More Expensive than I thought

[yarik83]

70% of scuba diving cost is initial "start up". You do not HAVE to buy any gear but you SHOULD. That way you know who serviced it, when, where, you know that it is maintained and only you are using it. All your gear will not be dropped, hauled through rocks and dirt and it will pay for itself in 20 dives. Purchase of tanks is also not necessary but owning a pair will save you in the long run.

30% of scuba diving cost is attributed to your complete lack of knowledge of where to buy what and when and thus overpay at the dive shop.

Take following scenario for example: When I got certified I purchased 22lbs of soft weights. At $3/lbs + tax I spent something like $80. 3 years later I was garage sale shopping for a coffee table when I stumbled upon 40lbs worth of soft weights (used) for $1/lbs.

Take following scenario for example: When I got dive gloves 4 years ago I paid $13.00. 2 months later I saw same exact pair of garden gloves at home depot for $2.99.

Little things add up really fast. Overall I overpaid probably $300 on my gear than I should have but at the time I was clueless and gullible. After your gear pays for itself you will find that 9/10 dives will be done within 4 hour ride of your house. 1/10 will be reserved for your once per year trips.

Also... BOOK YOUR OWN TRIPS. Dive shops will often overcharge you and others in group so that they could themselves fly/scuba/stay for free. Or at the very least get a credit card... accumulate some points and take care of traveling expenses on your own and book rest with your dive shop. That way you get to save some money while still sticking with your group.

 

[IrishPaul]

It doesn't have to be pricey at all.

I bought my own fins, boots, mask, gloves and hood for about $250.
Got a slate for $15 and a ceramic knife and EMT shears from Harbour Freight for less than $8.

A days dive costs me:

$54 for the 7mm westuit, bcd, regs and 2 tanks - rented from my local dive shop.
$16 for the 4 gallons of gas my car burns to and from the dive site.
$6 to park at the dive site.

I don't need to buy anything else, and at $76 a day for a days diving, it's cheaper than going out on the beer.

Don't get me wrong - I have been close to dropping $800 on a computer, but I don't need it yet.

I won't be buying any more gear until I get about 15 to 20 more dives done.

 

[ian@1904]

I recall being astounded at the cost of boat charges here in the UK-now we are looking at £45-50 per day. After the initial very steep learning curve I now accept the costs. New light head £150 = a bargain. I simply built diving into the annual budget and got on with things.
Fortunately I can afford the costs, and secondly my wife also has an expensive hobby.
I have been diving for over ten years. I have been to some amazing places here in the UK and overseas-Red Sea, Cuba, Gibraltar, and Gozo to name a few. I have seen some stunning wildlife and made great friends. Saved a couple of lives.
This coming weekend I have a 500 mile drive each way to Lochaline in Scotland for three days of cold but stunning diving.
Screw the expense, I can't put a value on the experiences.

 

[rhwestfall]

its all relative - buddy of mine just made a trip to go climb Kilimanjaro - doubt it was cheap.....

another friend just went skiing in the Alps.... and another guy I know went on an exotic hunt in Africa...

It all breaks down to what gets you going.... if you want it bad enough, you make it happen...

sometimes you do it, but to a lesser extent....

 

[SC Diver Down]

Thank you all very much for your input and valuable advice. It is greatly appreciated. Diving is truly amazing and I guess with all things, you have to “pay to play”.
Looking back on my purchases maybe I should have waited a few months. Based on the recommendations from my LDS I bought the following equipment from them:
BC-Aeris EX 100
Reg-Aeris AT600, Octo, SPG, Compass
Computer-Aeris XR1-NX

In hindsight I should have waited on the Computer purchase.

In the next few months, my plans are to dive the local lake near my home. This lake is not the best due to the low visibility and incompetent, sometimes Drunk boat / Jet Ski operators. Since my plans are to solo dive with a maximum depth of 15 feet, I am not sure how useful the computer will be.

Once again thank you for all your help.

 

[rmh84]

Oh, and $1300 for acquisition costs isn't bad at all . . . That's a third the cost of a good dressage saddle.

I was JUST going to post something along those lines! My other expencive hobby is riding, and I'm into Eventing (something like Triathalon for the non-horsey board members) - so not just one $1300 saddle, but 2, maybe 3! My "budget" method of keeping up with this sport is still $500 a month minimum, weather I'm home to enjoy it or not.

At least your scuba gear does not need to be fed and housed even when you're not using it!

Packrats here to - my family has 5 divers, but enough gear to outfit 8. We do rental tanks. It's like this with my horse gear too - all it takes is one injured horse and an aversion to doing laundry to amass enough leg bandages to outfit a small cavalry!

 

[Ben Prusinski]

It is very expensive. However, if you maintain your own gear it will last a long time. Compared to other sports like cycling, skiing and hockey, costs are less. I spent a small fortune for all my gear about $4500 this year including everything except for tanks and a videocamera. Granted, I probably could have done it a lot cheaper but I did purchase top of the line gear like Atomic Cobalt dive computer and an Atomic regulator. I still want a drysuit, tanks, and video camera but that can wait another year. Like others say, it is a very addicting expensive but fun hobby. I have done other sports and scuba is by far my favorite. You meet interesting fun people who are more easy going than other folks I've met in other sports and its more a team activity than competition. Actually, while scuba is not cheap, it is less expensive than sailing, racing cars, or polo/horseracing. I do look forward to each scuba diving event which is different than other sports I have done in the past like kung fu and cycling. I guess this is why I never did scuba until now due to the cost of trips and gear up front which I could not afford 20 years ago when I was a broke college kid.

 

[D_B]

Good gear can last a lifetime of diving
Good training can make that longer

... I agree with spectrum .. take Rescue just as soon as your comfortable in the water and you have good basic buoyancy


And it really is like Golf .. while after your lessions you could rent all your gear, you soon find that you want your own ...

 

[temet vince]

Diving is not super expensive unless you buy everything new. At least, it's not expensive here in the midwest. I avoid dive shops like the plague (except for tank rentals or to try on masks and wetsuits for fit).

For instance:
Freedom plate $150
Oxycheq mach v 30lbs wing $272
Hollis mask (from dive shop) $80
5mm scubpro wetsuit $25
Force fins $15 (or jetfins $5)
Weights and belt $5
Hog harness $45.
Hog regs, 1st stage $155, 2 2nd stages $105*2=$210.
Cheap computer and depth gauge $125
Pick up some cheap booties, a cheapo dive knife, and hoses (all under $100 total, probably more like $50?)

Total = $1182. Some good deals, granted. But a lot of new gear, too. You'll still need $10 for tank rental every time you go out. Add idk, $300 for ow cert?

Anyways, I think it's safe to say <$2000 including ow cert. And you could possibly throw in a tank and still come up <2k. Craigslist is your best friend.

Or, just rent everything. $50-70 a trip isn't horrible. That's an xbox game.

 

[sdiver68]

Computer-Aeris XR1-NX
In hindsight I should have waited on the Computer purchase

If you consider that this computer will make an excellent back-up computer when you are ready to buy something more expensive...I'm not sure how much of a mistake it is You have the whole Aeris perhaps Oceanic lines to choose from which will be similar to you. For instance, I just bought the Oceanic VT4...shares most of the user interface, look, feel, algorythm and even spare battery with my console older VEO 200 which also serves as my backup pressure gauge and compass.