certification and equipment
 

what do you have yo do to become certified? and what do i need to get going? where can i get the stuff?

go to your local dive shop and tell them you want to get certified.
its pretty much that easy

find a dive shop and save up a small fortune

hahaha i dont really have any dive shops by me im in central jersey.

most colleges and some town recreation department offer certification courses. you will need your personal gear: mask, snorkel, fins (and booties if you get that kind). if you wear eyeglasses it's not very expensive to have a Rx mask made. the course will provide tank, weights, reg, BC, and wetsuit. There are tons of online stores that sell that equipment cheaper than a local dive shop.

I would only suggest online shopping to save a buck, if you know EXACTLY what you want. Personal gear is about nothing but fit. It doesn't matter how good of quality, how expensive, or what color(jk) if it doesnt fit well its not worth a damn! If you mask leaks continously, you are not going to see anything while diving, if your wetsuit doesn't fit, you will be cold and miserable, if your fins don't fit, you can get foot cramps... see where I'm going here? When you first get into diving, its pretty important that you have a dive shop (or private instructor) that you have a relationship with. They will walk you through your personal gear, show you what to look for and how to make a decision on fit(ignore the price and color!)

alright i'll check it out thanks guys.

Well most dive shops will do what is called a referral. In this option you can do the class work, pool work, and testing at your location and then do the open water dives in a warm location of your choosing. This is slightly more expensive but much more fun. Buying equipment is a very personal issue involving fit. Do not try and save money here as this is all life support equipment.