I'm quite new in scuba diving with a tight budget, and wanted to ask: what equipment should i buy, IN ORDER, from first to last. I have no equipment now, used to rent out everything, but now its time to start buying it bit by bit.

So i completed my open water certification this weekend. It went really well from what i could tell. The first day went great, i felt great that night. And then the second day went great and I felt fine. Up until that night. I started to get a horse feeling in my throat.

I thought maybe it could just be irritation from the dry air. I went to the next day. And it still felt the same. It almost feels like my airway is just slightly more closed than it used to be. My biggest fear when starting the open water was lung expansion injuries. So I made it a point to make sure I was breathing the whole time.

Fast forward to today. ( 3 days after my open water) and I called DAN and they told me to go to urgent care. So I did. I got an xray and physical test and the doc said it all looked fine to him. He thinks maybe irritation or something.

But I sit here and I write this and I just don’t feel right. Something feels off. My lungs don’t feel like they did before I did open water. There is no pain but it feels harder to breathe now.

I have another appointment tomorrow to get a second opinion. While I know Reddit is not here for medical advice. I am just curious if anyone else has ever experienced this before. Thanks. 🙏🏻

Hi Everyone! I'm Adrian from Divers Lodge Lembeh, this is my first post on reddit too. For the past few months I've been working on a complete species documentation of all the underwater life found at Lembeh Strait!

So far the documentation features 643 photographs provided by our guests, and I've managed to identify 224 different species. Everything is neatly categorized, and sorted by date.

I hope the species documentation will be insightful for marine biologists and recreational divers alike!. There's also a special category I've prepared for Unidentified and Undescribed species, which combines both critters that aren't scientifically described yet, and ones I couldn't identify. I'll keep on updating the documentation as I receive more photos in the future.

If you'd like to check out the gallery in full: Lembeh Underwater Gallery & Species Documentation

Would really really appreciate some feedback on the page too, if there's anything I've misidentified, or if there could be some more improvements on the UI then please let me know.

Hey all,

Got a bit of a dilemma and could use some input from people who dive similar conditions.

I’m buying my first wetsuit, hopefully next week. Going with Waterproof (looking at the W7 or W8) which I can try at the local dive shop. What I’m stuck on is thickness.

A drysuit is out of my budget right now, that’ll be a next year purchase once I’m qualified for it. I’ve already sunk a good chunk of money into gear, so I’m trying to buy once and cry once rather than rebuy down the line.

Here’s where I dive: mostly a local quarry, max depth 10-12m. Summer temps run 16-18°C, dropping to 12-15°C by September.

The real question: 7mm with a hood, or 5mm with a hooded vest added when needed?

My thinking is either go 7mm now, then next year add a drysuit and eventually a 3mm shorty for warm or tropical trips. Or go 5mm as the more versatile option and just add a hooded vest for the colder months, since a 7mm might end up redundant once the drysuit is in the picture anyway.

Would love to hear from people diving similar temps and depths, which route would you take and why?

Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone! I recently found out that Louisiana has 2 crystal clear lakes which was unbelievable at first due to it being a swamp, but it’s surprisingly true! So i thought with Florida also being a swamp state that there’s the possibility of freshwater lakes in Florida to scuba dive or even snorkel in ? Since Florida is my 2nd home state , i don’t mind scuba diving in water with little to no life to see as long as i can see my surroundings.

I’ve heard decent reports about Lake Denton , Lake Aurora outside the town of Lake Wales , Lake Louise in Windermere , Lake Weir in Ocala , Blue Cypress Lake in Vero Beach , and Compass Lake in Alford ?

I know that there’s several cold springs to scuba dive around but was wondering if there’s any actual lakes or if those mentioned lakes are any good for underwater visibility ? I KNOW that most of the 7,800 lakes that the state offer are naturally dark with undesirable visibility but surely if Louisiana even has 2 that are crystal clear , Florida has to have some too right ?

Thanks in advance

Hi everyone!
I’m planning to do my PADI Open Water Diver certification at Temple Adventures in Pondicherry during the Independence Day long weekend in August. This will be my very first scuba experience, so I’m really excited (and a little nervous!).
I’ve done quite a bit of research, and Temple Adventures seems to have one of the best reputations in India, but I’d love to hear from people who have actually trained there.

A few questions:
1. Is Temple Adventures a good dive school for a complete beginner? Would you recommend it over other dive centers like Urban Nomad?
2. Is August a good time to do the Open Water course in Pondicherry? I know it’s during the monsoon, so I’m wondering how the visibility and sea conditions usually are and whether courses generally get completed without delays.
3. The course fee is ₹33,000 with** a 10% off discount for women divers this month. Does that sound like a fair price for the quality of training, or is it on the expensive side?
4. After getting certified, **where do most divers in India build experience? I split my time between Chandigarh and Bangalore, so I’m looking for places that are reasonably accessible before I eventually move on to Advanced Open Water. Would you recommend returning to Pondicherry for fun dives, or should I also consider Goa and the Andamans?
5. How many fun dives would you recommend logging before doing Advanced Open Water? I know it’s possible to do it immediately after Open Water, but I’d rather become comfortable and confident first.
6. If you’ve trained with Temple Adventures, what was your experience like?
How were the instructors?
What was the student-to-instructor ratio?
Did you feel the training was thorough and safety-focused?
7. Any recommendations for comfortable hotels near Temple Adventures that are good for a solo female traveler?
8. Finally, are there any tips for a first-time Open Water student? Anything you wish you’d known before your course?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences with Temple Adventures and any advice for someone just starting their scuba journey. Thanks in advance!

Hi! Could use some inputs. I only have my OW with fewer than 100 dives, mostly recreational dives while traveling for work in Europe and Asia. I've always rented jacket-style BCDs, so that's what I'm familiar with.

I want to start diving more this year, earn additional certifications, and buy my own BC and regulator. I'm considering this particular BC and wanted insight on whether or not it'll be suitable for me. Ideally want my purchase to be under $700 and this one puts me at about $600 total.

Was going to go with 1.5 inch crotch strap, aluminum backplate, and DR quick release (12lbs).

Thoughts?

It was incredible and it makes New England diving so dark and gloomy!!

https://youtu.be/nJuwpqKggNs?is=pBdCe7d-JodtllMh

Watch and like, safe diving to all!

Seems like every day someone comes up with some slop-coded app for diving. Please stop, nobody cares.

Hi everyone,

I live in The Netherlands and very recently started diving (I'm 26 fyi) with a couple of friends, we are also a member of a local scuba diving club. I have really really enjoyed diving and am planning on getting my 2* certificate maybe next year. Anyway I'm debating on what gear I should buy (second hand/new) or if having my own gear is overkill. Should I wait longer to buy my own exuipent or is it worth to invest in now. I've found someone who's selling her diving gear due to medical reasons and it's really good quality but all together it's about 500 to 600 euro for a semidry wetsuit, BCD, Octopus, gloves, weight bells and some small things. Any advice?

Anyone dove Gray Quarry in East Tennessee how is the visibility? Can anyone recommend a dive shop in the area looking for someone to dive with at the Quarry

Thanks

Hey all,
Im travelling to miami this October for a Discover Scuba Diving session with my buddies. Potentially going with Key Largo. We came across Viajero Miami and it kinda looks too good to be true. Anyone who has stayed there or proposes alternatives? Appreciate all the help

Don’t buy it. There’s a defect that causes the depth sensor to erratically change and show inaccurate depths while underwater. Contacted customer support and they advised they are having an issue and that my unit is acting normally. There was a batch of 2022 models that needed warranty replacement, but mine is a current model. It shows what appears to be an accurate depth in the app (after the dive), but during the dive, it is completely erratic, changing depths and showing nonsensical readings. They said they are working on a firmware correction that should come out in Fall 2026. My advice is to avoid this computer (and probably brand) at all costs. I bought it second hand, but they acknowledged it is an issue with current models.

On every camera SD card I use, I keep a photo of my contact information in case the camera or card gets lost. The problem is that, if someone checks the photos directly on the camera, that contact image will show up at the end of all the other photos. It’d be more helpful if it was the first picture to load. 

Here’s the workaround for that. If your camera displays the newest photo first, temporarily change the camera’s date to December 31, 2037. Take a photo of your contact information, then change the date back to the correct setting. That should keep the contact photo at the front of the camera’s gallery.

I use 2037 because dates beyond early 2038 can cause problems with some older software and devices.

I also keep copies of the contact image in both the SD card’s DCIM folder and the main directory, with an obvious filename such as:

00_IF_FOUND_CONTACT_INFO.jpg

That way, someone is more likely to see it whether they browse the photos through the camera or open the card on a computer.

Extra thought: Before resetting the camera’s date, change it to December 30, 2037, and take a happy photo of yourself with your family. It should appear immediately after the contact-information image. Putting faces to the owner may make the camera feel less like an abandoned piece of expensive equipment and more like someone’s collection of family memories. Giving the finder a little extra motivation to return it.

The 2027 total eclipse is on Aug 2 and will cover a pretty big swath of the red sea. That being said, it's central/south and I think the better diving is to the north in peak summer, right? There's a fair bit of demand already, but there are still some reputable boats with space so I'm thinking about it. I'd assume they would schedule dives around the eclipse, though it may well be cooler to see underwater...Anyone have thoughts/recs? Aside from the Egypt LOB safety concerns, obviously.

A few days ago I asked you guys whether I should continue renting regulators when I travel or finally buy my own, and the overwhelming response was to buy one. A lot of people mentioned feeling more confident diving with gear they’re familiar with, and that after a few dive trips it would eventually pay for itself.

So I took your advice!

Now my next step is figuring out which regulator to buy. After reading through everyone’s comments and doing A LOT research I think I’ve narrowed it down to these 4

• Atomic Z3 – A few people mentioned getting a regulator with a swivel because it’s more comfortable and can help reduce jaw fatigue, and this one seems to check that box https://www.scuba.com/p-atmz3rd/atomic-aquatics-z3-regulator-din .

• Apeks XTX40 – I noticed it’s described as a balanced regulator, and several people in my last post said that’s something worth looking for https://www.scuba.com/p-apxxdrd/apeks-xtx40-ds4-regulator-din

• Scubapro MK11 EVO / S270 – I’ve always heard good things about Scubapro, so this one ended up on my shortlist https://www.scuba.com/p-scps270di/scubapro-mk11-evo-s270-din-dive-regulator-system

• Aqualung Helix Pro – This one seems compact for travel, and from what I’ve read it’s also balanced https://www.scuba.com/p-udrhpd/aqualung-helix-pro-din-regulator

For background I have close to 100 dives, but this will be my first regulator purchase, so I’m trying to get one that I’ll be happy with for a long time.

If you were buying your first regulator, which one would you choose?

Or is there another regulator in a similar price range (or cheaper) that you would recommend instead?

Here’s the original discussion if anyone wants the background: https://www.reddit.com/r/scubadiving/s/woL5kFSEuv