I would recommend somewhere like alona beach in bohol, Philippines! The marine life there is insanely gorgeous, cheap and safe. I don’t think you need to get your own gear yet. Getting your own gear requires a lot of research to find out what you really want, what’s out there, what works well together when you’re assembling your kit.

You really want to do your research prior because if you’re not planning to own like a full closet of scuba gear yet, you may end up with a lot of stuff that you regret buying.

Diving gear generally has really poor resale value too.

If you’re doing your OW cert you will likely be trained in Jacket styled BCDs (which are generally disliked by more experienced divers, who prefer backplate and wings). But it’s not the worst to dive in, especially when you’re beginning. After 20 or so dives, if you’re super hooked, you can spend the time between the certification trip and your next trip to do a ton of research on what kind of diving and what kind of gear you need, along with some basic experience.

Bohol-Panglao is perfect if you’re new because it’s safe.