Scuba

[Ron99]

Yup. Air consumption will get better with time and practice. There are a number of shops throughout the Lower Mainland. All have their pluses and minuses. But most are pretty good overall.

There's a great market for used gear too. Keep your eyes on Craigslist and there's a great Facebook Group, BC Diver's Buy and Sell. I got great deals on most of the gear I needed. Also, when it comes time to hydro/vis tanks there's an outfit on Annacis Island that is way cheaper than the dive shops. They do the tanks for the Coast Guard.

[Ron99]

Oh, and tons of dive sites but some are more advanced so you'll want to get a bunch of dives under your belt. Whytecliff and Porteau are good for that. Kelvin Grove is another favourite of mine. There's two other dive sites in Horseshoe Bay. Several up Indian Arm. Britannia Beach.

[e46er]

Originally Posted by Ron99

Yup. Air consumption will get better with time and practice. There are a number of shops throughout the Lower Mainland. All have their pluses and minuses. But most are pretty good overall.

There's a great market for used gear too. Keep your eyes on Craigslist and there's a great Facebook Group, BC Diver's Buy and Sell. I got great deals on most of the gear I needed. Also, when it comes time to hydro/vis tanks there's an outfit on Annacis Island that is way cheaper than the dive shops. They do the tanks for the Coast Guard.

Ok thanks! Def. gonna check that out when the time comes!

Originally Posted by Kabong

Ocean Quest Dive Center in Burnaby is one of the most active stores.
They also have a rental fleet of fusion dry suits.

Your air use will get better with time, I'd suggest holding off buying a tank until you've got some time in. See if the shop has steel tanks you can try, Always try before you buy if you can. It will lead to a smaller bin of "why the hell did I buy this?"

Depending on where your going, A lot of Mexico is drift diving.
I wouldn't recommend trying this style with out a guide/shop.

Brendan at UBC also recommended me to get a steel tank...... Is this solely because they come larger or is there another benefit?

[Ron99]

Partly because they come larger. And they aren't negatively buoyant when empty like an AL80 so easier to stay submerged with less additional weigh toward she end of the dive.