There are as many favorite dive environments as divers: some love a rollicking drift; some live to explore wrecks. Some love the independence of shore diving, and some are quite content finning slowly over a busy reef. The environment you dive in, however, is about more than just what you'll see underwater; it influences all your gear choices too.  Most divers settle on one setup and use it everywhere, which is fine if you’re consistently diving in the exact same...

Congratulations, you’re a newly certified open-water diver! Now what? For many people, the next step is deciding what gear you need to buy and what you can comfortably rent as you figure out whether scuba diving will become your new passion. (It will, of course).  The short answer is that you needn’t go straight from your course to the sales counter, laden down with every conceivable piece of gear. A few key pieces are worth an early investment, however, and...