Can you purchase Scuba diving equipment for your own use?

Question

Can you purchase Scuba diving equipment for your own use?

Answer 1

You don't need a permit to buy equipment, but part of the certification course is learning the equipment, it's purpose and safe operation. There are so many brands and pieces of equipment, and you want to have the correct equipment for the type of diving you do, and equipment that fits properly, is weighted properly for your size and build, is easy for you to operate, and correct instruction in it's use, etc.



For instance, I'm prone to bronchitis when diving, because the air in the tanks is dry. I now have a regulator that recycles the moisture from exhaling back into the air I breath, and it's designed for cold water diving (which is what I do most). No more broncitis. Not everyone needs this, and it's more expensive than a basic regulator.



You do need a permit to dive.



US dive shops can lose their license if they refill dive tanks for an uncertified diver.



Dive tanks have to be inspected and current to get refills.



International dive shops certified by PADI or NAUI fall under the same rules



The most important factor in diving (other than breathing) is learning the dive tables to know your dive status, safety stops, how long you can safetly stay down.



There are so many safety factors, that diving w/o certification, is dangerous in ways you can't imagine.



And you won't have that knowledge unless you become certified.



I also suggest that you purchase DAN insurance while diving. The cost is minimal in comparison to one stay in a decompression chamber (+$10k) and it sometimes takes 2 treatments.



Authorized, licensed, reputable dive operaters WILL ask for your certs before servicing equipment, refilling tanks, or booking a dive boat, tour, or trip. A dive master on a trip will ask to see your certs before you're allowed to join the dive.

Answer 2

I'm gonna start with the last question about the Beginners dive or getting certified. If you get certified you will stay certified and be able to dive again. The "Resort" courses you can only dive in that location for that one time you are there and will have to be "tied" at the hip to the dive instructor. The other draw back to this is that you will often times be given very easy level dives. Never below 20-30 feet and on sandy bottoms. Where a Open Water Certified PADI diver is certified to go to 60 feet and could end up on much more stunning dive sites with a little more freedom to explore. As far as gear goes Mask Snorkel and Fins are very common purchases due to the personal nature of such equipment. Your husband may need a pair of longer fins while you may need something smaller so you can move your legs and propel your self effectivly without fatigue (A bigger fin is harder to kick but pushes more mass through the water). Same go for Mask and snorkel. These can also be a great purchase because they can be used for snorkeling anywhere. I'd say expect to spend $200 ish on each persons basic equipment. Maybe don't get your daughters the best the shop has unless you think they won't be growing anymore. And on that it is not necessary to get the best, what you should look for is what is most comfortable for you. Don't let them sucker you into the expensive stuff. As far as classes go to start everyone is required to take the same course through a PADI system and that is Recreational Open Water Diver. The class will include your Classroom time and Pool time, but shops are required to have you take Dives in the Open Water, known as checkout dives. These often take place in a local quarry or other calm water body. The reason for the extra fee would be that often quarries have entry fees or insurance fees. So make sure to ask what is included with your check out dive price. Sometimes it could include transportation or lunch so remember to ask the shop what the fee is. It is definitely advisable to find out who your instructor will be and make sure that you are comfortable with them before signing up for any SCUBA class. And depending on how often you begin diving it will also be advisable to get A regulator and BCD (~$300 a piece) but that's mostly because after a while rental fees can get astronomical.

Answer 3

no you can just buy it for your personal use at like a supply store or online.. you dont usually need a permit just to scuba dive but some places may require one to scubad dive there but i dont think most do.. and its not like they would know you didnt have one.. scuba divings tricky though and can be dangerous so it helps to take a few classes and if you do that you can get a scuba diving license pretty quickly.. its definetly not required though

Answer 4

Yep, you could actually. You could buy just about anything to do with scuba other than a rebreather rig. The kicker is, to use any of it, you need a C card to fill a tank. All those thousands of dollars you spent on gear is pretty pointless unless you can use it with a 10 dollar air fill. No shop will fill a tank without knowing you are a certified diver. The profit simply isn't worth the liability.That simple and a very good control measure. It's worked for years. Greed in this case works well. It costs more to deal with litigation than to skip a C card check.