The nature of people has always been a curious one.
From our very beginnings, we have journeyed to discover every nook and cranny of our planet.
Unfortunately for the more adventurous types, we have successfully explored both poles, the moon and basically everything in between.
We do however have one last wild frontier which seems to elude us...
the world that exists underwater.
The popularity of scuba diving is ever increasing.
Dive stores that specialize in scuba gear and scuba certification have appeared in virtually every midsize city, regardless of their proximity to big waters.
Naturally, as scuba diving becomes more and more popular, the available gear becomes more and more advanced.
If you are already familiar with scuba diving, then you are aware of the fact that basic gear is not very basic at all.
A basic equipment list includes at least one air tank, a demand regulator with mouthpiece, a buoyancy compensator, pressure gauges, swim fins, wetsuit and a quality mask.
Just a basic set up will limit a diver to short recreational dives in shallow waters.
Professionals requiring dive gear may find that their equipment list exceeds well beyond the basics.
Longer and/or deeper water dives may require twin air tanks, secondary air valves, stabilizer jackets, diving weight systems, pony cylinders and electronic monitoring equipment, to name a few pieces.
The most demanding diving situations may even require rebreather equipment that runs into the many thousands of dollars price range.
Beyond underwater situations, some land-dwelling professions like fire fighting, mining, and certain construction trades require their own specialty scuba, or above water SCUBA equipment pieces.
Scuba equipment is expensive.
It is also quite durable and dependable.
Before you commit to purchasing your own scuba gear, try to rent it for as many dives as possible to ensure that you get exactly what you want.
The last thing you want is to spend thousands of dollars and end up envying the brand or set up that the person next to you is sporting.
The next best option to continuously renting is purchasing lower end or even used gear.
While certain items like your wetsuit may be on the personal side, air tanks, regulators, swim fins or gauges can certainly be passed on from diver to diver.
Items like these can be found for sale at budget prices online.
Ask friends or gear stores if they have used gear for sale.
Try to test any used gear acquired in a safe, shallow dive before venturing out into deeper waters.
Again, the more dives under your belt, the better prepared you will be to purchase equipment that you love.