swap meet in Etobicoke

[Rooster1]

Hey freaks: will there be a swap meet in Etobicoke again this year? If so what day? I went last year and I liked it and am looking to go again.:out:

[DivingGal]

Here's the info

SCUBA SWAP 2003 is being held at the Etobicoke Olympium gymnasium -- 590 Rathburn Rd., Etobicoke, ON, April 26, 2003 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Early bird gets the gear!

Swap meet (http://members.rogers.com/aldv/website/swap.html)

[Rooster1]

DivingGal once bubbled...
Here's the info

SCUBA SWAP 2003 is being held at the Etobicoke Olympium gymnasium -- 590 Rathburn Rd., Etobicoke, ON, April 26, 2003 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Early bird gets the gear!

Swap meet (http://members.rogers.com/aldv/website/swap.html)

Thanks DG. Same place as last year. It was packed last year and a line up before they let us in. Looked like a soup kitchen during the depression.

[Aquabella]

So you liked it last year...did you get any goodies? I guess it would be more geared towards the experienced consumer though wouldn't it? You're talking to the gearless wonder here:small:

[Rooster1]

Aquabella once bubbled...
So you liked it last year...did you get any goodies? I guess it would be more geared towards the experienced consumer though wouldn't it? You're talking to the gearless wonder here:small:

If you are looking for gear it is a good place to go and you are only and hour and a half away being in London. I picked up a 30cf pony a reg and guage and other goodies. All and all I got a great deal:)

[Aquabella]

Cool...I think I might just check it out, thanks to you and DivingGal for the heads up! I'm sure she right about the earlybird part.:)

[jrtonkin]

So how do you handle the inevitable safety questions in buying something like a reg or guages at an event like this?

I've got a good eye for mechanics, but that comes with knowledge that I don't know what to look for to determine what condition that sort of gear is in.

Anybody know if the place is reasonably TTC-accessible?

Jamie

[DivingGal]

Aquabella once bubbled...
Cool...I think I might just check it out, thanks to you and DivingGal for the heads up! I'm sure she right about the earlybird part.:)

the advise given earlier --- I just copied the information from their web page. Though I was just after the basic where & when info, I thought the advice was valid from remembering what folks said last year.

[seahunter]

You're right Aquabella!
If you go to the swap either take an experienced diver with you or be very knowledgeable about what you want to pick up.
The swap can have some great buys (although as mentioned, lots of the best stuff is gone before the doors are even open to the poor divers). Be prepared however to spend money getting a lot of the stuff checked over, serviced and/or repaired.

We actually get quite a lot of service business and some sales after the swap. Nothing you purchase there is guaranteed despite what impression the seller gives you so 'you own it'. One of our leaders bought a dry suit for $300 two years ago and spent the coldest, wettest summer of diving she's ever known. It cost her that much again for repairs. She finally decided to purchase a new one (for $750) and sold it for what she paid. I doubt she'll buy much at the swap again without checking first.

Tanks are almost always safe to buy; regulators if less than 5 years old are OK; BC's are so-so; suits if they fit and are really cheap are fine; accessories are great. Forget computers!

Check your LDS before going.
New, brand name 7mm wet suits are $300 or less.
Same for dry suits at $800 or less.
Complete scuba systems (reg, octo, console, BC) in brand name are available for less than $700.

Just be wise!! And cynical!

[pufferfish]

Good advice there, but how about wise and skeptical, too many cynics in this country.

Skepticism : A doubting state of mind.
Cynicism: Contemptuous distrust of human nature

I'm a cynic when it comes to politicians, but a skeptic when it comes to divers selling gear ;)

[Aquabella]

I think I will see if any of the more experienced guys are going. Ok...

Do my homework at my LDS...
Get there early( use the elbows if needed?)...
Have a cynical, no wait, Wise and Skeptical eye...

Check, got it!
:mrcool:

[seahunter]

Luv ya' puffer!
I'm a great fan of the correct and expanded use of English (check my posts). My 15 year old son seems able to have a 20 minute conversation with a friend using just 7 words. He has however, read many of the Classics including several of Jules Verne plus The Hardy Boys, Zane Gray novels and so on. He has the tools and someday I hope, will see their value and apply them.

Interesting how a recent poll showed that the professions LEAST trusted in Canada start with the feds and then work their way through the provincial and municipal politicians and then on to the lawyers, the car, real estate and carpet salesmen and then the bankers. The world has changed and people are slowly catching on. We'll soon see teachers and doctors moving up that list I'm sure.
Perhaps a new quote is in order. "A healthy cynic is a happy man!"
Certainly no one can disagree that human nature (diver or not) cannot be trusted.

[4evernarc'd]

I bought a used wet suit from a store owner at the swap last yaer and he promised it would be ok or he'd fix it. The zipper stuck while I was trying it on at home and when I called himhe basically said all sales at the swap are final. Also i saw that a lot of the 'new' gear was old lines. I bought my bc 2 years ago and my dive shop can't get parts for it anymore so you have to be very carful. Agood LDS is invaluable.