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Well, right now I only have a ScubaPro MK2+/R190 with a SeaQuest AirSource octo/inflator :sigh:. However, I am purchasing a MK25/S550 combo from LeisurePro for $265 as soon as they get them back in stock. I'll use the MK2+/R190 for a stage bottle or a backup reg.

Here is a question for everyone: Are the "intangibles" so often cited by LDSs as the added value to justify their higher prices really worth the extra cost? Are they truly an added "value?" By "intangibles", I don't mean things like a free drysuit class if I buy a drysuit. That is quite...

Someone mentioned Costco earlier in this post. Interestingly enough, Costco DOES sell scuba gear... sort of. Here in Northern California, Costco stores have a traveling display of discount scuba equipment which visits different stores each weekend during the summer months. Unfortunately, most...

Sounds fun. I haven't dove Monterey yet. Lets get wet.

Sigh. I know, but it is ALWAYS just $100. Just $100 for this, and $100 for that, and $100 for something else. Each and every individual $100 item is reasonable. But before you know it you're out $500. Something else brings you to $1,000. Eventually you're out there with $1,000 in your...

Small dive shop ecconomics are a total mystery to me. I cannot understand how small LDSs can compete in any way with online and large scale retailers. For example, wholesale cost on ScubaPro MK25/S550 regulators is about $225. LeisurePro sells them online for $265, which translates into a...

:rofL: Now, lets see. I took my 4hr Sudafed about 3 1/2 hrs ago... but I took 2, so I should be okay for 8hrs. I checked the fuel... We've almost got 'E'xtra, so were a long way from running on 'F'umes. Check my gas management... skipped the usual TacoBell breakfast for a bran muffin. Ya...

Ah, perhaps you did not read my original post... And in a later followup... Given this original post and follow up, are you still inclined to respond the same?

I hope I am not beating a dead horse here, but I am curious to see if I misunderstood. If you are saying that you perform only the skills at 20 feet, how deep do you take your students, and for how long, during their four checkout/certification dives? Do you take them to 40 or 50 feet for more...

I asked my pharmacist about this, and they recommended the 12hr Sudafed which they swore would not wear off during a dive. I have often read that you should not use Sudafed to dive because it might wear off during the dive and cause a reverse block. Is this really an issue with the 12hr...

My LDS does not have Nitrox yet, but they have ordered new Nitrox tanks, O2 tanks, mixing equipment, etc. Should just be a matter of a couple months before it all arrives, is installed, tested, and ready for their first Nitrox class. Sounds like fun!

You'd have to figure out a way to weight the basketball so it wouldn't pop to the surface dragging along some poor diver in a bouyant ascent :) . Maybe attach some soft shot pouches to the ball with wetsuit glue? Unless you could figure out a way to get the shot INSIDE the basketball. That...

Umm, well, both to be honest. A recent search of EBay leads me to believe I can purchase a decent entry-level drysuit for $250 or less. Specifically, I have seen several O'Neill 7000X neoprene drysuits sell for $125-$250 in my size. (I tried on this drysuit at my LDS - $700). A Henderson...

I don't think getting someone to teach me the skills will be a problem. I dive with the LDS dive club, the vast majority dive dry, and I frequently buddy with the two dive instructors, or one of their assistants. The only way I can see not being able to get help is if they deliberately chose...

My LDS wants $100 to take the PADI drysuit class. Given my past experience with training beyond basic open water, I am skeptical of the added value the instructor brings to the experience. And $100 adds considerably to the cost of a $250 used drysuit. Do I really need to take the drysuit...

Wow, a whole extra five feet! At least we know you don't get narked really, super, shallowly easy. Of course... you come up at multiple levels, and then you can always figure out your profile later when you know what you actually dove. When you get to be a DM or better, you don't need to...

Not anymore. Its optional! I assume it was too big a pain in the a** to drag the instructors out after dark every time they taught an "advanced" class

This was certainly true for me. I was handed the "Adventures in Diving" book the night before my first dive. I read the appropriate chapters and completed the reviews. The next morning, I went to the diveshop, completed a comprehensive test on the BASIC open water course to ensure I...

Extended discussion of DiverBouy's practice is not necessary to convince him or others that his training shortchanges the divers he trains and leaves them unqualified for the certification he dispenses. HE SAID IT HIMSELF IN HIS VERY FIRST POST! "what it really means is that certified...

Sorry, Ghosty. It appears the thread wandered off-topic (or was hijacked?) and spawned another discussion mostly unrelated to your original post and question. This happens. DiverBuoy, while responding about the depths you are trained for, casually mentioned his practice of training people in...