Complete Newbie, In Need Of Budget Estimate

I think you've budgeted about right. $800 can get you a good package deal at any (New Zealand) specialty spearfishing store.

I can't give too much advice on where to buy though, I shuffled a lot of my scuba diving stuff to freedive and slowly replaced what wasn't working over the course of a year or two and inherited a pretty nasty 75cm reef gun :-S But at that gun's range it doesn't even matter.

I did buy a freediver 120cm bluewater gun this year but I was lucky, the manager must have been feeling nice that day, gave it to me with a float for $280 (usually $400)!

Don't worry about getting mediocre. In the end it's just about getting out there and doing it! Better to be out there having fun with ok stuff than watching other people waiting to get good stuff right?

suit will be ~ 200€, gun ~100€, fins ~ 50-100€, mask ~ 25€, knife ~ 25€, gloves + socks ~ 20€, belt ~ 5-10€, wheights ~ 2-3€/kg, stringer ~5€, buoy ~10-25€

so I guess 500€ for medium priced gear.

You can get a wetsuit for less but I don't think a spaccato 2 part camu can go for under 200€.