Who this is for: brand-new divers certifying through local shops and PADI instructors, then diving Long Island and Northeast water. Local water is cold. Plan on a 7mm wetsuit, boots, gloves, and a hood for most of the season.
The short version: buy the gear that has to fit you first (mask, snorkel, fins, boots). Rent the expensive hard gear (BCD, regulator, tank, weights, wetsuit) during your course. Add a dive computer early. Own everything once you are diving regularly. Prices were checked on the retailers' own sites on October 23, 2026 — check the link before quoting a number.
What it doesSeals around your eyes and nose so you can see underwater and equalize your ears.
What to look forSilicone skirt (not plastic/PVC), tempered glass, and fit above all — it should stay on your face with a gentle inhale through the nose, no strap. Try before you buy if you can; the best mask is the one that seals on your face.
Low-volume, wide field of view, takes corrective lenses.
What it doesLets you breathe at the surface without burning tank air.
What to look forDry or semi-dry top, a purge valve at the bottom, silicone mouthpiece. Cheap on purpose — it is a wear item.
What it doesPropulsion. Everything underwater moves through your fins.
What to look forOpen-heel fins with adjustable straps — they go over dive boots, which you need for Long Island shore entries and cold water. Full-foot fins are warm-water travel gear; they are the wrong tool here.
The long-running benchmark open-heel fin; strong in current.
What it doesNeoprene boots insulate your feet, fill your open-heel fins, and protect you on rocky entries, jetties, and boat ladders.
What to look for5mm minimum; 7mm if you will dive the cold half of the season. Hard sole for shore entries, side zip, reinforced toe and heel.
Listed price, unverified.
What it doesYour insulation. Neoprene traps a thin layer of water your body warms.
What to look forFor Long Island, a 7mm full suit is the standard. Snug fit everywhere — a loose suit flushes cold water and does not work. Training shops supply suits during the course, so buy after you know your size.
Full-stretch neoprene, skin-in seals, ankle and wrist zippers.
What it doesThe vest that holds your tank and lets you control buoyancy — float at the surface, hover at depth.
What to look forWeight-integrated pockets, enough lift for cold-water gear, a fit that does not ride up. Jacket style vs. back-inflate is preference — try both in rental gear first.
It is a $400+ decision that gets better after a season of dives. The packages below solve it when you are ready.
What it doesDelivers air from the tank at the pressure you need, at the depth you are at. A set is a first stage, primary second stage, backup second stage (octopus), and gauges or a console.
What to look forAn environmentally sealed first stage for cold water, and a brand your local shop services — regulators need annual service, and the shop relationship matters more than small spec differences.
Life-support gear you should buy informed, after certification, ideally from the shop that will service it.
What it doesTracks depth and time and computes how long you can stay down safely. Also logs your dives.
What to look forAir and nitrox modes, a display you can read at a glance, a user-replaceable battery. Air integration and color screens are nice, not necessary.
One-button simple, air/nitrox/gauge modes, battery you can change yourself.
What it doesLead offsets the buoyancy of your wetsuit and gear so you can descend and hold a safety stop.
What to look forMost new divers get weights with their tank rental — a starting estimate is around 10% of body weight, then your instructor sets the exact amount with a buoyancy check. When you buy, buy soft weights for integrated BCD pockets, and buy used locally.
Re-do your buoyancy check any time your exposure gear changes.
What it doesHauls wet, heavy gear to the beach or boat and lets it drain and dry.
What to look forA big mesh duffel for local diving — it drains, rinses with the gear inside, and does not trap the smell. 100L+ swallows a full cold-water kit.
Any duffel works on day one.
What it doesA tall inflatable tube you send up so boats can see you — at the surface, and before you surface. Many dive boats require one.
What to look for4 to 6 ft tall, bright color, oral and low-pressure inflation, an over-pressure/dump valve. Pair it with a finger spool or small reel if you will deploy it from depth — your instructor will teach this.
Listed price, unverified.
What it doesCuts you or your buddy out of fishing line and other entanglement. Long Island wrecks and structure are wrapped in monofilament — this is not optional gear locally.
What to look forA line cutter, not a big knife. Enclosed-blade cutters are safer in gloves and low visibility, mount anywhere, and go through line and webbing in one pull.
What it doesLong Island water is green and dark even at noon, and pitch black inside structure. A light restores color, and it is your signaling tool.
What to look for1,000+ lumens, a narrow beam (cuts through murk better than a wide flood), rechargeable battery, a lock so it does not turn on in your bag.
1,700 lumens on high, 6-degree beam, USB-C rechargeable. Budget option: OrcaTorch D520, $69.95, same store.
Budget — Cressi Start-ER Pro Package — $899.95 at Dive Right In Scuba
Cressi Start Pro 2.0 BCD (weight-integrated), Cressi AC2 + Compact regulator, Cressi Octopus Compact backup, Cressi Mini Console 2 analog gauges. Catch: no dive computer in the box — the console is analog gauges, so budget the Cressi Leonardo (+$224.95) on top.
https://www.diverightinscuba.com/star-er-pro-package.html
Mid tier — Cressi Travel Patrol Package — $1,299.95 at House of Scuba
Cressi Patrol back-inflate BCD (weight-integrated), Cressi MC9 / Compact regulator + Octopus Compact, Cressi Donatello Console 2 dive computer, Cressi Piper carry-on bag included. Ignore the "Travel" in the name — the regulator and BCD work fine locally; it is the bag that is travel-sized.
https://www.houseofscuba.com/products/cressi-travel-patrol-scuba-diving-package-withpatrol-bcd-mc9-compact-regulator-octo-donatello-console-2-and-carry-on-piper-bag
Not a scuba package — Cressi Palau LAF set, $109.95 at Scuba.com (listed price, unverified)
Listed so nobody buys it by mistake. Fine for snorkeling and warm-water trips. The fins are full-foot, worn barefoot — they do not work with dive boots and do not set you up for Long Island diving.
Bare minimum to start the course — $352.84
Mask $74.95 + snorkel $27.95 + fins $189.95 + boots $59.99, renting everything else from the training shop. Add the dive computer (recommended before your open-water dives): +$224.95, for $577.79.
Full own kit, budget-package route — $2,379.43
Start-ER Pro package, computer, mask, snorkel, fins, boots, 7mm wetsuit, hood, gloves, SMB, cutting tool, light, and mesh bag.
Full own kit, mid-package route — $2,489.53
Travel Patrol package (computer and bag already in it) plus the same personal kit, exposure gear, and safety items.
Not in any total: tank and weights (rented — weights usually come with the tank), drysuit, training fees, and boat or charter fees.
