I am also new to diving, just bought my first package, bcd, reg, Octo,etc. it took me 2 months of research, easier say than done trying different ones. Local dive shop has limited brands, most rentals are low end, breathing in a reg on land is not the same as diving with it, especially over several days as on a trip. There are demo days you may be able to try out at local dive sites. I did my research on the internet, scuba blogs, reviews and talking to everyone I come across who dives. Atomic Z3 (T2 is better, but expensive) was my final choice for all of its features and reviews.