[David P]

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!)