you can't find any other things you'd rather drop $500+ on?

But yes, it's a beautiful hobby. Nothing compares to walking hundreds of feet below sea level on the ocean floor.

Sigh...looks out window to the busy highway[/quoteaccd990670]

hundreds of feet? me dont thinks so

[quote1465b848e9="adam254"]Well I'd consider the $500+ an investment and the safety of it all, because you don't know how well some of these Joe Shmoe dive shops in other countries maintain their equipment[/quote1465b848e9]

get the certification, its worth it so that you feel comfortable in the water. I did mine a few years back for only 300 bones in atlanta ga