Cost of dive equipment?

[Marie13]

The experienced divers on this board are quick to recommend buying used gear because they are comfortable doing so. I just bought some used regs I don't really need but I am going to service them myself and they will be like new. I don't really care if they freeflow like crazy when they arrive. A new diver does not have the knowledge to avoid getting screwed on a used gear purchase so should either rent for a while, buy new with warranty, or buy used from a reputable dealer or from an individual with the help of a very experienced friend.

If you save, say $300-400, by purchasing a used reg set, you can damn well cough up the $$ to have it serviced. I bought a backup reg set (same as my primary) from someone I know and trust. It was only two years old. I bought it for half the new cost. I still had it serviced.

Anyone who buys used regs and doesn't have them checked out before use is questionable in my mind.

 

[oldschoolto]

New divers should not be blindly buying used gear on line... But, A new diver could post here on scuba board what they are looking at and I and many others would give a thumbs up or down... Then they have it serviced and they are good to go.. We always figure in the cost of service when buying.. You don't need to be a DIY guy/girl to save lots of money..

The new diver is sold brand new gear at a dive shop and then told they need to be serviced every year or they'll die.. LOL..

Jim...

 

[Scuba Scott]

If you save, say $300-400, by purchasing a used reg set, you can damn well cough up the $$ to have it serviced.

The problem with a lot of new divers is they don't actually know the value of the gear they are buying. Adding the cost of service to a lot of the used equipment I see advertised puts it over the new retail price. They will probably pay more than they should and then find out they bought something that is difficult or impossible to get serviced. I search Craigslist regularly for deals on used gear. What I usually find is overpriced garbage. Some of it is current stuff but they want new retail price for it, saying they paid much more. The other stuff is very nice looking Dacor regs. You can't get those serviced.

There is nothing wrong with buying used. You have to know the value of what you are buying.

 

[oldschoolto]

If I remember , About a year ago we help a new diving couple find great buys on used gear.. They ended up saving thousand dollars or better... Great deals on complete kits that had little use and taken care of..

jim...

 

[Jim Lapenta]

In my area OW classes range from 250-700. That low figure represents classroom, pool, book, and checkout dives at local quarry that has no entry fee. No facilities either. It does not include gear rental for the weekend, personal gear (mask,snorkel,fins, boots). It is a 4 session class that must be done in a group setting on the shop's schedule. They usually have 2 instructors and a couple DM's to handle a class of 10-12. This size is the only way they can afford it because the pool rental is somewhere around 300 bucks. Per session so 1200 for the 4 week class. The instructors are paid maybe 50-75 per student. The higher priced one includes all classroom, pool sessions, rental gear, books, cert fees, and a complete set of personal gear (mask,snorkel, fins, boots). The gear is what I would call mid range recreational. Not offbrand. Good quality fins, mask, boots, and a dry snorkel. It also includes the checkout dives at a local lake.

In my area there are several locations that are divable that do not have entry fees. When the shop is able to carry enough cylinders there is no need to go to a pay location. However these sites may or may not have boat traffic, they are real sites so they do not have platform and purpose sunk things to look at. Except one that is on private land but still no entry fee other than needing a 4wd to get back in to it.

My OW class is 395.00 and includes classroom, pool, books, cert fees, and checkout dives. I don't take more than 4 students. They need to provide their own mask, snorkel, fins, and boots. Rental gear for checkout weekend is 75.00. MY class is 6-8 weeks one session classroom/pool per week. I do the classroom and pool at the same location. 32 hours total instruction plus checkouts.

However I do have access to a pool dedicated to scuba training and at extremely reasonable terms. If it were not for this I doubt I'd even bother teaching OW classes. Pools, unless you have an old agreement, or really know someone willing to work with you, are expensive. My local school district has two beautiful pools. $500 per night for 3 hours. Not only are you paying for the pool in that price but it's paying for a lifeguard, maintenance man, and security guard. District rules.

895 per person in an area with higher expenses is not unreasonable IF it includes a decent gear package, all classroom, and adequate pool sessions, and check out dives with rental gear. Entry fees and boat fees I would expect to not be included because those can change quickly.

 

[Bob DBF]

Since you are going in the service a couple of things you should think about are the limitations on the things you can carry with you and your ability to actually go diving. I was diving a few years before I went in the Navy and managed to carry a mask fins and snorkle and rented the rest of the gear or got it from the recreation dept. on base. Although I saw a lot of water, the time for diving in it was more limited. Just saying that you might put off buying gear until you find out the logistics of diving in your situation.

I would get the c-card now, but shop around. There are stickies in the new diver... area that give advice on how to shop for instruction. The cost may be justified, but you need to know more about it to determine if it is.


Good Luck

Bob

 

[oly5050user]

In my area OW classes range from 250-700. That low figure represents classroom, pool, book, and checkout dives at local quarry that has no entry fee. No facilities either. It does not include gear rental for the weekend, personal gear (mask,snorkel,fins, boots). It is a 4 session class that must be done in a group setting on the shop's schedule. They usually have 2 instructors and a couple DM's to handle a class of 10-12. This size is the only way they can afford it because the pool rental is somewhere around 300 bucks. Per session so 1200 for the 4 week class. The instructors are paid maybe 50-75 per student. The higher priced one includes all classroom, pool sessions, rental gear, books, cert fees, and a complete set of personal gear (mask,snorkel, fins, boots). The gear is what I would call mid range recreational. Not offbrand. Good quality fins, mask, boots, and a dry snorkel. It also includes the checkout dives at a local lake.

In my area there are several locations that are divable that do not have entry fees. When the shop is able to carry enough cylinders there is no need to go to a pay location. However these sites may or may not have boat traffic, they are real sites so they do not have platform and purpose sunk things to look at. Except one that is on private land but still no entry fee other than needing a 4wd to get back in to it.

My OW class is 395.00 and includes classroom, pool, books, cert fees, and checkout dives. I don't take more than 4 students. They need to provide their own mask, snorkel, fins, and boots. Rental gear for checkout weekend is 75.00. MY class is 6-8 weeks one session classroom/pool per week. I do the classroom and pool at the same location. 32 hours total instruction plus checkouts.

However I do have access to a pool dedicated to scuba training and at extremely reasonable terms. If it were not for this I doubt I'd even bother teaching OW classes. Pools, unless you have an old agreement, or really know someone willing to work with you, are expensive. My local school district has two beautiful pools. $500 per night for 3 hours. Not only are you paying for the pool in that price but it's paying for a lifeguard, maintenance man, and security guard. District rules.

895 per person in an area with higher expenses is not unreasonable IF it includes a decent gear package, all classroom, and adequate pool sessions, and check out dives with rental gear. Entry fees and boat fees I would expect to not be included because those can change quickly.

Jim has it figured out right...if you even figure costs involved in his class of $395 , include now cost of mask,snorkel, fins,boots you now in the low range of $595, add a few $$ more for sales tax, rentals for weekend now makes it $670 +. Jim is fortunate to have access to a low cost pool and a local dive site at no charge, keeps his cost of tuition down,most do not have this, so if a boat fee becomes required, add $120 to $200 for weekend , or access to quarry fee of let's call it $80 for weekend should be budgeted for. Now a reasonable price course is up to a low of $750 to a high of $870 +.
Different parts of the country, different costs of business. Jim's fees come close to NY prices and I am sure he is not getting rich with this. No one is.

 

[Yancey M]

$350 plus a nitrox cert is good price, but to be fair adding the cost of elearning at $175 each, plus any other associated fees such as boat fee,rentals,required personal gear..now add in transport to airport, airfare,hotel, rental car,food,lost time at work, tips..

No that price was with the online course for OW plus computer nitrox and rental equipment and dive cost, air, etc. The only thing else I had to pay for was getting to the dive site and the hotel room for a night.

 

[oly5050user]

No that price was with the online course for OW plus computer nitrox and rental equipment and dive cost, air, etc. The only thing else I had to pay for was getting to the dive site and the hotel room for a night.

No ownership of mask,snorkel,fins,boots? They include it in that fee? If PADI , the online course alone was $175. So you subtract the online course fee from $350 and that leaves only $175 to teach class,pay for pool, gear depreciation, insurance, transportation, certification card fees,pay instructor (if they do , at that price not likely) etc.. And this place can stay in business? Good luck to them. They probably have a great deal on getting food stamps.

 

[Skinsfan0260]

So me amd my gf have $4750 to use betweem us for scuba, local shop said its 865 for open water

I must agree with others. Even here in a small Canadian city where we get absolutely screwed by our local dive shop who by the admittance of his own employees prices and caters to wealth doctors and lawyer the rest can also pay or go without. What he is willing to sweep of the table is those of us who have learned where and how to get is for way less. Where I live to take openwater and buy standard equipment would be about 6000.00 per person. We pay $100 per section and then $200 for the open water dives. With that said I have met someone who trains the police who will do the padi open water for about half. The modules are combined because he doesn't have a dozens students in the pool. I have purchased enough to make up almost two sets of used but virtually new equipment for as low as $550. This got me 2 bcd one reg set with dive computer, 2 masks 2 weight belts, fins, dive lights. This isn't even the best deal I have ever gotten. What I trying to say is I agree with what has already been said. Rent first learn where to get the deals. Don't be afraid to make a low offer. I give and receive them all the time. I offer no disrespect and take none either. Always remember that your local dive shop is about making money.