NightRaven77
Contributor
Hello everyone....especially the new divers!!!
I read some of the posts in this forum and have come to offer my expierences and opinions about using online dealers for your equipment desires against using your Local Dive Shop...
About 5 years ago I was on a cruise when the opprotunity came through the cruise line to go scuba diving....so not knowing what was required at the time...my buddy and I signed up and early the next morning we set off on our new adventure in the Caymans.....The problem was though...we were not certified...and no one told us you had to before going.....so as you can imagine when we got out there, the divemaster (whom we called a bunch of names after the fact
) told us that we couldnt dive because we were not certified....wasting an entire day and after dreaming all night about how cool it was going to be scuba diving was a huge let down and a major disappointment for the rest of our vacation.....
After returning back to the states, I set out to find what I needed to do in order to become certified. I didnt know anyone that scuba dived and didnt know where to start so I used the Internet to find out how....So I Googled it....the site that I selected told me to enter my zip code to find out the closest dive shop.....I entered my zip and wouldnt you know it....there was a dive ship 3 miles from my house....I couldnt believe that it was that close and I had been living in my apartment for 3 years and didnt even know it was there....I drove past it practically everyday...and never took notice...could you believe that...all in all...I signed up for the Open Water Certification...
Since I bought all my gear at the diveshop (SeaUdive)...the owner gave me the course for free...I bought everything and I mean everything ($4000 on a newly opened credit card)....bc,octo,wetsuit,computer etc.....all Scubapro
After seeing how expensive the gear was...I began using the internet to find better prices....I looked at Leasure Pro...Scubatoys....Ebay...you name it...I found the prices were significanty cheaper.....so I was like...wow....I could of saved a ton of money if I just took the time instead of jumping in and buying everything at that shop.....at least thats what I felt at that time...
Over the first couple of years diving...I bought some other dive gear online...lights,retractors,masks etc....little did I know (once again) what was involved when I had to return something when it was defective or broken...One thing you have to understand is that once that package hits the door ...it was considered used dive gear....so when it came time to get something fixed...it cost me more money because It had been used and they wanted me to pay for repairs rather than getting replacements...which I thought wasnt fair....after all I bought it new...and when used...it broke under conditions it was used for...and now I had to pay for the repairs???? seemed like I was getting robbed....so much for those cheap prices...and so much for the sales support from the websites whom changed their tune when I wanted to return something...first they were all wonderfull because they wanted the sale...and then on the flipside gave me a hard time when trying to return or fix some of the stuff I bought.....After paying for shipping a ton of times....it seem like it wasnt worth it....so I figured I wouldnt even bother....so I turned to my Local Dive Shop (SeaUdive) for y repairs.....
Mike is great...he is the owner of this little diveshop hidden in the backroads of this little mall complex I lived by....I visited him one day at his diveshop and asked him about repairing my light....After telling him that I bought the light on the internet he began to say that it was a typcial mistake new divers make..they think they are getting a great deal...but fail to see the warranties and problems getting service...the shipping you have to pay...the lack of sales support
cangry: ....the bottom line....those little expierences that you only learn from the internet until it burns you...even though I didnt buy some of my gear from Mike....he repaired it free of charge and in some cases...gave me replacements until mine came back...
5 years and 225 dives later in my dive career...I feel I have made the best decision to stay away from internet sites that sell scuba diving gear....I do most of my research online and then go see Mike...He has given me things the internet sites couldnt...
Mike and his dive shop has given me a ton of things internet sites fail to do...He has taught me classes...some free....service on my gear for which I dont have to pay shipping...sometimes free airfills....access to to trying new gear out at a local pool if I want to....and a ton of advice since he is like the Yoda of diving...That itself is worth more than the pain in dealing with the internet sites and paying more in the long run....
I consider Mike my friend...over half of my dives are with him....he teaches safe diving and lives by it....and also is'nt afraid to rip me a new one if I do something unsafe....all in all...he has keep me safe....I couldnt be more appreciative to him....try getting all that from the internet sites???
Mike has taken an old dive shop that was just about going bankrupt and turned it into a very reputable business....If it wasnt for him...I dont think that I would have had the great expierences that I have since I began diving...Ive been to Cozumel,Honduras,Belize,Domincan Republic,Antigua and the Bahamas...all with my original gear I bought from my local dive shop...
To wrap this story up and god knows I could keep going.....Be very cautious of what you are getting yourself into when looking online....My advice...stick with your local diveshop....trust me ...they will take care of you more than you think....those internet prices are definitely attractive...but they sure as heck dont care about how you dive...they just want the sale....Your Local diveshop on the other hand will be there for you time and time again....I cant tell you how many times I have went to Mike and SeaUdive for stuff and they found it for me and came pretty darn close to the price I seen on the internet......and anything I bought from Mike...he kept it working and working safe.....
Those internet service departments dont know you....they dont know how you dive...and they dont know what expierence level you are...so they dont have a vested interest in your safety...they just want the sale...trust me....they sound warm and fuzzy...but again...they want that sale...
Mike you have done a great job teaching me.....thank you!!
I just hope the new divers reading this long story of mine...may learn something....
Dive Safe!!
NightRaven77
I read some of the posts in this forum and have come to offer my expierences and opinions about using online dealers for your equipment desires against using your Local Dive Shop...
About 5 years ago I was on a cruise when the opprotunity came through the cruise line to go scuba diving....so not knowing what was required at the time...my buddy and I signed up and early the next morning we set off on our new adventure in the Caymans.....The problem was though...we were not certified...and no one told us you had to before going.....so as you can imagine when we got out there, the divemaster (whom we called a bunch of names after the fact
) told us that we couldnt dive because we were not certified....wasting an entire day and after dreaming all night about how cool it was going to be scuba diving was a huge let down and a major disappointment for the rest of our vacation.....After returning back to the states, I set out to find what I needed to do in order to become certified. I didnt know anyone that scuba dived and didnt know where to start so I used the Internet to find out how....So I Googled it....the site that I selected told me to enter my zip code to find out the closest dive shop.....I entered my zip and wouldnt you know it....there was a dive ship 3 miles from my house....I couldnt believe that it was that close and I had been living in my apartment for 3 years and didnt even know it was there....I drove past it practically everyday...and never took notice...could you believe that...all in all...I signed up for the Open Water Certification...
Since I bought all my gear at the diveshop (SeaUdive)...the owner gave me the course for free...I bought everything and I mean everything ($4000 on a newly opened credit card)....bc,octo,wetsuit,computer etc.....all Scubapro
After seeing how expensive the gear was...I began using the internet to find better prices....I looked at Leasure Pro...Scubatoys....Ebay...you name it...I found the prices were significanty cheaper.....so I was like...wow....I could of saved a ton of money if I just took the time instead of jumping in and buying everything at that shop.....at least thats what I felt at that time...
Over the first couple of years diving...I bought some other dive gear online...lights,retractors,masks etc....little did I know (once again) what was involved when I had to return something when it was defective or broken...One thing you have to understand is that once that package hits the door ...it was considered used dive gear....so when it came time to get something fixed...it cost me more money because It had been used and they wanted me to pay for repairs rather than getting replacements...which I thought wasnt fair....after all I bought it new...and when used...it broke under conditions it was used for...and now I had to pay for the repairs???? seemed like I was getting robbed....so much for those cheap prices...and so much for the sales support from the websites whom changed their tune when I wanted to return something...first they were all wonderfull because they wanted the sale...and then on the flipside gave me a hard time when trying to return or fix some of the stuff I bought.....After paying for shipping a ton of times....it seem like it wasnt worth it....so I figured I wouldnt even bother....so I turned to my Local Dive Shop (SeaUdive) for y repairs.....
Mike is great...he is the owner of this little diveshop hidden in the backroads of this little mall complex I lived by....I visited him one day at his diveshop and asked him about repairing my light....After telling him that I bought the light on the internet he began to say that it was a typcial mistake new divers make..they think they are getting a great deal...but fail to see the warranties and problems getting service...the shipping you have to pay...the lack of sales support
cangry: ....the bottom line....those little expierences that you only learn from the internet until it burns you...even though I didnt buy some of my gear from Mike....he repaired it free of charge and in some cases...gave me replacements until mine came back...5 years and 225 dives later in my dive career...I feel I have made the best decision to stay away from internet sites that sell scuba diving gear....I do most of my research online and then go see Mike...He has given me things the internet sites couldnt...
Mike and his dive shop has given me a ton of things internet sites fail to do...He has taught me classes...some free....service on my gear for which I dont have to pay shipping...sometimes free airfills....access to to trying new gear out at a local pool if I want to....and a ton of advice since he is like the Yoda of diving...That itself is worth more than the pain in dealing with the internet sites and paying more in the long run....
I consider Mike my friend...over half of my dives are with him....he teaches safe diving and lives by it....and also is'nt afraid to rip me a new one if I do something unsafe....all in all...he has keep me safe....I couldnt be more appreciative to him....try getting all that from the internet sites???
Mike has taken an old dive shop that was just about going bankrupt and turned it into a very reputable business....If it wasnt for him...I dont think that I would have had the great expierences that I have since I began diving...Ive been to Cozumel,Honduras,Belize,Domincan Republic,Antigua and the Bahamas...all with my original gear I bought from my local dive shop...
To wrap this story up and god knows I could keep going.....Be very cautious of what you are getting yourself into when looking online....My advice...stick with your local diveshop....trust me ...they will take care of you more than you think....those internet prices are definitely attractive...but they sure as heck dont care about how you dive...they just want the sale....Your Local diveshop on the other hand will be there for you time and time again....I cant tell you how many times I have went to Mike and SeaUdive for stuff and they found it for me and came pretty darn close to the price I seen on the internet......and anything I bought from Mike...he kept it working and working safe.....
Those internet service departments dont know you....they dont know how you dive...and they dont know what expierence level you are...so they dont have a vested interest in your safety...they just want the sale...trust me....they sound warm and fuzzy...but again...they want that sale...
Mike you have done a great job teaching me.....thank you!!
I just hope the new divers reading this long story of mine...may learn something....
Dive Safe!!
NightRaven77
