"Doing it Cheap" Why?

[Wookie]

Apparently some people spend more on a regulator than I spent on the tank, regulator, computer and wetsuit.

Not surprising. There are a lot of different tastes and priorities out there, why for the price of 1 Veyron, I could buy a new F-250 every 5 years or so, and have money left over to bury me when I die. My F-250 isn't the same kind of chick magnet, but then, I really don't want the kind of chick attracted to the Veyron. I want the kind of chick who wants her own titanium Atomic.

 

[ams511]

It's like you people have no concept of wealth. Most people can't afford scuba if their OW gear cost $2-3k.

That is something the dive industry forgets. Incomes are stagnant and there are other things people want or need to spend money on. Scuba is a luxury good not a necessity.

---------- Post added February 15th, 2014 at 01:33 PM ----------

Not surprising. There are a lot of different tastes and priorities out there, why for the price of 1 Veyron, I could buy a new F-250 every 5 years or so, and have money left over to bury me when I die. My F-250 isn't the same kind of chick magnet, but then, I really don't want the kind of chick attracted to the Veyron. I want the kind of chick who wants her own titanium Atomic.

Come on Wookie, your analogy is weak. A Veyron is a limited production car for celebrities and billionaires, nobody says you need one and I doubt anyone will call you cheap for not buying one. Your not going to drive at 250 mph on A1A anyway.

 

[DaleC]

It's something I think about a lot because I am into voluntary simplicity and I am slowly trying to create a cohesive concept/approach that applies to diving.

But one of the important points that gets confused is it's about placing value where YOU see value, not where someone else tells you it is. If dmoore has some extra cash and "wants" to buy a fancy reg then that is what he values. It's ok. If he thinks he needs a fancy rig, or promotes that idea to others, that's a different story. I don't think he did that.

 

[dmoore19]

It wasn't like anybody presented it to me as "life support". I saw it in a magazine and after reading SB and the idea that an all metal second provided some moisture I went looking for it.

 

[agesilaus]

I buy cheap when I can but I'm cautious. I got a ScubaPro reg/octopus for $100 but I took it straight to my dive shop and they did a complete rebuild on it. Final Cost $230 but I could not have bought one new for that. I also got a Seaquest Pro i3 BCD for $125. The fellow selling it lost a lot of weight and it was too big. Like new condition and a good deal. I picked up 2 AL 80 Luxfor tanks for $85 each. I got them hydroed for $30 each and ended up with a good deal on those.

But on the other hand you see no name BCD's that look like deflated black bags. Probably best to avoid those. And there are a heck of a lot of Sherwood regs out there on Craigslist.

You just have to be careful.

BK

 

[TMHeimer]

My philosophy is simple. I make sure everything I buy is working and safe and get it all serviced. Then I try to not buy/replace anything unless it is necessary. No need to spend a fortune.

 

[Wookie]

Come on Wookie, your analogy is weak. A Veyron is a limited production car for celebrities and billionaires, nobody says you need one and I doubt anyone will call you cheap for not buying one. Your not going to drive at 250 mph on A1A anyway.

But many people, including some on this thread, have implied without saying outright that it is foolish to pay more for a regulator than it is for them to pay for a regulator, dive computer, BC and wetsuit. No one says I need an Atomic Titanium, let alone 2. No one has implied I need a Shearwater predator, let alone 2. Would a Sherwood resource work as a computer for me? Sure, right up until I wanted to bury it in deco on trimix and use it to get me back out again.

An F-250 diesel is list price $47,000. They Veyron is $1.3 million, or 27 times the F-250. An Atomic Ti3 lists for $1,629, and I'm told I can get a perfectly adequate aqualung on ebay for $20, or 1/80th the price. The only difference is scale. To be fair, I can get a new HOG D1 at Diver's Supply for $179, or just over 1/10th the cost.

For what I need, the HOG or Aqualing will be perfectly fine to 130 feet, the majority of my dives. The Veyron, while fun to drive, runs out of gas in 12 minutes.

 

[ams511]

But many people, including some on this thread, have implied without saying outright that it is foolish to pay more for a regulator than it is for them to pay for a regulator, dive computer, BC and wetsuit. No one says I need an Atomic Titanium, let alone 2. No one has implied I need a Shearwater predator, let alone 2. Would a Sherwood resource work as a computer for me? Sure, right up until I wanted to bury it in deco on trimix and use it to get me back out again.

An F-250 diesel is list price $47,000. They Veyron is $1.3 million, or 27 times the F-250. An Atomic Ti3 lists for $1,629, and I'm told I can get a perfectly adequate aqualung on ebay for $20, or 1/80th the price. The only difference is scale. To be fair, I can get a new HOG D1 at Diver's Supply for $179, or just over 1/10th the cost.

For what I need, the HOG or Aqualing will be perfectly fine to 130 feet, the majority of my dives. The Veyron, while fun to drive, runs out of gas in 12 minutes.

We are moving off the point of the thread. If you want to spend $1,629 for a regulator that is your business. If it makes you happy, I am happy for you. What I would find objectionable if you started telling new divers this is what you need and they are cheap for not buying it.

As for the Veyron, I had no idea what it was so I looked it up. It seems that VW has a glut of them on their lot, so there must be some cheap people out there. Bugatti Needs Scary Fast Veyrons to Fly Off Lot: Review - Bloomberg

---------- Post added February 15th, 2014 at 08:16 PM ----------

It wasn't like anybody presented it to me as "life support". I saw it in a magazine and after reading SB and the idea that an all metal second provided some moisture I went looking for it.

Again, there is no need to justify your purchase. If that is what you wanted then fine. Just don't say I am cheap because I purchased on eBay some Scubapro 109s/BA or a Conshelf 14 to get a metal second.

---------- Post added February 15th, 2014 at 08:28 PM ----------

And there are a heck of a lot of Sherwood regs out there on Craigslist.

There is nothing wrong with Sherwood regulators. If you look at test results linked in this thread you will see that a Magnum II was considered a class B regulator. It scored higher than some of the regulators that people mention as being superior. The older firsts are completely rebuildable with removable hard seats. The soft seats are all pucks and can be purchased cheaply from NESS or VDH.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Rather than spending $150 on a camera tray I made one out of PVC for less than $5. It works just as well, probably better. Rather than spending $3000 on a dry suit that will eventually end up leaking I spent $1000 because I thought it would eventually end up leaking. Surprisingly enough it still keeps water out. The more expensive dry suit I owned before that started leaking 2 months after I got it.

However, rather than tinkering with my K14 compressor to save money I brought it to a reputable compressor mechanic and paid him to make sure it runs well. That was money well spent. Rather than spend a couple hundred dollars on video lights that might or might not work I spent a couple thousand and have lights that really light up the frame. Again, money well spent.

I agree with you Peter. Too many people look only at the price and don't think about the consequences of their choices other than on their wallet. However, going cheap will often cost you more in the long run. Sometimes it's better to spend a little bit more money in the first place because you'll save much more than that in the long run. Even when it comes to classes. Lots of people spend months on end trying to learn sidemount on their own. They think it's cheaper than taking a class. A class costs a few hundred dollars. A few months of diving trying to work out issues with a gear configuration can cost well over a thousand dollars when you consider driving to and from the dive site, gas fills, time spent on training dives, etc. I guess it's just easier for some people to spend more over a longer period of time than a smaller sum over one weekend just because they don't bother to add up the cumulative costs.

 

[fnfalman]

I don't want to buy cheap scuba gears. There's no bragging rights in cheap gears.

---------- Post added February 15th, 2014 at 10:27 PM ----------

I want the kind of chick who wants her own titanium Atomic.

Too high maintenance for me. I want the kind of chicks who wants a set of well used Aqualung Titan (not even LX) regs and a beat up console.