Free diving is relatively simple compared to scuba diving. All you really need is a wetsuit, a weight belt and hard lead weights according to how much you weigh, a mask, snorkel, and fins. Pretty simple eh? Here's a breakdown for each piece of equipment.
Wetsuit wise, for diving in SoCal, you can get away with a warm water suit, or a 3/2 mm thickness suit. Any wetsuit can do, but I recommend one made for diving. An example of a pretty bang for your buck suit is this one: http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-43/149954/SubGear-3mm-Element-Jumpsuit---Wetsuit.html
For a weight belt, any will do. As long as you're comfortable, that's all you really need. The lead weights you would get for free diving would be the hard solid type, which can break your foot if you were to drop it. Other than that, you can get fancy with special belt buckles, and rubber belts, but that's more on the fancy (advanced) side. Another example of a no-frills weight belt: http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-154/044238/Pinnacle-Diving-Weight-Belt-with-Stainless-Steel-Buckle.html
Mask wise, whatever fits your face. No really, as long as it fits your face and it's comfortable for you, that's what matters. Don't worry about the shape or color. Go for what's comfortable, cause remember, that's gonna be on your face, and when you start diving deeper with the pressure building up, your face is gonna thank you for that comfy mask that's on your mug. However, for free diving, I would get a low-volume mask, such as this one: http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-32/027655/H2O-Onyx-Frameless-Mask.html.
Reason being is when you equalize the mask (blowing a puff of air inside the mask to prevent your mask from becoming a super suction cup as you dive deeper), a lower volume is better since you only have what air is in your lungs. So the less used the better!
A snorkel is pretty simple. Any will do, but the best is actually a J-style snorkel, since it provides the least resistance when you're diving down. You can get away with a snorkel with a purge *basically a drain to get water out of the snorkel*, or one that's semi-dry *has a cover that helps prevents water from getting in* but all the gadgets and doo-dads add resistance, decreasing your aerodynamics. As my old tennis coach likes to say, K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid. An example! http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-39/038042/Scubamax-Commander-Camouflage-Snorkel.html
Finally the fins. There's 2 styles of fins: one is a full foot fin, with an integrated boot that you slide on your foot, either bare or with a thin neoprene sock. The other is an open-heel fin, where you wear dive boots/shoes and the fins have straps that strap your feet in place. For free diving, you'd want full foot fins, since they provide more power transfer as you kick, which equates to higher efficiency, which leads to less oxygen and energy consumed. The downside is that they're tougher to travel around in when walking around the beach to a dive site, and they're not as maneuverable. Also, free diving fins tend to be looooooooooonnnnnnnngggggggg. As comparison, an average fin length will be around 22-24", whereas a free diving fin will be closer to 34", and can sometimes extend up to 36". As comparison:
These are free diver fins.
These are normal fins.'Nuff said.
Some closing thoughts on free diving gear. All in all, you want things to be as comfortable as possible. Don't get the shiny just cause it's shiny. Sometimes the simple is all you need, since it gives you the most comfort. A good free diver is a comfortable free diver. So take what I said with a grain of salt. What works for one person doesn't mean it'll work for everyone else. Go to your local dive shops. Try gear on. Ask questions. If it doesn't feel right, by all means don't get it. Good luck with the future dives! And I'll do individual updates on each specific piece of equipment. Just wait and see!
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