He then responds “be a internet diver! I don't want to get involved in this go your own way”. Whoaa what just happened, lest than 10 minutes from a pleasant call from him getting my card # to this!
It seems that he has already decided for you. Every business owner has the right to choose to not do business with someone, just as you have the right to take your business elsewhere...
Having said that, the DS business is a tough one, these days especially. You know the old saying: "How do you make a million bucks in the dive business? Start with two million..." Maybe he was having a bad day... bank up his beavertail, or a supplier complaining, or some such thing. I always prefer to support a dive shop given the choice, but maybe before you write him off completely, you could call or send an email... explain what you want, and ask of he can provide that or not. If he doesn't respond, or doesn't tell you what you need to hear, then go elsewhere.
On the other hand, he might just feel that you are one of "those" customers... I know I have them. Whiny, cheap, always in a hurry... And he just doesn't want your business.
Apart from my regular career, I occasionally mentor young business owners. I sometimes ask them what the purpose of their business is. They usually answer with something like wanting to provide a great product or service and make their customers happy etc. And I always tell them that they're wrong. The PURPOSE of the business is to build wealth for the shareholders. The METHOD by which they do this, is by providing the excellent "whatever" that they already mentioned.
While I certainly don't agree that his method of brushing you off was at all acceptable, it might simply be that he has concluded that he can't match the Internet price and make anything, so why bother.
Up here in Canada, the shops have it even worse. Much of the product they sell goes though an unnecessary Canadian "distributor", and that adds an entirely unnecessary layer of markup and shipping. Lots of folks order directly from US webshops, and the effects are obvious with many shops really struggling.
To add to what Dave just said, certain shops to cater to a specific type of diver. Up here, where local diving is very much a seasonal thing (In Ontario, our lakes were frozen from late December to mid May this year...) many shops choose to specialize in servicing the travelling diver. One friend's shop went so far as to open a licensed travel agency division.
On the other hand, another friend has a shop that caters to the techy types, in addition to the rec and travel diver. Different strokes...