I basically have 3 questions:

1) If you could only/do only dive once or twice a year on vacation, what equipment would you/do you own?  Is it as simple as mask, snorkel and fins or do you recommend something else?  Specific equipment recommendations are welcomed.  I'm happy to buy good gear, but if $80 fins will work for 95% of the people who dive then I don't need the $275 ones

2) I have a beard (it's not of epic proportions but it isn't a 5 o'clock shadow) so do you have tricks for using goggles with a bit of a mustache?  I've read about some gels but don't know if they are worthwhile.  My instructor at my refresher course (I was certified 18 years ago but haven't dove in a long time) suggest a low volume mask.  He had the Scuba Pro Ghost and had nothing but good things to say, but any recommendations are welcome.

3) My son's are too young to dive, but I would like to get some video to peak their interest.  I have a GoPro that we use on ski trips and other adventures.  Do you have a recommended setup?  I saw some goggles that have an attachment.  That is certainly the easiest, but I don't think I care to do that until I have some time in a pool messing around with it.  I've also seen some handheld poles with a wrist strap which seems reasonable....what is the best option?

Thanks in advance.  I appreciate the insight.  I am looking forward to getting back into scuba after all of these year

For the occasional o/w diver that binge dives on vacation, mask, fins, snorkel, regulator w/ gauge & dive computer, and mmmmaybe a bcd.

I'd grab weights and tanks as rentals.

The stuff I'd want to own myself ate either too personal, require more than nodding familiarity, or that I'd eant intimate knowlege of its upkeep.

Might want to add a wetsuit if you would have to rent one and don’t want one someone else has peed in.

1. If i were a once a year vacation diver i would get mask, snorkel and fins and possibly a dive computer. Probably the most back mares puck which is on sale for $130. That way you can go back and check the logs for the dive book. I would not buy a BC or other gear. It is not worth it and you will probably forget a servicing for it.

2. I dont have a mustache so i cant give much advise.

3. I used a go-pro mask once and it sucked and would not buy one.  I use a waterproof pole that has a wrist lanyard. Also if you go below 40 feet get a red filter.

I find getting the mask that fit just right one of the harder things... especially if you're ordering online.

For facial hair... put your mask on, see how much of your upper lip the mask skirt covers and trim that.

For equipment.... what was previously said... don't bother buying a BC. Rentals will work fine. I'd guess most places you would be boat diving, so you could get by with rental fins too. If you're vacationing in a place where you'll also be snorkeling, might as well get your own set of fins and snorkel. If you're going to be walking in from the shore, might not hurt to get open heel fins and booties.

Regulators.... rentals are fine too.

There are some local dive shops so I am going to try out the masks that they recommended.  On Fins, are rental fins usually worth a shit or would I be well served to grab something like the ScubaPro Jet fins?  I know they have a reputation for being rugged and I would rather not have shitty propulsion on the couple of dives that I might get in a year....plus they have some "camo" ones that are calling my name

Some good advice already posted.
I would get the essentials...mask, fins, snorkle, maybe a light wetsuit or shortie <=3mm.  Maybe rash guard.
I wouldn't get a bc or reg...you will deal with maintenance etc.  Rent them, but test before you run off with them.  Rental equipment will be name brand and decent model if using reputable charters.
Pickup a pair of shears with sheath.  Handy for any unlikely line entanglements, yet not offensive to sensitive ports of call.
I sport an epic beard, so I am told.   I have several masks.   The trick is to have little to no hair under your snoz.  Typically, I will trim just enough to get it to seal.  Do this the day or the night prior to dive in el bano.  It doesn't take much, maybe 1/8".  Before you seal/seat the mask, stretch your upper lip down by muscle control and seat...bam.  Be prepared to this maneuver in the water too.
A computer might be a good candidate.  Yes you can rent them, but will you be familiar with it.  Probably not.  I find myself looking over the manuals of the ones I own periodically to keep them fresh in my mind.  Mares is a good, generally conservative brand.   Deals can be had sub $200 for the Quad.

Mask, Snorkel, Fins, Booties, Gloves, rash wear, folding or ? dive knife and comp/watch if needed.
Depending on where you travel and types of dives..maybe regulator. Regulator is important if you do any speciality diving. Deep, cave, etc.

No help.

No help.

Try them on all you want... how they fit in a store while your sucking in with your nose vs. how they work underwater at depth are very different. My experience is that you odn't necessarily get what you pay for with masks.
I've been using this mask for a few years and it does the job. Not super expensive. I paid more for my ScubaPro Spectra which I hated and it was almost 2x the price of the HOG. .

I'm guessing you're recreational diving with guides, so, yes I'd say the rentals are probably good enough. Jet fins are flipping heavy and, IMHO, excessive for snorkeling. There are other, lighter, easier to travel with options if you need to have your own fins.

Totes. Plus, if you get a computer that logs your dives, then you don't have to keep a hardcopy book.

I definitely have to get a new log book....my other one came up missing in one of the many moves we have had.  I had considered downloading the IQ Dive app for my Garmin Fenix 3HR for this trip just to have a Dive computer.  It's $20 so it is probably worth a shot.  After the Descent MK1 get's some more testing, I might sell some of my sport watches and buy one of those.  I live near Garmin and so the instructors around here have been demoing them and love them.  I will definitely check out the Mares though.  It might be a good idea to just have a separate device

Thanks!  I will be "at sea" for a few days on this cruise before we dive.  I will give it a go in the pool prior to the dives we are doing.

I've never owned a Mares computer.
I have a set of
- Mares X-Treme fins --- Garbage
- Mares Dragon BCD --- Hate it (mainly for the gimmicky weight pouch retention system
- Mares regulators --- Returned them because they freeflowed like mad
YMMV but I'm not a fan of their products based on my experience.

I'm always going to recommend a Shearwater Perdix... but I wouldn't expect the once a year diver to drop that kind of money for something they would barely use.
Find something that's both affordable AND has a good user experience. I own a Suunto D4i (not bad, just a little hard for me to read with my aging eyes) and a Shearwater Perdix. My wife uses a Suunto Zoop which I hate because of the settings navigation. So I guess we're back to... do you really need one or is a rental computer good enough? Odds are the DM can set your computer up for you (if you're using Nitrox) and will explain the display to you... which shouldn't be hard to figure out once you're in the water. Depth, Time, NDL are the main things you need to know.

I took my dive course last summer with a big fat mustache.  I asked about wax and what not.  With a proper fitting mask, shouldn't really need anything.  I didn't for mine.   Keep a tube of chapstick with you, and if you need it, slather it on.  I wouldn't trim.

1. A mask and snorkel (good ones) and fins/booties. Rent everything else.
2. I had a mustache for years and shaved it before diving. I use a low volume mask (Aqua Lung) and like it alot.
3. I had a GoPro mount on my mask. I don't recommend it unless you are going to start and stop recording frequently. I ran mine on and recording all the time, and let me tell you, it was horrible to watch. I use a tray now and like it much better, and have used a stick as well.

Welcome back to diving!

Scuba Tech Tips: What To Buy First, Next, Last

OP, if you wanted a computer, some vacation divers over on ScubaBoard seem to like the Mares Puck computer. I think you can get it for a bit less than $200 at Leisure Pro.

If you'll be diving really infrequently. I'd recommend a mask, and a computer if you want one. I'd recommend a cheap one. No sense spending a boatload of money for something you're going to use rarely.

Honestly, I wouldn't even bother with anything except a mask, and that's really only because you want a well-fitting mask that isn't going to leak, which is especially important with facial hair. I shave the very top so that the skirt has some skin to seal against. You can use vaseline or lip balm if you want to make it seal a little better. Pick up some booties if you want, but lots of places have full-foot fins in which case you won't be using them. They're nice to have though, so you've got something that isn't falling apart and fits well.

Don't get the GoPro mask. Not only are you not guaranteed a well-fitting mask, but "helmet cam" footage is almost nauseating to watch. You don't realize how much you move your head until you play it back and realize you can't see a damn thing because it's so shaky and spastic.

I wouldn't bother getting fins. You're going to have to travel with them, and they tend to take up a lot of luggage room. You're also not going to be able to tell much of a difference between them if you're diving so infrequently.

I also wouldn't bother getting a snorkel. I've dived all over the world, fresh, salt, oceans, rivers, caves, wrecks, springs, and I've never once felt the need to use a snorkel. Even on shore dives with a swim. Unless you plan on snorkeling with your family on occasion, in which case just get a cheap one. There's no reason to spend more than a couple bucks on a snorkel.

Typically, if you're traveling to dive, and bringing your own gear, unless you can pack it all in your carry-on, the cost of rental is going to be offset by the cost of a checked bag. Which unfortunately is becoming a fixture even for your first bag on an international flight..... Most places will include gear rental in the cost of the dives anyway.

Thanks.  I actually saw this after my original post and even after my trip.  I have actually started watching a lot of his videos.  I think he has pretty good content for someone in my shoes.

You didn't mention where you would be using this. Tropical vacation? Heading north to Alaska? Environment will also dictate things somewhat.

The best thing for GoPro use is a tray. There are cheap ones and expensive ones, but any two-handed tray is going to provide you much better footage than handheld or a selfie stick. You can get a tray with a couple cheap lights for not a whole lot of money, and lights will always made your footage look better.

The trip I was referencing (which we went on already) was a dive in St Maarten while we were on a cruise.  I would assume most of my diving would be warm tropical water in the future.  However, I live in the midwest and I am going to do some additional certification dives here which would be clear water lakes.  Depending on the time of year they can obviously be cold

I took the GoPro, but I decided not to dive with it.  Since I hadn't been out in a while, I wanted to focus on the basics and not screw around with a camera.

Based on the biased recommendation of my dive instructor in '97, my wife and I bought "dive quality snorkeling gear" consisting of Cressi fins, Ocean Master masks, boots, and snorkels. I've replaced the snorkels a few times due to mishandling/losing them. I've worn out a few pairs of boots. We're still diving/snorkeling with the same mask and fins. My frequency isn't a lot, but I hit the beach a few times a year, mostly in Galveston but also Florida and the Caribbean. So, I would say his recommendation worked well for me. I wear the boots a lot while in Galveston while crabbing/fishing which is how I've worn them out.

We've picked up wetsuits and a BCDs. The wetsuits don't always go the trip with us, and they certainly have not grown along with me. So, renting these might have made sense. The BCDs have had very little use. For infrequent use, it would have been better to just rent. A problem that I ran into a few weeks ago is that the connection on the inflator hose of the rented octo didn't match our BCDs. So, for expedience, we opted to rent their BCDs.

I really like the idea of owning my own computer. Assuming they have a life expectancy of 10+ years, it would probably make sense to buy a cheapish one. But, I've also had long spells with no diving (5+ years). So, I have a rough time dropping the cash on it.

Same for regs and octos. Would love to buy, but they would probably not go on trips. We always seem to be space limited (not often my fault, FWIW). Paying for an additional checked bag (when I'm not on my preferred airline) covers most of the rental costs and is hard to justify.

I have a mustache, and it has never been a problem with my mask.

Hope this helps.

If you are only diving a couple times a year you should be getting RENEWED - REFRESHED every six months or so.

THIS.

MASK - FINS - SNORKEL and DAN INSURANCE.

If you only dive a couple times a year and are SET on not increasing your diving time, then rent the expensive stuff.  Let your Dive Master know, AND TIP WELL.

Seriously.

NOW.  If you dive outside the United States, understand that there is no US legal system (so nobody is going to get sued!) and a cut-rate diving group may not give a damn about you.

Good luck.

Will

Mask, fins, reg set I wouldn't want to trust life support that someone else maybe maintians.  And maybe a computer if you want to have logs. Also like above DAN insurance

I have a full beard hand have no problem with leaks. I think it comes down to getting a mask fitted right.

If you wanna take good video with a go pro I'd suggest a tray type mount with two handles that you can attach lights too. Also depending on how deep you go there are companies that make filters that flip over your lens to account for absorbtion at depth. You could probably make your own tray with plastic or kydex sheet.