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I have yet to find an LDS that will sell me what I want to buy. So, I purchase from an LDS only that which I can not buy at a much greater savings elsewhere.
Does anyone still believe in "Support Your LDS"?
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This is probably not all that uncommon for certain divers. It's hard, if not impossible, for a LDS to carry what every diver wants...they'd need a warehouse the size of what I imagine Leisure Pro must have for all their inventory. The LDS just can't afford to have that much money tied up. They stock what they can sell (or think they can sell) to their local market. In short, you can please everyone none of the time.
It seems to me that the vast majority of certified divers in our area do not dive locally much, if at all. Sure there are exceptions (like us for example), but if you were to check out the scuba MeetUp groups around here you will find that they don't meet up to dive locally - they meet up to have drinks and talk about diving. No thanks, I say. This group of divers, as a whole, probably are not interested in the same items you are.
My preference would be to support my local LDS. I did my OW cert with them and plan on getting my gear with them as well. Why? They are just a great group of people, everyone on the staff wants to help and loves diving. You can see people who come in when your in the store just to chat and talk about dives they have done. It's just a great LDS. So if the cost is a +/- 5% so be it. I would rather support a local business who cares and stands behind what they sell than just put my info in a website and hit purchase.
dfx
Contributor
I would "support" my LDS more if they didn't try to sell me stuff for more than twice the money than I can get online...
billt4sf
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Also, when I go there with something I bought elsewhere, they try to be nice but let's face it, they don't like it, and I can tell. I would buy from them if they sold what I want, and the prices were competitive. But jeez, they want to sell regs for twice what a HOG costs, and don't sell wings at all. Not to mention the opportunity to buy used gear!
How they survive is beyond me -- Oh, I think I know (OW classes). And folks that buy gear with no background knowledge beforehand. Like the BCD that I bought for $650 (and has just been recalled).
milbournosphere
Contributor
I do try to support them when I can. Any purchase I'm looking to make, I check with them. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. They made me a great deal on my regulator (they came close to the closeout prices flying around) and their service level is superb. However, they couldn't deal with me on the computer I was looking at, so I ended up going to DGE with my money. I've taken classes with them, take my gear to be serviced with them, rented gear from them, and have booked a few live-aboards with them. I'd like to think I've been a good customer.
I think it comes down to doing business in an internet age. Some businesses have thrived while others have sat and whined while going out of business. I'm willing to pay a markup on gear if it means good, local customer service. But paying double what I can get XXX product for online...those margins just aren't going to fly anymore. My LDS has excellent service, I'm friends with everybody who works there, they have good prices on the regular stuff, and they'll play ball with me on the big stuff when they can. That, to me, is good business.
I think it comes down to doing business in an internet age. Some businesses have thrived while others have sat and whined while going out of business. I'm willing to pay a markup on gear if it means good, local customer service. But paying double what I can get XXX product for online...those margins just aren't going to fly anymore. My LDS has excellent service, I'm friends with everybody who works there, they have good prices on the regular stuff, and they'll play ball with me on the big stuff when they can. That, to me, is good business.
Peter_C
Contributor
With the internet today we no longer NEED an LDS. Comcast just doubled my internet speed today, so I am set! After all just click HERE and get your tanks filled (Recommend high speed internet for HP fills). Every year they will require a vis so click HERE to get that done.
I know it is the age old rant of dive shops "Where are you going to get your air fills", but it does have some validity to it.
Since I wanted Nitrox and non of my LDS's provide it I wound up just getting my own compressor, that has more than paid for itself. I truly have no need for an LDS other than the convenience of picking up d-rings and tri-glides, of which can be ordered off the internet too.
I know it is the age old rant of dive shops "Where are you going to get your air fills", but it does have some validity to it.
Since I wanted Nitrox and non of my LDS's provide it I wound up just getting my own compressor, that has more than paid for itself. I truly have no need for an LDS other than the convenience of picking up d-rings and tri-glides, of which can be ordered off the internet too.
Divealpha
Contributor
Well, I only have the regulators & tanks left of what I bought from my first LDS...since my wife dives, everything we buy is in pairs... They sold us some expensive gear, which we got rid of during the first year. Changed to another LDS, met a bunch of dedicated, nice people, but then the shop went broke.... Bought a lot of our gear online, but also wings, backplates and accessories from the LDS, but as many have already mentioned in this thread, they don't have all the things I need..... Lately, a lot of diveshops have gone out of business, the latest had been in business for more than 60 years.. I think that with so many brands & stuff to chose from, more and more divers will buy online, abroad or domestic, and the shop with the best functioning online system, will win. So, it comes down to airfills and certifications(new divers) for the LDS, unless they're very good in handling their customers, have a good online shop, and sell a lot......could be more and more difficult in the future....... I can't even find DiveOptx inserts(or similiar) in my own country 
! Our drysuit brand are not sold here... We have a few online shops, one with very good customer service, and it seems they are the only one doing all right. So if I want stuff I can't find locally, I'm buying online from U.S., Germany or Denmark...not to save so much(because postage & taxes adds up), but because it's hard to get! The downside is, that if the numbers of new divers drops, there won't be any "experienced" divers left buying wings and stuff in the years ahead....
! Our drysuit brand are not sold here... We have a few online shops, one with very good customer service, and it seems they are the only one doing all right. So if I want stuff I can't find locally, I'm buying online from U.S., Germany or Denmark...not to save so much(because postage & taxes adds up), but because it's hard to get! The downside is, that if the numbers of new divers drops, there won't be any "experienced" divers left buying wings and stuff in the years ahead....
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chrpai
Contributor
I am quite, quite certain that if all the remaining dive shops in Austin closed doors ( there 3 major players, 1 minor; 6 stores in total ) closed shop that
1) Richard @ Windy Point Scuba Park would be doing a lot of fills until
2) The remaining active divers and professional banded together to organize one or two (north/south) compressor clubs. I already know guys doing all the equipment maintenance, VIPs, know where to go for a hydro, blending, transfilling.... a guy that owns a boat... it would not be the end of diving in ATX.
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