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Vtach · 04-26-2009, 08:12 PM,

Justin,

Good advice so far but I will add my two cents worth. Renting is the best way to figure out what you need along with how often you will need it. But once you decide to buy your own equipment, the best money spent is on life support equipment and thermal protection. Get a good solid proven "workhorse" regulator. The ScubaPro G-250 is a good one. So are the Apeks TX/XTX 50's. Get a good suit that fits well, with your size it sounds like you may end up going custom. You will probably be best off starting out with a wetsuit. Drysuits are not cheap and as said already, you can always upgrade later on. You might be better off renting a BC and tanks until you figure out how much diving you will be doing. If you would rather own a BC, a backplate and wing might be a good start for you. The actual plate and wing are one size fits all and you would have a custom length webbing for the harness anyway. The price for new would be comparable to a standard jacket BC and you may even find the BP/W cheaper. You can also find some good deals on used BP/W combos. It is nice to own your own cylinders but renting has its benefits also (someone else takes care of vis and hydros). It really depends on how often you dive and how accessible the local dive shop is. Good luck with training!