How do you pay for SCUBA?

[jbd]

I don't know if I'd call it bells and whistles but when you set up steel 100 doubles with a manifold and a couple good regs even the cheapest is expensive. Now throw on a drysuit at a minimum of $1000, a dive computer, a couple of wetsuits for warm water diving, a few good lights for wreck diving....well it adds up to $$$ in my house.

Doubles and drysuits aren't cheap thats for sure. I headed down that route as well, and have the added costs of instructing. BeachJunkie is just getting started and if he plans/prioritizes his purchases he can get all the gear without breaking the bank. It will all add up over time but making smart small purchases make it not too painful on the wallet.

Doubles and drysuits aren't bells and whistle. Flip fins are

 

[vanessar]

I'm a financial reporting manager.

 

[nereas]

... For everthing else, there is MasterCard !

 

[hugedodge2000]

I payed 175 for my cert. I live next to a dive shop that fills tanks for free on fridays and saturdays. My dad was a divemaster so I got 2 of everything for free when he quit diving. So I ended up not paying to much.

 

[grazie42]

I work as a purchaser (which propably helps when I´m buying gear as well).
I think gear is the "small" cost of diving. I have 21w HID, doubles, decobottles, 5 1st stages, 2 DSs etc but I just haven´t found it to be that bad...

I´m looking into rebreathers now (MCCR) and that will "only" be about the cost of two dive-vacations...Paying 120$ for the fills to do a dive, now THATS expensive!

It´s all relative (or so I tell myself)...

 

[AbyssalPlains]

Cash. Some stores take credit or debit cards, too.

 

[evil_xander]

I'm currently single. That translates as dry suit on its way, doubles on the horizon and GUE-F also rearing it's ugly head in February.

This is just a temporary condition, and it does indeed help with any scuba related purchase. :14:

 

[MeiLing]

I figure it this way, it's cheaper than psychotherapy! Now if I could just get my health insurance to cover my dive therapy, I'd be set!

 

[cudachaser]

I teach diving, get my gear at 10% over cost, free air and free charters most of the time

 

[bigmak]

Computer Network Admin pays the bills and firefighting and EMS work pays for the hobby.