Shave head or pull out hair?

[Oxy]

Hi all.
Well I’m still dry and confused. A veritable plethora of choices for equipment and most of them priced out of my reach. When I find a deal my, chosen shop explains “not an authorized dealer” so I keep looking. I found package in my range listed as “authorized dealer” but not even the manufacturer would verify if he was really an authorized dealer.

If this drags on much longer I’m liable to justify a whim and use equipment funds for a beach cruiser and put off scuba for another 30 years.

I mean what the hey, I have this big shark tooth I found and could make up a story right? Well no one would believe me so I am going to need a camera as standard gear. I saw one listed here.

Sorry I am rambling (cause I can’t get wet).
Question:
Why is most gear so expensive at the store and seemingly affordable on line (when it comes from the same place?) If Oceanic is so concerned about authorization for warranted purposes, Why do they sell wholesale to NON-AUTHORIZED dealers. And why won’t they tell me how to verify an authorized dealer.

Why are in-store packages paired with high priced pieces (reg 259 octo 179 bc 599 or reg 389 octo 279 bc 349
Why can’t I get value pieces paired? They all work right? Just not together?

Is it necessary to go to 5 different stores and buy a piece from each just to get a complete package? Makes me want to say fooie on the warrantee and buy “package #3” online for 30% less money and 50% less hassle. Leaving me with sanity and enough money for PADI course.

I can’t hold my breath forever.

[LetterBoy]

[NorthWoodsDiver]

Most of the places online like scubatoys.com are authorized dealers for most if not all of the products they carry and you can usually find a list on each vendors website of the comapnies that they are authorized dealers for.

I only use certain brands of equipment so I dont know what you have been looking at or what you need but a good place to start looking for gear is Dive Rite Express or Scuba Gear and Scuba Diving Equipment - Discount dive gear (Cheap online!)

you need not listen to any of those local shops, as they dont want you buying from anyone but them. Don't get me wrong its great to support a dive shop but in many many cases its just not feasible.

You have entered an equipment intensive sport which demands some money. You have to know your standards and your budget but you need not stick to either. look at the cost of equipment as the smallest investment you will make in diving and I own over $20K worth. training, trips, flights, fills, books, gas, entrance fees, and the like all add up to much more than your equipment costs (up until you get a breather).

You should be able to get all setup up with a million dollars but I dont know you sure, you never own everything you want or have all the best toys, its unrealistic to use the phrase all set up. with that said I could get you high quality gear for single tank diving including a wetsuit for well under $2K but throw in even a drysuit and your looking at dropping another $2-3K.

Seriously look at products from dive rite, OMS, halcyon, henderson, scubapro, whites, etc

and avoid mares, oceanic, tusa, tilos, aeris, and similarly cheap gear.

[Oxy]

Under $2K? and you have avoided ALL the products in my price range. And yes I still don't have a suit. In fact all I have is this tooth and an overwhelming desire to see what the tide didn't wash up.

[Blackwood]

Dive shops struggle to make a profit.

On Basic Open Water courses, they often go in the red. It's used as a loss leader to get you in the door. They hope to recoup the cost with equipment sales.

If it's cost prohibitive, go ahead and buy online.

[augk]

Buy around at different shops buy some online stuff that you may not have to service regularly wet suites, fins, masks, etc.... there are online retailers who offer manufacturers warranties. Scuba.com Diving Portal - Buy Scuba Gear & Scuba Diving Equipment If your budget is tight shop around. I have even made layaway payments for higher priced items some shops do this. In New England they call it Yankee thrift don't just jump at the first thing you want, haggle a little bargain look for promotional offers. Use the same rules to purchase anything jewlery cars houses etc...

[Blackwood]

Also, note that you don't need a full dive locker right away.

It's a good idea to rent a variety of gear to see what works best for you. So purchase the minimum. With Sea'D'Sea (listed on your profile), that means boots, fins, gloves, mask and snorkel. Should set you back about 200 bucks.

[Oxy]

I hate to waste money on rentals but that is probably the best option at this time.
I would rather rent a reg than buy a cheap one. As for a bc, I can't see spending on bells and whistles.
Thanks much for the input

[DiveBZ]

Originally Posted by NorthWoodsDiver

Seriously look at products from dive rite, OMS, halcyon, henderson, scubapro, whites, etc

and avoid mares, oceanic, tusa, tilos, aeris, and similarly cheap gear.

To the OP, and the "Quotee" respectively, I'd like to provide a couple opinions from someone who was JUST in your shoes within the last 6 months.

I spent WEEKS, literally, looking at Scuba gear. Everything from full face GSM masks to buying overhauled, exiled rental equipment.

To the Quotee's quote, there, I will say this:

I have done so many hobbies, from skydiving, to firearms, R/C Helicopters and Boats, and the list really goes on forever. Of all the hobbies I have ever participated in, only one had anything to do with my life being at stake, but the principles still remain the same throughout.

In any hobby there will always be "one step better" and even if you buy that, in 3 months, there will be "one step better" than what you bought. But there are always options that work for your price point.

I spoke with 6 LDS's and eventually settled on a gear package that I could afford. I've been on about 15 dives and have had zero issues with anything that I bought. Incidentally, everything I bought was on the Quotee's list of brands to avoid. Inconsequentially, all the LDS shops here use some of those brands as rentals, day in and day out, and have no problem with them.

I think in total I paid 1500$ for everything excluding fins/mask/wetsuit, some of which was heavily discounted due to closeout or new models, or package discounts, etc. (I could care less what color my stuff is, to be honest, if it works, it works.)

Again, I don't claim to be anything but a novice diver, at BEST. I'd still say going through the certification course again wouldn't hurt me. Ive logged 15 dives. I can honestly say that I have never once worried about my life with the gear I bought, it has performed exactly as expected, and comes with full warranties and can be serviced at my LDS of choice.

I'm not trying to flame - but in any hobby or sport, experienced, long term veterans have had the time and effort to put in years of dives/time and have upgraded to the best stuff because their career in diving warranted the extra money being spent.

They are right, those brands are the best. But they are NOT however, required to ensure your fun or safety.

I'd wager that very few people started with full AquaLung setups from head to toe on their first dive. More power to those that did. But some of us have to start at a much lower, attainable goal.

I have a lot of Oceanic gear that has performed flawlessly on my dives. I have a friend who's brand new Aqualung Dive Computer failed the first time it hit the water and he missed 2 days of diving because the dive shop in Mexico could not fix his equipment, and hes too snooty to take a rental (his problem, who knows, not mine).

Anyways - long story short.

If the product you are looking at and can afford has a decent track record, or you can find someone on here who uses it, it's probably going to serve you just fine for recreational diving.

Like anything, again, the veterans want nothing but the best and call everything else cheap/useless, forgetting that not everyone has had 5-50 years of diving to accumulate some of the more expensive, fancy equipment.

Would you be better off if you just bought the good stuff to start with? Probably, it will probably last longer (but who knows, really). Can you dive just fine without spending 4-5-6k on dive gear? I'm going on dive 16-20 this weekend, I will let you know when I get back how it went :P

Oh - I meant to add - one LDS around here has an Oceanic Veo 100nx that has been on 4700 dives with only routine maintenance. If my Oceanic computer lives HALF that long, I'll be in good shape for the rest of my life.

[cold diver]

I came to scuba from dirt bike riding/racing so to me scuba is way less expensive than my former hobbie(s) and so far without the hospital bills (knock on wood) plus the wife will go with me.
I went with several different stores and some online retailers, the stuff I went cheap on was the wet-suit booties hood snorkel etc.. because I figured if I kept diving I would end up in a dry-suit eventualy, I was right. I steped up for a better than entry level reg and BC, speaking of wich I hear a back plate and wing is cheaper and more universal than the former. I spent right at 1500 without tanks to start.