I have a level 88 ice. what's the best gear to get for damage. Everyone keeps saying waterworks waterworks waterworks. Then others are saying azteca crafted gear or wait for hades gear. it's driving me nuts. i currently have 34 for ice spells now i know that's low for my level so please help me.
Everyone has their own opinion what gear is best for them depending on their own expectations. All dungeon gear such as: Waterworks and those in Aquila, etc... are good gear leaning more on defense than offence bonuses. Crafting gear is more on offence with it's critical hit / Block, fist damage bonus, health and accuracy lvl 55 and above being the better gear for me Darkmoore is known to be one of the best gear in the game next to Gold Skeleton key battles and exalted duels. It all depends what kind of gear you are looking for.
My suggestion is to go back and get Waterworks right now. Yeah, you're way late but it sounds like it will still be an improvement over what you're wearing at the moment.
If you've got all the reagents and your crafting level is ready, a second option is to craft the level 76 Avalon gear. That gear is much easier to make and has only very-slightly-barely-noticeably less stats than the crafted level 86 Azteca gear.
Just chose whatever's going to work best for you right now. Get one or the other, it doesn't matter which.
At level 90, you need to farm the Gladiator and Cronus, both hidden bosses in Aquila dungeons. These are very important because they will give you an athame and a ring that will boost your damage about 25% when you have both equipped. That's in addition to whatever hat, robe and boots you're wearing.
When you get to level 94/96, there is really good crafted gear in Khrysalis ... OR ... when you get to level 100 there is Darkmoor plus the Exalted Krokopatra/Rattlebones hat and robes. Overall, most people agree that Darkmoor is the best gear you can get for a level 100 Ice.
Go for waterworks. It's the easiest and most balanced gear you can get. I never bother with farming hades gear as it's way too time consuming for what it's worth. Use waterworks gear up to lvl 100 where you can either farm the one shot ultra dungeons or darkmoor.
but it sounds like it will still be an improvement over what you're wearing at the moment. 
Alia Misthaven, 124
Fiona Frostweaver, 86