Well, you made your diving baptism, and you let yourself be persuaded. You decided to prepare level 1. But before going in the water you must purchase your own equipment.

So you'll find here base equipment description, and above all, some advice that should help to do some shopping that you won't regret.

At that time the only things you need are fins, a diving mask and a snorkel (What we call in France PMT "Palmes/Masque/Tuba"), and it's important to take care when choosing them. 

The diving mask

The diving mask must be choosen with care. It's with iis help you'll be able to see underwater, so it must stick perfectly to your face. To check this, put the mask on your face without the strap and breathe in gently. If the mask holds by itself, you can consider it suits to your face. Make sure that the mask's skirt is flexible and wide enough to insure a constant watertightness. Note that two kinds of skirts are existing : Silicone and rubber. Opt rather for a Silicon skirt.

Internal volume of the mask is another parameter to be considered when buying it. A large glass insures a good underwater vision but it increases internal volume which can be bothering when the mask must be often emptied. A small internal volume is more practical if you do apnea.

And for people suffering from eye trouble, the lenses can be corrected on some scuba diving masks (but not all diving masks ...). In France some mutual insurance companies pay back one pair of glasses per year and diving masks are also considered.

The technician choice : a medium size diving mask with two lenses but above all a nasal passage easily accessible in order to hold my nose when needed.

The snorkel

The snorkel is the pipe that allows to breathe when swimming on the surface. When diving, it can be kept in the mask strap or tied to the knife strap. A lot of models exist : the main thing is that your snorkel let you breathe and that the pipe diameter is sufficient. Snorkels with table tennis ball are to be banned for scuba diving and/or apnea.

The technician choice : a very simple one with a large pipe diameter and above all cheap

The fins

Well on this field you can find all colors and of course all sizes. Considering your height and physical abilities you'll have to choose more or less long fins. The more they are long and rigid, the more they will be tiring. Two kinds of fins exist :  adjusting bucle fins, and foot pocket fins. Foot pocket fins hold better the foot. On the other hand adjusting bucle fins can be worn on bare feet in swimming pool and allow to put Neoprene boots in the sea, which improves thermal insulation (cold is caught primarily on extremities).

Aniway they must be comfortable and adapted to your foot size (including Neoprene socks or boots).

Be careful that a wrong choice might rapidly hurt your feet.

The technician choice : I choose for myself rather short adjusting bucle fins. Thus i can take carry them everywhere and wear (or not) socks/boots depending on the water temperature. They have a medium rigidity because i'am not especially seaking swimming performance