Feeling ripped off by LDS – please advise.

[RonFrank]

yes the prices are cheaper, but when you have to pony up for the compressor and dive boat, even if you buy them online, your looking at somewhere near $50,000.00. Now what did you save shopping online again????????

This whole if the LDS goes under there will be no air argument seems a bit tired. Who are the biggest users of tanked O2? I'm not sure but between welders, the medical profession, and fireman I guarentee if every LDS on the planet went south tomorrow, we could still find someone to fill tanks. Most LDS's don't do hydros, you know who does, and what it costs? Let's just say that if I did not need a Vis to get air at an LDS, my hydro would cost 1/3 of what the LDS is charging, and they charge for a vis on top of the hydro even though the hydro includes a vis?

As for dive boats, most Ops I've been with sell little if any Scuba gear. Some of the bigger ones may carry one or two lines of various products, and generally don't keep much in stock. I think they make more off T-Shirt sales then dive products, and they keep a few things in stock for the traveling diver that forgets something, or breaks something. However generally I'm not sure one can lump Dive Boat Ops with the Retail shop even if I'm sure there are a few Ops that do good retail business as well even if I have not observed that.

 

[beesonj]

I say do what works for you. My LDS charges outrageous retail but is willing to negotiate if someone has the fortitude to ask. The Reg I purchased from my LDS was retail 549$ and could be purchased at Leisurepro for 159$. Obviousy I wasn't going to pay 549$ hence that would be complete stupidity. I mentioned the leisurepro deal and they offered to sell for 195$. I figured with the shipping savings and in store local maintence that was a good choice. This is largely circumstantial.

 

[Penopolypants]

for those that only travel to dive, this may not be a big deal, for those that dive locally it is.

yes the prices are cheaper, but when you have to pony up for the compressor and dive boat, even if you buy them online, your looking at somewhere near $50,000.00. Now what did you save shopping online again????????

Huh? Your LDS owns a boat? That's the only way you can dive?

I do pretty much all my diving locally, and I have never found the need to book a trip or charter through my LDS. I can go online and book any number of charters around here all by my self. I know which ones are best because I talk to people who have no agenda to push and are simply divers willing to share good information.

 

[pescador775]

Shakey, thanks for putting it in perspective. On the one hand, we have the piddling, pitiful dive shops and on the other the drug companies, oil companies and universities, both subject to similar motives and laws of supply and demand. Sure, the dive companies have mark up but how would our divers like to pay $35,000/year for Remicade? What do they think of 20-40,000 dollar tuitions and inflated living costs and other charges routinely imposed by universities? Forget the dive shops and look at the big picture. The colleges and drug companies are a threat to national security. The availability of student loans means that the universities can fill our students with crap curricula, left wing politics and God knows what and simultaneously place our young people in perpetual debt. The medicare reimbursement of ridiculous medical expenses could potentially bankrupt the country. How are two workers for every SS retiree and medicare parasite going to support the dole, pay 90% tax rate and pay down their student loans? The burden is unsupportable in the long term and could lead to national bankruptsy or civil strife. So, when the rest of you are motivated to lean on the LDS, instead maybe you should just take a pill. Oh yeah, did I mention, that pill could cost you.

 

[RJP]

Oh yeah, did I mention, that pill could cost you.

[hi-jack]

Right, so legislate drug companies out of the profit business. Then the pills will be cheap.

Oh yeah, did I mention, there won't be any pills then. At least not new ones.

Lots of cheap drugs out there. You don't want to pay for Remicade for your arthritis? Tell your doctor to prescribe generic naprosyn. Heck, take store-brand ibuprofen. Even cheaper.

Oh yeah, did I mention, they don't work as well.

But they ARE cheaper, and isn't that what it's really all about anyway?



[/hi-jack]

 

[james croft]

I am patient and only buy gear when I find it at the prices I want to pay. I do my own maintanance or make my gear. I bought a dive flag for $5.00 at West Marine, Zip tied it to a 4' piece of PVC (free), Ran it through a crab pot bouy ($3.00) hung a 2' piece of chain at the bottom as a counterweight (free), put some line on it and had a dive flag for under 10 bucks. I steer new divers to my LDS as a way of supporting them. I have sent them a lot of customers, but I buy my gear where the price is right, which is often second hand. I am capable of overhauling most of my gear and almost never take my gear in for service. I have better things to do with the money I make and it would be selfish to my family to splurge on gear when I can get a deal on it. I might add that I have every piece of gear I need, from vintage to tech and could sell what I have for many times what I paid for it. If I had to buy all the gear I have from the LDS I would not be able to afford to go diving.

 

[pescador775]

RJP, the republicans and democrats in Congress refuse to negotiate drug prices under medicare. The people need to take more responsibility for their own health and the govt needs to be responsible to the taxpayers instead of lobbyists, and stop trying to force the citizens to pay more for drugs. Moreover, they need to depoliticize medicine and stop paying billions for quack research and palliatives for AIDS, a relatively insignificant disease in terms of overall mortality/morbidity. In short, we all need to be more like Croft, responsible solutions at reasonable cost.

By the way, naproxin sodium (Alleve), what you call "naprosyn", is a good drug. Remicade is very good, also-- for profits.

 

[nationwide]

scubatoys.com IS a LDS for me. I went in there last week, shoot, they have more gear than the internet!!!

 

[duckster3d]

Huh? Your LDS owns a boat? That's the only way you can dive?

I do pretty much all my diving locally, and I have never found the need to book a trip or charter through my LDS. I can go online and book any number of charters around here all by my self. I know which ones are best because I talk to people who have no agenda to push and are simply divers willing to share good information.

Yea the shop i dive thru owns two boats, and has owned at least two boats since the 80's. has it's own pool on site too.

the other dive shops around the area use several six pack boats that are miscky mouse ops to say the least. limited space, limited if any crew other than a capt. break down as often as they go out.

if the shop goes under then their boats go under as well. Ok so not all ocean dive shops own their own boats, so you're correct that there are still boats that I could go dive off of, even if the shop goes under, but in this area, that is a lost of 38 seats with boats going out 5 days a week, twice on weekends.

Hello we breath air or nitrox, not O2, go to your local gas supplier and ask for the pirce of t bottles of air. then add in the cost of bottle rental, hose fittings, and you'll need at least 3 rental bottles, to fill one set of tanks. returning a bottle each time to get a fresh one to top the air to the high pressure scuba bottles need. I used to be a firefighter, and could fill at the station, but not all stations allow this, so i hope the lds never goes out of business.

 

[Kev's First Mate]

I get so tired of reading these LDS vs Online threas. I do, however, love to read the ones about people buying online on getting screwed. Is everything about saving a buck? I visit my LDS many times a month. Most times I am not even buying something. I just do it to stay involved in the sport when I am not diving. I am glad to see everybody and they are glad to see me. When I do make a purchase, I may pay a little more, but I feel good about my purchase. When I have a problem with it, they are right there to help me. I dont have to ship it back, I dont have to wait for it to be shipped back to me. Thats what a good deal is. When you buy something and you feel good about it. Its not always about price. Its about peace of mind. I enjoy supporting my LDS and I enjoy there support.

I agree with you. My husband and I go in our LDS constantly, even it we aren't buying. The information that we have learned from the people that work there is worth a lot! Price isn't everything.