Equipment/Trip x 100 for 1st 10yrs diving

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

calicant

Contributor
Messages
222
Reaction score
53
Location
Fort Lauderdale
# of dives
200 - 499
I'm a new diver and have been worrying about how much more money I need to spend on equipment for tropical and local California diving. If I project how much money I might spend on flights, hotels, instruction, boat trips and food on dive trips over the next ten years, it kind of dwarfs the kind of equipment costs I was thinking about. Am I right about this? If I'm going to spend over $100k over ten years in the grand scheme of things, should I be worrying about the cost of a BC?

Equipment Cost/Dive Trip Costs x 100 (over first ten years)
 
You nailed it. Our trip to the Red Sea, with airfare, lodging, boat costs, and land touring, cost more than all our gear put together. I think :)

On the other hand, if you only do local shore diving, it takes a while for boat fees and fills to add up to more than the cost of a good set of cold water equipment (including dry suit).
 
I'm a new diver and have been worrying about how much more money I need to spend on equipment for tropical and local California diving. If I project how much money I might spend on flights, hotels, instruction, boat trips and food on dive trips over the next ten years, it kind of dwarfs the kind of equipment costs I was thinking about. Am I right about this? If I'm going to spend over $100k over ten years in the grand scheme of things, should I be worrying about the cost of a BC?

Equipment Cost/Dive Trip Costs x 100 (over first ten years)

You are right, the cost of trips over the next ten years is much greater than the cost of good, high quality dive equipment. You shouldn't worry too much about the cost of a BC.

My recommendation--if you are going to do a lot of diving, don't cheap out and get the cheapest stuff you can find. If you do that, you'll replace it in a couple of years with better equipment. Better to get good equipment now. You'll be saving money in the long run.

Consider your diving plans and future certifications, and purchase equipment that will allow you to do advanced/Nitrox diving, if you see yourself headed in that direction.

Remember, entry level is another name for stuff you'll replace when you have more experience.

Ron
 
Any $$ you can not spend unnecessarily on equipment can be used for the next (or last) dive trip. Any $$ you save on one dive trip can be spent on another. I don't spend hundreds of dollars or more without considering the options.
 
Hi Calicant welcome to the board!

You have not chosen an inexpensive sport! That said there are indeed many choices to gear and trips. In California we are fortunate to live right in many divers destination. I have not even begun to scratch the ocean surface of what's available to divers here. & don't leave out the north either. Plenty up there to dive and see.

I was just writing another post on what influenced my gear purchases. Initially everyone asks what type of diving will you do. I don't know, the ocean! But there are a range of variables to consider.
BCD=an inflation bladder, integrated non-removable harness, now most all have weight pockets (no need for a separate weight belt). This referred to as a rec or recreational set-up.
BP/W=back plate and wing BP=a steel or aluminum plate with slots and holes designed to have webbing threaded through for a harness. Holes are used to attach STA=single tank adapter or double tank, maybe a back pad, and the wing. W=wing is the inflatable bladder. This is referred to as tech set-up but it is not exclusively used by tech divers.
FINS - just try as many as you can. The most common these days seems to be some type of split fin, but a good pair of straight blades are just fine.
MASKS - black is said to not cause as much glare. You probably already purchased this though.
EXPOSURE PROTECTION - even though you might want to dive warm water, as I said there is plenty to see diving locally. Invest in a good wetsuit at least 7mm. There are two piece with hood, one piece with hood and semi-dry which has an integrated hood. I have a semi-dry. Just dove last week and was fine. Dry suit if want to continue diving in Cal. That is my next venture and everyone who has gotten one says they absolutely love them.
LIGHTS - get a good LED dive light. Bulbs are on their way out. LEDS last longer. I don't like the big pistol grip lights. Again preference.

There are lots of things to spend money on, good solid gear is important. If you are patient and do a lot of reading and research you can pick up lots of gear for 50% of retail buying used. I have purchased quite a bit of stuff from members on the boards and have not been disappointed. CraigsList is another resource. Lot's of people drop thousands of dollars on gear only to sell it 6 - 18 months later because they are not doing as much diving as they thought they would.

Good luck and have fun. Oh don't forget to buy a piggy bank to put all of your pennies in for future dive trips.
 
You don't have to spend a whole lot of money on dive gear if you look around and resist the impulse to buy a lot of stuff you really don't need but seems neat to own. Ebay has so much stuff on it that first-time divers buy, spending lots of money on quality gear, and then don't follow up with the sport, that you can find some real bargains there. Online suppliers can save you lots of dough if you know exactly what you want and, if not, the savings will cover any shipping charges for returned and replaced items. It's nice to have the name brand stuff with the pretty colors and logos printed on them but actually most gear is pretty much the same and most of it is made overseas by the same people. There are situations in tech diving which requires specialty gear but for the average diver you can forget about that.
 
It sounds like you may be trying to rationalize the cost of an expensive BCD.
A better question is whether that BCD you're looking at is the right one for you.
You should be paying attention to price, value, functionality, and fit.

Here on ScubaBoard people often repeat the expression: "Buy right and buy once." The reality of the situation is that you'll be purchasing multiple sets of gear if you stay in the sport long enough. For students or budget-conscious novice divers, it might make sense to get a rugged, used set of gear just to initially get you into the sport. That set can be sold later at a minimal loss or used as a backup set once more expensive gear is obtained.

I'm with awap on this one. If you make intelligent gear-buying decisions, you will have more discretionary income to spend on trips, training, or even more gas fills.

Welcome to the sport!
 
Thanks for all the information.

I'll see if I like diving in the cold here in California because it will affect my choice of which gear to buy next.
 
On the note of gear and BC's: Keep in mind the most expensive gear is not the best gear.
My BC cost well over some BP/W package set ups.
There's prices that range wide and far between jacket BC's, back inflates, and BP/W.

And guess what? I just installed a crotch strap on my BC. Had to find neoprene and get some neoprene cement, and do the project myself.
I'm jealous of BP/W because that's me. I wish I had bought one instead of my back-inflate.

Bottom line, get a BC that you can see yourself using in the long run and that will fit all your needs.
If you don't know what that is you have a giant forum with many helpful members just itching to spread their opinons. :D
 

Back
Top Bottom