How do you fund your diving?

[corvettejoe]

I got all my gear over the years every birthday/christmas (4 days apart) so I always asked for "Dive Cash!" then walked into the LDS the next week and spent it all.
I was fortunate to have worked out some great deals with my instructors over the years to advance my training. Without their generosity I could never have afforded to be where I am at today.

My 'next fix" is either funded by my side job, which we call "Fun Money" or if business is slow, it just comes out of our general budget and FT jobs, but I don't dive as frequently as I would like if that's the case Whenever I ask for raises at work, I usually just factor in the fact I want to dive more, and ask for enough to cover most of that during the year so I don't have to rely on the side job to pay for it all.

 

[FM1520]

You can amass an amazing sum of dive gear over time if you're opportunistic and willing to be patient.

Absolutely, but its hard to convince new divers....

 

[T.C.]

My question, for those who do not make a ton of money, is how do you accomplish feeding the beast that is scuba diving?

I whore myself out to expensive busty blonde European supermodels (only!).





....When that doesn't work, I wake up and go to work.

 

[lamarpaulski]

Get used gear..usually the type that doesn't degrade over time like weight belts and knives. Use groupons to get cheap tickets to Catalina. Drive a used car. Be fanatical about gear maintenance. Travel in shoulder season and check internet and Scubaboard for deals. You can be a back-packer traveler pretty cheap in some places.

 

[Locus]

Get really familiar with used gear. Learn what everything is worth. Spot good deals, pick up gear that doesnt depreciate, and resell.

I bought a brand new thinsulate undergarment at auction on ebay for $120, then sold it on my local Craigslist for $300. Found a hp steel 120 for $200, sold it for $225. Bought a used AL80 for $60, then bartered it to my LDS in exchange for $100 worth of hydro and vis inspections on my other tanks.

It's not nearly enough to totally fund my diving hobby, but every little bit helps, you learn a lot along the way, and it's fun.

 

[CindyMac]

My husband funds my diving addiction. He's the reason I dive. After years of gently prodding me along, I certified last year. He forgot that he'd have buy my equipment. He fully expected me to not like it. Wrong.....I love diving!

 

[buddhasummer]

I gave up numerous unhealthy, damaging and expensive addictions, now I can relatively easily fund this one.

 

[Dsix36]

About every 50th dive or so, I drug my dive buddy prior to the dive. When the timing is right I just remove my buddy from the water and harvest on of their kidneys for sale on the black market. When they wake up, I just tell them that they are in shock from the shark attack and they will be fine.

What are you doing this weekend? What to go diving?

 

[Hatul]

I do mostly shore diving: cost of driving and $5 per tank fill.

 

[Diveflag UK]

13 years ago I gave up the day job to train and work as an Instructor, so other people would pay me to dive...
Now I just live by the sea and dive from my 4m rib or from the shore... Oh, and my buddy and I bought a small compressor a few years ago when the last air fill station for 20 miles closed!