So you think scuba diving is expensive!!

[runvus4]

I think that to many people get caught up in the idea of what gear they WANT to have to do a sport. I was listing the minimums needed to get your feet wet so to speak.

I've skied/snowboarded in jeans and my regular winter top. Sure I was fairly cold and wet at the end of the day (since I'm not very good at snow sports), but I was able to do it. Of course I'd love to have had gore tec snowpants and jacket, but I didn't NEED it to start up.

As for kayaking, I've gone river kayaking and calm open water kayaking with just a sit-on inflatable kayak, paddle and pfd, no dry top or bib, helmet, tow line, etc. Certainly for white water kayaking, you should have a helmet, but for a minimum of getting into the water, you don't need two different boats, two different paddles, helmet, pfd's, etc. You may want them if you get serious, but you dont NEED them to start up.

Any sport that you get serious with and start to buy gear to be able to perform at a higher level than intro will cost much more than for a beginner renting/borrowing their gear. Diving is no exception and is definately NOT inexpensive in comparison to most other sports.

 

[Amphibious]

Very true.

Willer

 

[Jersey]

LOL - I bought a vacation home just so I could be closer to the garden spots & dive boats. Beats driving 2 hours first thing in the morn. (I am not a morning person.) House was attractive because it had an 18 X 27 foot freestanding garage. Now it's full of all the water toys - waverunners, an exposure suit rack (your choice -compression shorts & vests to dry), a wall full of tanks (singles or doubles?), & shelves to hold all the related paraphenalia. I don't even want to think what the gear adds up to, let alone what the cost of the house will be over the remaining 12 year mortgage....

 

[Fly N Dive]

skiing.
1 pair of skis range $70-850 depending on brand and use. ^ ^
1 pair of boots $50-200 see above.^ ^
1 pair of snowpants $50-200 same as above^.
1 jacket $70-300 depending on brand, and sales.
1 pair of gloves $20-200 depending on brand, and sales.
optional
1 pair of poles $25-150 depending on brand, and sales.
1 helmet $50-200 depending on brand, and sales.
1 pair ski socks $5-10
1 neckwarmer $5-10 depending on brands.
gogles $25-300 depending on brand, and sales.

total min. $260 for buying basic stuff, cost to rent like 30 bucks a day.
now tell me scuba diving is less, a bc costs more than that.

 

[ScubaGhrl]

...WHEN YOUR ADDICTED !!!!

 

[gjmmotors]

" ...WHEN YOUR ADDICTED !!!! "

Haha, Scuba Divers Anon.
Wouldnt that piss off the agencies, you wouldnt have to show your card to play......

Hi, My name is greg and im diver.
(chorus)
HI GREGGGGGGGGGG

 

[dmdalton]

Diving is very inexpensive! Heck when I decided to learn to dive I showed up at the diveshop/quarry and told them I wanted to take lessons. OK, that'll be $20. Oh, we don't have a class scheduled to start today so we will give you private lessons, no extra charge! All equipment included and free entry into the quarry which the shop owned & opperated.

Lessons were on 3 consecutive Saturdays, the 3rd being my check out dive. When I finished I bought a tank, regulator and backpack and vest, total was about $130 but since I bought a "package" costing more than $120 I got a credit for the $20 I paid for my lessons. Oh, and no charge for the c-card because, well they wern't invented yet!

Year - 1962
Location - Sportsman's Lake, Cedarville, OH

41 years later I have a bit more gear, 2 drysuits, 2 shorty's 4 wings, 2 backplates, 2 canisterlights, 8 regulators, 4 stage bottles, 5 sets of doubles, I don't know how many singles, Gavin scooter, 2 compressors, 6 storage bottles of He & O2 and lord knows what else!

But it was cheap when I started!!!!! And I agree with Seahunter, you can still get into it for $500 and dive for $5 a day!

Dave D

 

[rjens]

I have had fun reading this thread because both sides are right. You can get into scuba for nearly nothing.

OW PADI cert in Maui <$125 + books and C-Card
(including 3 days of gear rentals and 6 dive at airport beach)
Maui Diving

then $60 a day rentals for beach dives.

Rental in SoCal

assume 3-5 dives days a year - Cheap and easy

I won't expand on the expensive side, that has been well covered.

However, just to show that any sport can be considered expensive, let me tell you what we spent for my daughter (now 18) to get into springboard diving. A very "inexpensive sport". You just go down to the local pool and dive in... right?... wrong

7 years of semi-private lesson at $900 a year
Summer Diving Camp
Tuition $395
airfare $250
Hotels $150
Food $100
total $895 each year X 3

3 - 6 swim suits a year (they actually where out) $120- 180 a year

3mm shorty (don't splat off the 5 meter wihout one)

Travel to regional dive meets 2-5 x $300 minimum each year

I think you get the idea, the good news is she won some medals, won league in high school 2 years in a row, and had a great time. (which is why we spent the money)

And I won't even get into the cost of piano lessons as a hobby (My other daughter and a $20,000 grand piano later...)

so shelling out a grand for myself and my 5 kids to certify while on a vacation was a cheap way to spend 3 days in Maui. And if we only dive a couple of times a year it stays cheap.

Unfortunately, they are all hooked. So now we have yet another expensive hobby. Which is why I spend so much time on this board making sure that I don't waste money on unneeded equipment.

Bottom line, it all comes down to level of involvement. Any sport can be dabbled in inexpensively or you can giant stride in and spend a boatload of money.

so lets not argue about it. lets have fun and get wet

RJ

 

[JDostal]

Do I think scuba diving is expensive?

OW Cert - $250
AOW Cert - $140
Ice Cert - $140

BCD - $500
Wetsuit - $350
Drysuit - $1000 (And that was a good deal used!)
Reg - $400
Computer - $750
Find/Mask/Snorkel - $130
Hoods/Gloves/Booties - $110
Weights - $30
Dive Light - $200
Tanks - $300/tank
Weekend Trip To Go Shipwreck diving - $250/weekend (x3)

Yes

Heck, I coulda bought a 600cc dirt bike used for cheaper than all that Especially when you take the blackbeard's trip into consideration. Or a jetski, or a snowmobile.

Has every single cent been worth it - oh he** yes. I don't regret a penny of it!

 

[MikeFerrara]

landlocked once bubbled...

Golf is a $300-$500 initial investment and about $100 new equipment each year thereafter. A season golf pass is $360 and covers both local courses. Golf balls $20/yr for 30 new golf balls. Total about $550 a year for unlimited golfing. I usually get in about 80 trips to the course each year. About $7 per trip plus 10 miles worth of gas.

Your a better golfer tham me I can go through that many balls in a single trip. You also forgot beer, 1 can/hole.

Some people spend a ton on golf going to courses that charge $200+ per day green fees.

It is possible to dive on a budget but for the most part diving is for people with money just like many other things in life. I always get a kick out of what divers will spend traveling yet how cheap many are when it comes to their training and equipment.