Best place to buy scuba gear online?

[jo8243]

Where's the best place to buy gear online?

Thanks

[Waterborne]

Welcome to the board. This thread (http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6662&highlight=favorite+and+internet) should give you a good place to start. Is there any specific piece or pieces of gear that you are looking for? That may narrow the online shops down a bit. Happy hunting.:D

[ReeseTD]

There is two on line shops that come to mind. Thy are

www.leisurepro.com This site is good cheep but damn hard to find what you want.

The last one is www.diversdiscount.com. There prices are not the best in the world but thy have made there site user friendly (ie slow 56.6K modem users)

Just to keep the LDS lover happy you should alway see if your LDS will match or ever get close to the online prices. Im sure that buying from your LDS will make the owner fill happy and you money will stay in the local area. Then again if your LDS dos not even get close to the price.... well then you have to make your own chose.


Good Luck and Happy Diving

[ReeseTD]

Therleisurepro.come is two on line shops that come to mind. Thy are

www.leisurepro.com This site is good cheep but damn hard to find what you want.

The last one is www.diversdiscount.com. There prices are not the best in the world but thy have made there site user friendly (ie slow 56.6K modem users)

Just to keep the LDS lover happy you should alway see if your LDS will match or ever get close to the online prices. Im sure that buying from your LDS will make the own fill happy and you money will stay in the local area. Then again if your LDS dos not even get close to the price.... well then you have to make your own chose.


Good Luck and Happy Diving

[jonnythan]

Here's a list I compiled a few months ago:


www.leisurepro.com
www.scubatoys.com
www.scubastore.com
www.diversdirect.com
www.fifthd.com
www.extreme-exposure.com
www.diversdiscount.com
www.deepstop.de
www.simplyscuba.com

I've personally used the first four and been more than happy with the results.

[astrl]

I have used Leisure Pro, Dive Inn (Spain) and Diver's Direct for regular scuba equipment. Photo equipment is another matter.

I have been happy with all three, but I have never had to return anything, so I can't really say how their customer service handles anything other than a normal sale.

I have also used my LDS. Happy hunting!

astrl

[BouncerSMC]

Has anyone used the following site before and if so what was your experience like with them?

www.diveremporium.com

Thanks for your opinion..

[MercutioATC]

last year when they were almost impossible to find. Great price - fast shipping.

[crazed_dolphin]

I have been shopping at www.diversdirect.com for about 3 yrs now. I've never had problems with them. I'm in the navy and stationed in Japan and I ordered a dive bag with backpack straps. First time I used it one of the straps snapped off. When I went home to Orlando I bought the bag with me and I took it to their store there. They swapped it on the spot, no questions asked. They also have a service dept where you can get your annual inspections done on your gear that needs it.

[Trigger]

I have ordered the Seaquest Balance and Pro Unlimited from www.unrealfind.com . They have a very small selection, but the prices are better than LP or DD.

[Scubaroo]

jo8243,

What part of the world are you located in? You don't say in your profile.

[SANDiverGuy]

LEISURE PRO HAS THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!!!! And that includes the time I spent in Moscow when the Communists were in charge!

I ordered a wetsuit on 12-15 and requested that it arrive by 12-28 since I was flying to Belize.

On 12-16 they sent a dated invoice stating that it would be shipped via UPS 3-Day.

On 12-22 I received an e-mail saying that the order was shipped that day and that according to UPS the package was scheduled to arrive 12-30 - much too late to do me any good.

Their website claims "We normally process and ship all orders within 48 hours." They offered no explanation why the shipment was delayed.

I sent them an e-mail dated 12-22 stating that this was unsatisfactory and that I wanted a refund. I then went to a local store - something I should have done instead of dealing with these people - and bought a wetsuit retail.

Fast forward two weeks - still no response from Leisure Pro. I sent an e-mail asking for my refund since I hadn't heard from them.

In response, I got an e-mail blaming UPS for not working on Christmas, blaming me for not ordering earlier, and stating that if I wanted a refund, I'd have to pay their processing fee and a "restocking charge." Incidentally, I did the math and unless their stockboy is getting paid $400 per hour, their restocking fee is a bit inflated.

This is a clear contradiction of their policy stated on their web site: "You may order just about anything, inspect the equipment, and if you are not fully satisfied, just return it for a full refund less S/H charges (provided it has not been used). No restocking fee and no questions asked."

As for the delay in shipping? This is a direct quote from their e-mail: "...we don't need an explanation why it shipped with a 1 week delay."

DO NOT SHOP HERE FOR DIVE EQUIPMENT. IF YOU DO, PRAY THAT IT GOES SMOOTHLY, OR ELSE THE 'SCREW YOU' CUSTOMER SERVICE WILL GET YOU.

Here are some alternatives. I haven't tried any of these, but they have to be better than Leisure Pro

http://www.divebooty.com/

http://www.scuba-equipment-usa.com/

http://www.scubatoys.com/

http://www.thefrugaldiver.com/

http://www.diverswarehouse.com/

[Scubaroo]

I ordered a wetsuit on 12-15 and requested that it arrive by 12-28 since I was flying to Belize. No offence, but you order something just before Christmas and expect it to get delivered on time? They were probably SWAMPED! Busiest time of the year in any section of the retail industry.

They should stand by their statement of no restocking fee though, as per the website.

[docmartin]

more threads on leisure pro here than anyone would want to read. just do a search. most people seem very happy. if i remember correctly, their bizrate rating is apparently 8.8 out of 10 based on more than 4,000 reviews. form your own opinion. in any case, there is always more that can go wrong when ordering something versus going to a store, seeing something you like and just buying it there. your call if the potential savings are worth the risk.

[SANDiverGuy]

No offence, but you order something just before Christmas and expect it to get delivered on time? They were probably SWAMPED! Busiest time of the year in any section of the retail industry.

They should stand by their statement of no restocking fee though, as per the website.

A week delay between ordering and shipping and then shipping it KNOWING it will arrive when I'm out of the country?

How about them mentioning that they can't meet the deadline BEFORE shipping too late?

And the lack of communication? My request for a refund went unanswered until I sent a follow-up when I got back - 2 weeks.

How about the "we don't need to explain the delay" part? That was the kindest part of their e-mail, trust me.

Their response to my request for a refund was basically (paraphrasing here) 'Pay our fees or go screw yourself. Talk to your credit card company.'

I had no previous experience with them, and maybe they were a decent company before, but whoever is running customer service now is a total prick.

It turned me off so much I wouldn't deal with them again if they were handing out gold bars.

[H2Andy]

Where's the best place to buy gear online?

Thanks

leisurepro.com (http://leisurepro.com) is an excellent place. i've bought tons of stuff from them and never had a problem.

and you can't beat their prices.

[scubasean]

leisurepro.com (http://leisurepro.com) is an excellent place. i've bought tons of stuff from them and never had a problem.

and you can't beat their prices.

ditto, except replace "tons" with "lots"

[Scubaroo]

Does sound like LeisurePro have been fumbling the ball lately.

[SterlingDiver]

[QUOTE=SANDiverGuy]LEISURE PRO HAS THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!!!! And that includes the time I spent in Moscow when the Communists were in charge!

I ordered a wetsuit on 12-15 and requested that it arrive by 12-28 since I was flying to Belize.

On 12-16 they sent a dated invoice stating that it would be shipped via UPS 3-Day.

On 12-22 I received an e-mail saying that the order was shipped that day and that according to UPS the package was scheduled to arrive 12-30 - much too late to do me any good.

Their website claims "We normally process and ship all orders within 48 hours." They offered no explanation why the shipment was delayed.

I sent them an e-mail dated 12-22 stating that this was unsatisfactory and that I wanted a refund. I then went to a local store - something I should have done instead of dealing with these people - and bought a wetsuit retail.

Fast forward two weeks - still no response from Leisure Pro. I sent an e-mail asking for my refund since I hadn't heard from them.

In response, I got an e-mail blaming UPS for not working on Christmas, blaming me for not ordering earlier, and stating that if I wanted a refund, I'd have to pay their processing fee and a "restocking charge." Incidentally, I did the math and unless their stockboy is getting paid $400 per hour, their restocking fee is a bit inflated.

This is a clear contradiction of their policy stated on their web site: "You may order just about anything, inspect the equipment, and if you are not fully satisfied, just return it for a full refund less S/H charges (provided it has not been used). No restocking fee and no questions asked."

As for the delay in shipping? This is a direct quote from their e-mail: "...we don't need an explanation why it shipped with a 1 week delay."

DO NOT SHOP HERE FOR DIVE EQUIPMENT. IF YOU DO, PRAY THAT IT GOES SMOOTHLY, OR ELSE THE 'SCREW YOU' CUSTOMER SERVICE WILL GET YOU.

I have had an equally if not worse experiance with them lately. They have lost my business. I have little to know trust in them at all at this point.

SterlingDiver

[Boogie711]

I just bought two brand new Apeks DS4's for a doubles setup. With delivery to my door, it cost me $365 Cdn, or $280 US, from www.diverswarehouse.co.uk.

The site isn't great, but you can't beat that kind of pricing.

[Bob3]

...and you can't beat their prices...
I beg to differ with that comment. :D

[H2Andy]

I beg to differ with that comment. :D

do tell do tell!! don't keep the secret to yourself =P

[Scubaroo]

do tell do tell!! don't keep the secret to yourself =PEr, his signature might hold a clue!

[H2Andy]

Er, his signature might hold a clue!


psssssst.... "irony"


=P

[Boogie711]

I beg to differ with that comment. :D
Bob - I've sent people through your link to Scubastore in the past... but the price there for a DS4 is $186 plus shipping. I paid $140 including shipping.

But I agree - for most other things, Scubastore is a great resource.

Folks - Go through Bob, he gets money if you buy there.

[scubasean]

Bob - I've sent people through your link to Scubastore in the past... but the price there for a DS4 is $186 plus shipping. I paid $140 including shipping.

But I agree - for most other things, Scubastore is a great resource.

Folks - Go through Bob, he gets money if you buy there.

Boogie,

I think he was comparing his prices to Leisurepro, not to diverswarehouse...

[KWS]

LEISURE PRO HAS THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!!!! And that includes the time I spent in Moscow when the Communists were in charge!

I ordered a wetsuit on 12-15 and requested that it arrive by 12-28 since I was flying to Belize.

On 12-16 they sent a dated invoice stating that it would be shipped via UPS 3-Day.

On 12-22 I received an e-mail saying that the order was shipped that day and that according to UPS the package was scheduled to arrive 12-30 - much too late to do me any good.

Their website claims "We normally process and ship all orders within 48 hours." They offered no explanation why the shipment was delayed.

I sent them an e-mail dated 12-22 stating that this was unsatisfactory and that I wanted a refund. I then went to a local store - something I should have done instead of dealing with these people - and bought a wetsuit retail.

Fast forward two weeks - still no response from Leisure Pro. I sent an e-mail asking for my refund since I hadn't heard from them.

In response, I got an e-mail blaming UPS for not working on Christmas, blaming me for not ordering earlier, and stating that if I wanted a refund, I'd have to pay their processing fee and a "restocking charge." Incidentally, I did the math and unless their stockboy is getting paid $400 per hour, their restocking fee is a bit inflated.

This is a clear contradiction of their policy stated on their web site: "You may order just about anything, inspect the equipment, and if you are not fully satisfied, just return it for a full refund less S/H charges (provided it has not been used). No restocking fee and no questions asked."

As for the delay in shipping? This is a direct quote from their e-mail: "...we don't need an explanation why it shipped with a 1 week delay."

DO NOT SHOP HERE FOR DIVE EQUIPMENT. IF YOU DO, PRAY THAT IT GOES SMOOTHLY, OR ELSE THE 'SCREW YOU' CUSTOMER SERVICE WILL GET YOU.

Here are some alternatives. I haven't tried any of these, but they have to be better than Leisure Pro

http://www.divebooty.com/

http://www.scuba-equipment-usa.com/

http://www.scubatoys.com/

http://www.thefrugaldiver.com/

http://www.diverswarehouse.com/

i have used lp and have been verey stisfied
no arguement just input

kws