Cost of diving
- Thread starter Haleye97
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For me, I got an additional job to help pay for diving. I don't have a horse, only diving. Really, I did.
Dive gear is expensive. You pretty much have to buy a mask, booties, fins, and a snorkel. You can then either spend another $1k or more (I've put nearly $5k into my gear in a year) on the rest of your gear or rent everything for around $60 a day. If you live near a place where there is shore diving you're a lucky person. When I got certified I wrongly assumed I'd just waltz into the water at one of the plethora of beaches in my area. Turns out, most beaches don't have anything to see. If you aren't so lucky then you're looking at $50-100 for a boat ride to do two dives. On the upside, that almost invariably includes full tanks and weights; so if you're boat diving you don't need to own those things. Those prices may vary with location, a boat dive on the west coast of FL is usually closer to $100, and the east coast is usually closer to $50.
Get your parents to give you a good snorkel package - but make sure you go to a shop and find a mask that really fits you properly. I just got my kids a decent snorkel package at a local dive shop for around $75 each. Then you need to take a class for certification. That's a one time cost that your parents might also be willing to do. Take care of your gear, and it will last a very long time. Then you can boat dive whenever you want for roughly 100 to 160 a day, or shore dive for 70ish a day.
I think California has lots of shore dive sites on the Pacific. Diving might be cheaper there than in FL as a result. I understand the water on California's Pacific coast is a lot colder than our waters here in FL.
Dive gear is expensive. You pretty much have to buy a mask, booties, fins, and a snorkel. You can then either spend another $1k or more (I've put nearly $5k into my gear in a year) on the rest of your gear or rent everything for around $60 a day. If you live near a place where there is shore diving you're a lucky person. When I got certified I wrongly assumed I'd just waltz into the water at one of the plethora of beaches in my area. Turns out, most beaches don't have anything to see. If you aren't so lucky then you're looking at $50-100 for a boat ride to do two dives. On the upside, that almost invariably includes full tanks and weights; so if you're boat diving you don't need to own those things. Those prices may vary with location, a boat dive on the west coast of FL is usually closer to $100, and the east coast is usually closer to $50.
Get your parents to give you a good snorkel package - but make sure you go to a shop and find a mask that really fits you properly. I just got my kids a decent snorkel package at a local dive shop for around $75 each. Then you need to take a class for certification. That's a one time cost that your parents might also be willing to do. Take care of your gear, and it will last a very long time. Then you can boat dive whenever you want for roughly 100 to 160 a day, or shore dive for 70ish a day.
I think California has lots of shore dive sites on the Pacific. Diving might be cheaper there than in FL as a result. I understand the water on California's Pacific coast is a lot colder than our waters here in FL.
Lets set aside buying the horse or buying the gear.
What about feeding the horse or your dive hobby.
It probably costs you a little under $40 for a day of diving. That's two air fills of an AL80 and an entry fee at a quarry. That is the min. The max can be much much higher. Say you dive once a week.
Can you feed, pay doctor bills, boarding for your horse for $40 a week?
You can control the diving costs more easily than the horse costs.
My guess is that over a 3 year period the diving is much less than the riding if you own your own horse.
What about feeding the horse or your dive hobby.
It probably costs you a little under $40 for a day of diving. That's two air fills of an AL80 and an entry fee at a quarry. That is the min. The max can be much much higher. Say you dive once a week.
Can you feed, pay doctor bills, boarding for your horse for $40 a week?
You can control the diving costs more easily than the horse costs.
My guess is that over a 3 year period the diving is much less than the riding if you own your own horse.
I do own my horse. It is for sure very expensive, but I even work 30-40 hours a week now since it is summer to support my passion. Dive gear doesn't need food and vaccines so I guess the gear is a one time cost, other than if anything needs replaced. I just want to know tht it is possible so I have some hope to drive me there.
As much as you are willing to spend 
It really depends on the type of diving you plan on doing, how often, and how far away the dive site(s) are. It is more expensive at first to buy your own gear than rent, but in the end it CAN be cheaper if you buy. A lot of new divers don't know what they need or want in dive gear and tend to 'throw money' at the problem. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. So don't invest in gear until you have a good idea what you need. A good way to see lots of different gear is to join a dive club. You can do that before getting certified. Just hang out and get to know people.
Beyond that there is the cost of time. Horses take a lot of time. Will you have the time to dive?
Dollar costs:
Mask, fins, snorkel, maybe booties
OW training costs - don't skimp.
Regulator ($300-1000), BCD (or Backplate and wing) ($300-$1000)
Exposure suit ($50-$2000)
dive computer or depth gauge and bottom timer ($150-1000)
tank (often best to just rent these)
weights and belt ($100ish)
goodies (lights, scissors, knife, whistle, etc.) (will nickel and dime you - start only with what you really need)
Air fills
Travel expenses
Hotel expenses
Dive charters
As you can see the costs vary widely. If you know what you are doing you can get used - doesn't sound like you are there yet.
OK, for me - I own all my own gear and dive almost exclusively off the beach. My expenses per trip are at a minimum: 400 mile drive ($75 in gas), night lodging at the local hostel ($30), air fills x 4 ($3 each at my LDS bought in bulk), parking/entrance to the dive site ($10-20/day).
Add it up and a 2 day trip costs me $138-158 in direct expenses. As for my gear I have a lot from long ago and some more recent. OTTOMH I'm guessing $3000 in the last 2 years and that is getting used, not getting the top of the line and including a GoPro and SeaLife and homemade canister and video lights in the mix. Actually I'm afraid to total it up. Most people will spend much more.
Just figure it is an expensive activity - at least in the beginning.
It really depends on the type of diving you plan on doing, how often, and how far away the dive site(s) are. It is more expensive at first to buy your own gear than rent, but in the end it CAN be cheaper if you buy. A lot of new divers don't know what they need or want in dive gear and tend to 'throw money' at the problem. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. So don't invest in gear until you have a good idea what you need. A good way to see lots of different gear is to join a dive club. You can do that before getting certified. Just hang out and get to know people.
Beyond that there is the cost of time. Horses take a lot of time. Will you have the time to dive?
Dollar costs:
Mask, fins, snorkel, maybe booties
OW training costs - don't skimp.
Regulator ($300-1000), BCD (or Backplate and wing) ($300-$1000)
Exposure suit ($50-$2000)
dive computer or depth gauge and bottom timer ($150-1000)
tank (often best to just rent these)
weights and belt ($100ish)
goodies (lights, scissors, knife, whistle, etc.) (will nickel and dime you - start only with what you really need)
Air fills
Travel expenses
Hotel expenses
Dive charters
As you can see the costs vary widely. If you know what you are doing you can get used - doesn't sound like you are there yet.
OK, for me - I own all my own gear and dive almost exclusively off the beach. My expenses per trip are at a minimum: 400 mile drive ($75 in gas), night lodging at the local hostel ($30), air fills x 4 ($3 each at my LDS bought in bulk), parking/entrance to the dive site ($10-20/day).
Add it up and a 2 day trip costs me $138-158 in direct expenses. As for my gear I have a lot from long ago and some more recent. OTTOMH I'm guessing $3000 in the last 2 years and that is getting used, not getting the top of the line and including a GoPro and SeaLife and homemade canister and video lights in the mix. Actually I'm afraid to total it up. Most people will spend much more.
Just figure it is an expensive activity - at least in the beginning.
When I started I figured it would be semi cheep also. Buy a bit of used gear. Be into it $1000-1500 and then only need to get air. Then the more diving you do the more things you find you need or want. I go a bit overboard on gear sometimes but my numbers (well for 1.5 people, the GF pays for about 1/2 her stuff) I have spent well in excess of what the other two have said.
Realistically, $1500 - $3000. to get started.
Once you are off and running your cost can be zero to infinity.
You hear a lot of stories of us ending up with 5 figure dive lockers but that is hardly the norm. The average diver has a cylinder or 2, maybe even rents and has one set of gear. That's all you really need. As need an opprtunity dictate you may end up with alternate wet/dry suits for the seasons and travel. The point is that your costs are at you discretion. Lacking free public access dive locations it's going to be air fills, quarry fee, mileage and chow.
What you buy, where you go and when you dive are yours to dicatate as money and time allow.
Pete
The cost of equipment is a small price to pay for the experiences gained.
It should also be mentioned that it depends on the brand and quality you buy. Do you have champagne tastes like I do? I buy the best of the best because I want it to be reliable and servicable for years and years. Doesn't mean cheaper stuff won't have the aforementioned qualities but then again I like gadgets and technology and features. I also bought my stuff brand new. You could get quality used gear for fractions of the costs. Buying your own weights is pretty much essential if you dive local alot. No fighting for the right weight at a dive shop when it's OW class day. Weighting and buoyancy are so crucial to diving and bottom time that you should just spend the money it takes for the right weight and dive it consistently. Buying a tank is your choice. You buy a tank you need visual inspections yearly and hydro tests every 5 years or so until its condemned then you buy another tank. Here I can rent a tank for $10 or get an air fill on a multi purchase card for $6-8 each. The cost is so close it's hard to justify buying a tank as it takes a long time to gain the difference back .....BUT..... try fighting for a tank rental on OW class day. You are last priority compared to the people that just dropped $350-500 on classes and need a tank (that's included in their already paid price). It's a major trade off. For me I'm leaning towards getting a tank now because it can be difficult to get one when I want to go diving. Tanks are only $200-250 ish so it's not overly expensive. The prices for other gear have already been mentioned so I won't re-iterate those.
Consider how much your boarding fees, and food are for this horse and the CONSTANT upkeep and grooming etc it will need. I know for a fact a saddle, bridle, bit etc are not cheap. I think SCUBA gear is probably considerably less but then again it depends where you plan on diving. If you're land locked like I am then you're going to drop $1000-5000 per dive trip for a week and you'll hammer out as many dives as possible to make it worth it then you go home and work your ass off to pay it off or save for the next one.
Consider how much your boarding fees, and food are for this horse and the CONSTANT upkeep and grooming etc it will need. I know for a fact a saddle, bridle, bit etc are not cheap. I think SCUBA gear is probably considerably less but then again it depends where you plan on diving. If you're land locked like I am then you're going to drop $1000-5000 per dive trip for a week and you'll hammer out as many dives as possible to make it worth it then you go home and work your ass off to pay it off or save for the next one.
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