Welcome to the sport, Duncan. I'd recommend the omer Marseillaise belt. It is thick and high quality and will last you a while. And get yourself a nice 2 piece wetsuit. I don't know what you have to spend, but I would go the custom route and get an Elios or the like. If I could do it again, instead of buying the 2 wetsuits that I have, I would have gotten one of those. The price/quality ratio is excellent though. That's my 2 cents on those couple things. I am sure that someone of higher experience will elaborate a little more on the gear
There isn't anything better than having a few drinks with your dive buddy after a dive. Given that most people find that our passion is very wierd, so having someone else that is passionate about the sport is simply intriguing, and the conversation lasts for hours.
Welcome to the forums as well!
-John
