[Helen F H]

Im with Nick here on this one. I kinda rushed into the first purchase of my diving gear - luckily it was all decent enough stuff at a reasonable price second hand.

Mask - make sure it fits you well and you like the colour (makes it easier to find on a rib full of divers and kit)! Dont be tempted to spend a fortune on a posh one - get a cheapo one and if you decide later that you want a posh one, use the original as a spare. Dont forget to "toothpaste" it. New masks are very prone to misting up as they have a film of "stuff" on the inside of them. The slightly abrasive properties of toothpaste will remove it if you give it a bit of a rub.

Fins - same as above. Make sure they fit (and will fit over the wetsuit boots). Again have a good look what is out there. Do you really want a £100 pair of fins if you aint going to be diving that often? Slipper fins are abit of a bugger if you need to get in over rocks, so go for ratchet type ones.

Wetsuit boot are probably a good plan too. Mind you, they smell like nothing on earth after a few wears...yuck.

A good bag is maybe something to look at too. One of the ones with wheels are a damned fine idea, plus a zip off rucksack.