vjanelle
Contributor
Its only 5-8k if you buy a fancy dry suit, steel tanks, and some extremely fancy regulators... Lots of places have combo packages and brand new you can get outfitted for $2k~. Even less if you buy used.
instructor course review - did you know...
- Thread starter Agamemnon
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Slamfire
Contributor
I know that and I think she knows that as well. I only mentioned those figures because those are the figures she's mentioned to me. Meaning she's already bought the idea that to dive she needs the higher end new stuff coming out of a LDS. Because that's her personal choice, I haven't made more of a push to lower priced alternatives. But I believe she made her choice without properly exploring other alternatives. However that's her prerogative.
Wow -- 5 to 8K for equipment?
I bought my first dry suit brand new for $800. We spent about a thousand to 1200 on regs and BCs. I rented tanks for the first few months, until owning them became inevitable. We bought Cobra computers, which cost us about $500. Obviously, I had bought mask, fins and snorkel for class, and a hood as well. All of this equipment was bought new, and though the dive shop where we certified. So, buying brand new, through the LDS, with no attempt to comparison shop or strike deals, we were fully outfitted for $2500. You can do much better than that, just with some online shopping, without buying anything used -- and if you go to used gear, you can drop it a lot further than that.
I bought my first dry suit brand new for $800. We spent about a thousand to 1200 on regs and BCs. I rented tanks for the first few months, until owning them became inevitable. We bought Cobra computers, which cost us about $500. Obviously, I had bought mask, fins and snorkel for class, and a hood as well. All of this equipment was bought new, and though the dive shop where we certified. So, buying brand new, through the LDS, with no attempt to comparison shop or strike deals, we were fully outfitted for $2500. You can do much better than that, just with some online shopping, without buying anything used -- and if you go to used gear, you can drop it a lot further than that.
$8,000 !!! Holy smokes, I'll buy your airplane ticket to Harleysville to come visit my shop with a budget like that!
While of course numbers can be all over the place, one should expect to be fully outfitted for approx $1,000, make it $1,500 if you add a dive computer. And I am referring to brand new gear, nothing used at all.
Our typical new diver comes in, signs up for an OW course, and a weekend of checkout diving in the Florida Keys with us, and even with airfare is still well under $2,500 - plus they are certified and equipped for a lifetime of diving!
Diving needs to be kept affordable to fit a customer's well balanced lifestyle with other sports and activities. It is foolish on the part of a retailer or provider to think any other way.
While of course numbers can be all over the place, one should expect to be fully outfitted for approx $1,000, make it $1,500 if you add a dive computer. And I am referring to brand new gear, nothing used at all.
Our typical new diver comes in, signs up for an OW course, and a weekend of checkout diving in the Florida Keys with us, and even with airfare is still well under $2,500 - plus they are certified and equipped for a lifetime of diving!
Diving needs to be kept affordable to fit a customer's well balanced lifestyle with other sports and activities. It is foolish on the part of a retailer or provider to think any other way.
Slamfire
Contributor
I haven't asked specifically where she got her numbers, but if she's giving them to me it seems that she's already made a wish list or probably even had some quotes. I'll try to find out from her. If I get clarification I'll post it here. You also have to keep in mind that Western Canada diving is different from FL Keys diving. I know for a fact she wants a drysuit, what model exactly, I do not know. In our waters it is also a good idea to carry a light or two because of visibility during the plankton blooms, early nightfall during the winter, etc. Many non-tech people around here carry a canister light and I'm sure you're familiar with the price tags those can reach.
We are actually located in PA, not FL, and dive the east coast as well as regularly on the west coast, including BC. Add a drysuit and you are looking at $900 to $1,100 brand new, minus the $120 wetsuit that I had in there already.
I only referenced the Keys cause so many new divers get into the sport in search of tropical destinations that we have always completed more of our checkouts there than in our local waters, and offer that option in every class, year round.
I only referenced the Keys cause so many new divers get into the sport in search of tropical destinations that we have always completed more of our checkouts there than in our local waters, and offer that option in every class, year round.
In my last class I was asked about buying gear off Craigslist so I gave my students a straight up answer. Yes, I have bought used gear -- in fact I got a great deal on gear from Craigrslist from an instructor who was getting out. I'm told the LDS owner almost had a coronary -- until he was also told I then explained to the students that I threw out a lot of the stuff as useless and took all the gear into the shop for overhaul -- which meant the final cost was about twice (or more) than the Craigslist cost.
DC -- as an instructor I have no qualms telling students how much fun it is to dive in various (tropical) places in addition to diving locally. Nor do I have any qualms about telling them the shop (or dive club) is organizing a trip. What's wrong with that?
I have more information than my students (why else would I instruct) and so why not provide them with the benefit of my knowledge?
DC -- as an instructor I have no qualms telling students how much fun it is to dive in various (tropical) places in addition to diving locally. Nor do I have any qualms about telling them the shop (or dive club) is organizing a trip. What's wrong with that?
I have more information than my students (why else would I instruct) and so why not provide them with the benefit of my knowledge?
Slamfire
Contributor
Please don't ask me where I got these prices. I do not feel comfortable putting anybody on the spot. Just trust me that these packages come from a local dive shop and that they are current prices:
Edit: I just noted there are no fins, masks, or snorkels in the packages. You also have to add stuff like retractors, zipper wax, neoprene shampoo, knife, etc... And anything else I'm forgetting.
So you can see that we're still missing tanks, weights, and lights and we're up to $2541.90 on the special price or $3874.90 on the regular price. And these are not the most expensive packages I could have chosen from this dive shop. I chose these from the lower end priced packages.
Edit: I just noted there are no fins, masks, or snorkels in the packages. You also have to add stuff like retractors, zipper wax, neoprene shampoo, knife, etc... And anything else I'm forgetting.
Last edited:
- Messages
- 22,171
- Reaction score
- 2,790
- # of dives
- 5000 - ∞
The point is not recommending gear. We all do that ... I'm likely the most extreme. I insist on a full set of "approved" gear, that is to say I specify by make and model and any deviation requires my approval. But I do not sell gear, people are free to purchase the gear anywhere and anyway that they desire, so I have no conflict of interest, there in lies the trap for most instructors. As to the "professional goal" objectives ... about 50% of my students, over the years, have been actual marine scientists or students headed into careers in marine science. The other half have been interested individuals who wanted to not only take a complete diving course, but who were wanted to be part of a group that dove a lot and didn't have BS of a lot of clubs, they are happy to commit to helping out a few reseachers as buddy divers, but they are Business majors, PE, Pharmacy, English, Art, etc.
BTW: That two year half-life is for instructors not students ... newly certified divers don't even last that long.
BTW: That two year half-life is for instructors not students ... newly certified divers don't even last that long.
Last edited:
That's really sad you see that statistic in your area; thank goodness that virus is not rampant here! Our divers keep diving, and diving, and diving.......
I firmly believe there is nothing like a supportive, nurturing, open-minded environment to keep a diver's passion strong and keep the interest high. Whatever make & model gear they want to use is ok - it's the diver that counts, not the label.
Similar threads
