Borrowing equipment may be an option in the short-term, but you will find it extremely helpful, if not essential to have your own:

• Mask, fins and snorkel (from £70)
• Well-fitting 'Dry-suit' (from £300)
• A regulator with contents and depth gauge (from £250)
• A 'Buoyancy Compensator (BC)' (from £250)
• Weight belt (from £50)

Upon completion of your pool training, with this equipment, you are ready to proceed onto the remainder of the course which takes place in open water.

If you don't yet know what these terms mean, a couple of useful sites to explore are About Scuba and the more comprehensive Try Diving

Note however that experienced club members are always on-hand to help you decide 'what to buy' and 'where from' to ensure that you get the best equipment for your money.

Once you have the equipment the costs will reduce but it is difficult to say to what level as there is a wide variation in types of expense, but as a rough guide it will usually cost you:

• Petrol to the dive site (frequently shared)
• Cylinder(s) full of air at about £4.00 each
• Inland sites: Entrance/registration fees from £4.00
• Sea: Boat hire at £15 per day