why do we pay so much

[Midnight Star]

I'm not sure about Bowling Green, but here in Louisville there are at least three dive shops, one i'm fairly familiar with. Maybe this upcoming year, i'll catch you on a trip to Cumberland lake for some weekend diving

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Mike.

 

[mirrocraft]

sounds like a plan. as for everyone else you all make very good points but i started this because i was talking to the supplier at the hardware store and got to talking about diving and he was telling me how many different dive shops he sells to i laft and bought a box . also to the statment about stainless steel 90% of all clips and things are brass its more commen and cheaper i know some things i would want to buy from a dive shop, but as for clips and d-rings im going to pay 1.50 way before i pay 10.00 i can under stand a make up but come on dont play us like fools

 

[EvaL]

Regarding the brass clips - I've been told those at hardware stores have springs made of zinc - which corrode and break in a matter of a few dives esp. if you clip and unclip a lot. Most diveshops that know the difference stock DiveRite clips, which I'm told have stainless steel springs, hence the higher price.
Ultimately the LDS is smaller (like a mom and pop store) and sees less business than a typical hardware store (many of which are turning into giant chainstores such as Home Depot, Farm and Fleet, Ace Hadware chains etc) which have massive economies of scale when it comes to purchasing power. So I'm not surprised about the price differences. I only buy regs (life support and annual service advantages with LDS), wetsuit (fit is important) and tanks (high shipping costs if purchased online) from my LDS, and buy everything else online, unless there's a big sale at the LDS.

 

[mirrocraft]

well i have to beg to diff. about the big chain store thing because the store im comparing with is a small farm store that my neigbor owns. as for the different springs not a true statment neather because i have been using the same clips in fresh and salt water for about 3 years now and have yet to have a problem with them. im just trying to open the window to new divers to help them save money on small ideams and then they have to spend on high end ideams at the dive shop

 

[Hoyden]

as for the different springs not a true statment neather because i have been using the same clips in fresh and salt water for about 3 years now and have yet to have a problem with them.

It is true that when you compare stainless steel sliding gate clips/boltsnaps, the hardware store version has a non stainless steel spring and the more expensive version (usually found in dive shops and high end marine supply stores) has a stainless steel spring. Perhaps you have not had the problem that can result from spring failure, but that doesn't make the underlying issue go away. You can make the cheaper clips last longer by giving them extra care (rinsing diligently and lubricating).

Jackie

 

[budgy]

I used to think shops that sold climbing gear were expensive, until I tried diving.

 

[MasterGoa]

heres something for all of us to think about. when i lived in fl i went to my local dive shop for everything related to diving. then i moved to kentucky and go figure no dive shop. well from what i have found is that you can get some or most things cheaper at hardware store like double ended brass clips dive shop 8 or 9 dollars hardware store 1.50. same with D rings and clamps and most other hardware does any one have any other ideas of what you can get cheaper and where. i also follow ebay i see the same things on there go for 10 dollars of more what are people thinking do the research and find the deals you can spend more money on importent things

Well, know that in Canada, everythuing scuba related is twice the price
as in the USA WITH exchange.

For example: Scub-Alert. Paid 46.99 US for mine, it is 99 CAD in an LDS.

I aggree that scuba industry thinks we have money trees, but
up here, it is just plain stoooooopid.....

Home this helps you cope

 

[JahJahwarrior]

If you are that upset about the price of a brass clip, just buy a huge can of those small zip ties. Just cut them off and put a new one on whenever you need to use whatever it is you would have had clipped there.

 

[mirrocraft]

i go throught a bag of zip ties on every dive lol i love them things lol

 

[AstroDad]

I used to think shops that sold climbing gear were expensive, until I tried diving.

Diving gear is cheap compared to astro imaging gear....