How do you afford this sport?

[vtxkev]

I have used the feature and did not see anything like this. I hope this is the correct place to post this question. If not please move it where it needs to be. With that said:

SCUBA is an expensive sport and I see everyone talking about that trip they took to some exotic destination or what new gear they just purchased. What do you do for a living that allows you to enjoy diving so much?

I am a field service coordinator for a sewage and water pump company. The pay is ok. but not nearly enough to allow me to dive in those exotic locations.

 

[sabbath999]

It's all about priorities.

I am an IT guy and my wife teaches college. We don't make HUGE money, but we do OK... We also travel to Kona once or twice a year.

She works summer school to pay for one trip, and we "find" the money for the other.

We personally can afford it because we live a completely debt free lifestyle, with no payments of any kind. We drive used cars, live in a decent but not new house, and we don't buy a bunch of crap we can't afford with money we haven't even made yet.

We save up the money, we take the trip. We don't save enough, we don't go.

 

[Coldwater_Canuck]

Here's my situation, I'm a student in a "co-op" program. This means that before all 4 month school terms (8 total for degree), I do a 4 month work term (with the exception of first 2 terms). So 6 work terms, 8 school terms total, for a total of just under 5 years.

Now I don't work part time ever so the money I make in my work terms basically needs to hold me through the next 4 months (tutition, rent, living expenses, etc.). So I don't have a ton of extra spending money while working. However, my job is software engineer during work terms, which pays me well enough that I've been able to afford a fair bit of diving and gear. I won't be going on an exotic trip until I graduate, but I'm probably in a better situation than many people my age. I don't have a car or anything, but I can afford some diving.

 

[Guba]

Hey, pardna...I'm a TEACHER in a state that is just a bit below average for educator pay. But, as the previous poster said, it's a matter of priorities. I buy solid, no-frills equipment and I save up for trips, often with stipends I get from "additional revenue" (speaking engagements, workshops, etc...). If I can't afford a major trip, then I make do with more local ones. The point is, I enjoy getting underwater regardless of the venue. If it's somewhere exotic, well, that's just gravy.

 

[tfsails]

I am a ward of the government. I retired from Civil Service three years ago. I now work in a dive shop. I had all my own stuff and had been on a few "exotic" trips before I retired, so I guess I'm lucky in that respect.

Right now I'm suffering from salt-water withdrawal. Haven't dived in salt water in over a year. Made about 50 dives this year, but all in our local quarry. I think I spent about $50 in gas to get to the quarry and back, but that's about it. This is one of the advantages of working in a dive shop.

I'll eventually get back to salt water and "real" diving. Until then, I'm more or less content to dive in our local quarry--it beats the hell out of not diving at all!

 

[TSandM]

Well, my husband's retired, and I work part-time at a fairly lucrative profession. We do have a fair amount of discretionary income. But we drive older cars, and I rarely buy clothes or shoes, and we don't go out to dinner or to the movies, or do much with our house.

And as we have both observed before, on the scale of things, scuba isn't expensive. Our other sport is dressage, where the "equipment" alone (the horse) can run you 50K or more, plus the lessons and the trainer's fees and the board and the shoer and the show fees . . . makes diving seem like a deliciously inexpensive sport, when you add all that up.

 

[castanagajt]

For me, I luckily went to the military for 5 years and was inclined in using the Montgomery GI Bill so I can get money depending how many credits I am taking each semester which is just about enough to pay for my monthly bills. I stopped renting and went back home and contribute errands, money for bills and driving my family around so they too can save on money. I also traded a 2006 Subaru STI for an 2006 Honda Civic EX and saved money there and got my 1998 Honca Civic LX running so now I can go 8 times the range than I used to with money to burn. Plus I work on call as unarmed guard when I can so I can have extra spending cash. Finding deals is a big thing. I bought 9 tanks/hydro/vis. and unlimited annual air fills for 600.00 total.

Just like Coldwater Canuck was emphasizing, if you cut corners every way possible and you limit your diving it actually gets feasible.

 

[thanksforallthefish]

How do you afford anything??

... like previous posters have said you may have to forego other things that you would like to have or do to be able to go diving ... it is just a matter of priorities.
For both my wife and myself diving is what we do for relaxation and to escape the pressures of work.

We both have jobs that pay decent salaries and do not have any debts except for the mortgage.

 

[don Francisco]

While scuba is expensive, it's cost is manageable. Once you have the gear, diving locally is pretty cheap. It also isn't necessary to spend for the newest greatest equipment, so the original outlay becomes afordable, with maintenance costs of about $100 per year.

Overall it's probably more expensive than bicycling, but less expensive than golf or skiing.

As to the travel, there are reasonably priced destinations such as Cozumel, so a vacation with diving doesn't have to cost much more than other vacations do.

For myself, and probably many others, the main issue isn't necessarily finding the money, but finding the time.

 

[H2ODog]

My current boss always says "watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves."

Good advice that works.