Being pushed into buying gear - Is this normal?

[James R]

I think it's smart to have your own mask, fins, and snorkel. The mask especially. Make sure they fit you properly. Mask is comfy and doesn't leak, fins don't hurt your feet, etc.

I have seen too many OW students struggle with stuff they borrowed off a friend/relative/whatever or bought used off craigslist etc.

 

[W1ngz]

That's what I did, but it took me a good month or two to decide on each piece. There's so many brands out there and no shop I've ever seen carries them all. It's tough to compare. I think I rented everything for my first 20-25 dives.

At this point I've decided to approach things the same way I did when I started my saltwater reef tank last year. Check out a few local shops, and spend a few days reading reviews and researching the different categories of equipment each in turn. I'll work up a priority list of what I want to buy, and in what order. There's a lot of stuff out there, some of it essential, some of it important, some of it 'nice to have', and some of it unimportant.

It's 4 months until the local water is hospitable. I have plenty of time.

 

[mselenaous]

It all sums up in a few facts.
1- Class prices are very competitive and have long been loss-leaders to get new divers in the door buying gear. Gear sales is what keeps most shops in business, so of course they want you to purchase at least some of your gear from them.
2- Divers who own their gear do dive more often. Like buying and owning your own car, it is an investment. You are more comfortable and know what you are getting into everytime, rather than the surprises of rental cars trying to figure out where everything (wipers, setting mirrors, seats, etc.) is. Sometimes rentals are a necessity when traveling.
3- There are lots of brands and styles, renting BCDs and even wetsuits is a great way to test drive before you buy.

I think the one item that can make/break a fun experience is an ill fitting poor quality mask.

I require all my students to own a good, well fitted mask...sorry to say many times they show up with that pink mask they had to have and it doesn't work for them, so off we march to try on masks after we've wasted a pool session being uncomfortable. A good shop will let you exchange that mask after the first pool session for one that might work better.
Frankly a good mask, simple snorkel with purge valve, stiff open-heeled paddle fins, plus any booties, just don't cost that much ($150 +/- $50). Avoid those expensive snorkels with big gadgets on top. Avoid those expensive split fins...the fin will collapse when kicking hard in a current making you work even harder.

Exposure protection depends on where you will do most of your diving and how sensitive you are to being cold. So many many options, take your time to investigate what will work best for you. Usually stock rentals are available, but may not fit as well as they should to keep you warm...not to mention they've been pre-peed. :shocked2: :yuck:
But traveling to a climate you don't normally frequent is a great reason to rent the appropriate exposure protection for those water.

After getting your personal gear, invest in a wrist dive computer and get to know it well (many good options reasonably priced)...and it travels well . And don't forget safety items like DSMB (the bigger the better), whistle, finger spool, etc and always take them with you. It sucks to need it and you left it at home/in your hotel room, etc. Think of them as the spare tire in your car which you hope to never need but glad its there if you do.

Regulators, a good mid-to-high end quality, will breath easier, grow with you as you gain experience and will last you a good 10-15+ years when maintained well. Remember this is your life-support.

BCDs...this is the item that is replaced most often...love or like it, then hate it after a few dives - "it doesn't fit in the water when I'm horizontal like it did in the store when I was standing" & features you thought you needed/liked you don't and visa versa. Here on SB your will find many advocates for backplate & wing/harness systems for its interchangeable modules/customization and simplicity.

You've gotten a ton of great advise in this thread and there are many other great threads here full of valuable information.
Go enjoy your class and keep us posted on your progress.

 

[diving4ever]

Do not buy gear before you are certified--with the exception of a MASK. If you know you like to snorkel get a snorkel and fins as well.
I know they want to sell you gear, but they're creating an artificial sense of urgency. You can buy gear from them later on.
You might want to check out the quality of the rental gear at the shops you are looking at, but most of the shops I dive with have gear in great condition. Probably in better condition than I keep mine.

 

[pconsidine]

The only gear that I would buy if I were you is mask,snorkle, fins with boots. All the rest of gear you purchase as you become more experienced, plus around holidays internet sites such as LeisurePro, Scuba.com,ScubaToys.com offer great sales on equipment. Of course your local dive shop is going to force you to buy equipment since they are making over 100% profit on all equipment sold,do your research and save money. Plus take into account what type of diving you are planning on doing- if you are going to do local diving in Canada you need a 7 mil. full wet-suit
as opposed to a 1-3 mil.short if you are only doing Carribbean diving.

 

[W1ngz]

if you are going to do local diving in Canada you need a 7 mil. full wet-suit
as opposed to a 1-3 mil.short if you are only doing Carribbean diving.

Yet another thing that's been on my mind. I think I'd rather a setup where I have a 1mm thermalskin or Lavacore pant/shirt of some sort, under a 5mm suit.
I'd like something that gives me a few versatile options and combinations, rather than needing different wetsuits for every month and climate I might end up diving in.

i assume wetsuits are like any other outer wear, and with proper layering can both protect, and relieve you when things get too hot or too cold.

---------- Post added February 5th, 2015 at 04:54 PM ----------

Anyway I don't want to drag the thread off topic, this was really just about a shop that seemed much more pushy than is reasonable in demanding someone buy all their gear up front.
I'll think about wetsuits later.

 

[boulderjohn]

Here is the industry research they manipulated:

Divers who own their own gear are much more inclined to continue diving than are divers who rent gear when they dive.

Those statistics do not in any way identify WHEN the gear was purchased. In most cases, people who own their own gear purchase it after they dive long enough to decide scuba is an activity they want to pursue actively. People who do that will buy their own gear and continue diving. I know of no industry statistics that deal with people who do their initial training in their own gear. What they are saying is a misrepresentation of the actual facts.

I once participated in a week long scuba marketing workshop conducted by the owner of a major scuba agency. He strongly urged participants to do things like this to get students to purchase all their gear before the OW class was over. I would bet that the management of this shop attended such a workshop.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Yep, and it's all about cash. My ow students need to have their own mask, snorkel, fins, boots before they do their checkouts. Until then they can use what is at the pool. Most do end up around session three getting their own. Once they have tried a few styles and found what they like. As for having their own by checkout dive time I don't care if they bought, begged, borrowed, or conjured it out of a hat.

 

[pconsidine]

Hello
W1ngz , I dive in the New York area and a 7 mil is min. year round and you are in a colder climate. If you dive lakes in Canda you will experience termoclines which could drop into 40 degrees even in summer time. That is why I would suggest that yo get certified first before buying any major gear, then join a local dive club where you wll meet other divers who will point you in right direction.

 

[scoobydrew]

Please... I'm not sure when it was decided that being an instructor or operating a dive business was a non-profit venture.

If you are taking you OW course from a dive shop, of course they will try to sell you gear. How do you think they stay in business? I encourage you to shop around, but if they want your buisness they will work with you on price.

You have missed the point here, of course the business needs to make money, thats a given.

Everyone chooses their tactics, some will discuss the divers wants and needs with them and find an appropriate product to sell or recommend. Others will try to flog gear to people irrespective of how well matched the product is to the customer.

In the first example the customer walks in to the sale as what they buy will help them in their diving adventure. In the second example the sale is forced through effectively deceiving the buyer.

I know which kind of business I would prefer to give my money to.