Crowell
Guest
Hi guys, I'm new to the boards here (just heard about them yesterday), and thought I'd register and say hello.
"Hello."
There, now that that's out of the way, I have a question for some of you more internet-savvy folks out there.
I'm in the market for a new set of dive gear and I've been looking at some nice internet sites like joediveramerica.com and diversdiscount.com, divebooty, etc.
I'm also a big proponent of safety and reliability - especially with my dive gear, and I do tons of research into what I like and brand names like Mares, Dacor, ScubaPro, etc, and these internet companies stock and sell those brands.
The local shop-owners (understandably) are VERY against buying anything on the internet - especially things like regulators, because there's no guarantees of what you're getting and no go-to guy if it's not right. But there's also the factor that the local shop owner has bills (and floorspace rent) to pay and a family to feed too, and they just can't compete with major internet distributors with no physical store-front.
Are these sites like joediveramerca.com safe to buy from online, or should I not risk it and just buy local from store owners? What are some other pros and cons I haven't touched on? I know most local shops will offer free inspections on anything you buy from them - forever, and the assurance that it will be right before you ever go in the water with it.
I'm just waffling here because those internet prices look really good.
"Hello."
There, now that that's out of the way, I have a question for some of you more internet-savvy folks out there.
I'm in the market for a new set of dive gear and I've been looking at some nice internet sites like joediveramerica.com and diversdiscount.com, divebooty, etc.
I'm also a big proponent of safety and reliability - especially with my dive gear, and I do tons of research into what I like and brand names like Mares, Dacor, ScubaPro, etc, and these internet companies stock and sell those brands.
The local shop-owners (understandably) are VERY against buying anything on the internet - especially things like regulators, because there's no guarantees of what you're getting and no go-to guy if it's not right. But there's also the factor that the local shop owner has bills (and floorspace rent) to pay and a family to feed too, and they just can't compete with major internet distributors with no physical store-front.
Are these sites like joediveramerca.com safe to buy from online, or should I not risk it and just buy local from store owners? What are some other pros and cons I haven't touched on? I know most local shops will offer free inspections on anything you buy from them - forever, and the assurance that it will be right before you ever go in the water with it.
I'm just waffling here because those internet prices look really good.