almitywife
Vegemite Mod
unless you are in sydney and have dozens of shore dives but need to pay for parking!!
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unless you are in sydney and have dozens of shore dives but need to pay for parking!!
Cajuncru Diver
Contributor
WELL, I almost did when I wrote the check to Pebble Beach!
captain
Contributor
I didn't read all 130 posts but in a lot of other sports the cost of equipment is fairly even between online and brick and mortar stores. Granted diving is not as cheap as some other sports but maybe when new divers see the difference between what most shops charge for an item compared to online the complaining starts.
Right now I couldn't afford to go out now and buy all the dive gear including a compressor and boat that I have accumulated over the years but some have to have the latest and greatest whereas most of my gear is over 25 years old. The newest thing I have is a 4 year old computer and wing I bought on ebay.
Right now I couldn't afford to go out now and buy all the dive gear including a compressor and boat that I have accumulated over the years but some have to have the latest and greatest whereas most of my gear is over 25 years old. The newest thing I have is a 4 year old computer and wing I bought on ebay.
I didn't read ALL 14 pages either, but I read most of them so I hope I'm not repeating here...But another angle on the price of dive gear is that there are fewer divers in the world than there are golfers, bikers, etc.
The scuba industry is much smaller than other sports and recreation industries. So when a company invests in R&D for a piece of important life sustaining equipment (such as a reg) the per-unit cost of R&D is spread over fewer unit sales. Another way of saying it is the up front R&D and manufacturing costs are built into everything we buy. The more units a company sells, the more they can spread out the development costs. Since the scuba industry is smaller than the golf or biking or hunting industries, there is more built in production costs in the retail price our equipment.
-Economies of Scale from Economics 101
(sorry to be an economics/business nerd!)
The scuba industry is much smaller than other sports and recreation industries. So when a company invests in R&D for a piece of important life sustaining equipment (such as a reg) the per-unit cost of R&D is spread over fewer unit sales. Another way of saying it is the up front R&D and manufacturing costs are built into everything we buy. The more units a company sells, the more they can spread out the development costs. Since the scuba industry is smaller than the golf or biking or hunting industries, there is more built in production costs in the retail price our equipment.
-Economies of Scale from Economics 101
(sorry to be an economics/business nerd!)
Damn, I wish I had found that out before I bought all this crap...
Mask, fins, boots, snorkle - $250
Hood and gloves - $150
Drysuit - $2,000
Undies - $375
Regs - $1,200
Computer - $1,200
Bottom timer - $200
SPG - $175
Doubles (2 sets) $2,500
Deco bottle - $175
Deco reg - $400
Deco SPG - $125
21w cannister light - $1,200
Backup lights (2) - $350
Wreck reel - $200
BP/W - $650
Lift bag - $150
Fills - ???
Training - $2500 and counting
Spools, clips, lights, strobes, hoses, and everything else I've forgotten - another $1,000 easy.
almitywife
Vegemite Mod
I've put my expenditures in parentheses next to yours. A lot of what you purchased may be needed for your tech diving, but certainly isn't for a rec diver. The sport can be a lot less expensive than you suggest for most people. On top of that, you can rent the equipment if need be (although it adds up!).
vladimir
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Well, the key words were "doesn't have to be...expensive". The first step is to move to someplace with warm water. And it looks like you paid for a lot of LDS warranty, so you could save a lot there. My equipment (not counting camera gear):
Mares X-vision mask x 2 = $120
DiveRite fins = $139
ScubaPro boots = $31
DSS singles rig = $399
Suunto D9 = $999
Uwatec SmartCom = $700
Atomic M1 regulator x 2 = $1000
DiveRite SPG w/ hose = $120
UK dive light = $55
Backup light = $100
Henderson Hyperstretch 3mm = $222
Add in $500 miscellany and not counting some unnecessary expensive gadgets (epirb, etc). Obviously, it could be done a lot cheaper than that. Oh, and my training cost $159 in 1975 (nothing to sneeze at in today's dollars) for YMCA/PADI OW certification, if I remember correctly, and I spent another $100 along the way on a Nitrox certification.
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MeiLing
Contributor
never thought I would see the day something was cheaper in Hawaii...
MeiLing
Contributor
Especially not in the US! Isn't it part of our national heritage to cheat on our taxes?
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