Wristshot:
This is an interesting observation, and I think I would have to agree with it. I've been hanging around the local dive shops quite a bit recently, and have come to stand in awe of Ernie Bourne. I don't think Ernie has made a dime off me yet, but he certainly has given me lots of good equipment advice, free help with a poorly adjusted regulator (recently serviced by DD, no less), and good pointers on the local diving scene. When I finally do bring myself to spend seriously, POD will be right at the top of my list. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I've price shopped around the area and found that POD has about the lowest prices going. (I should qualify that statement a bit: I've been looking at high-end DUI dry suits, and POD's prices are lowest for that.)
Another very good little shop I've discovered is Blue Water Aquatics, on El Camino just north of Matilda. Randy, the owner, strikes me as being very much like Ernie. He's an avid diver who runs a very complete dive shop and bends over backwards to help people. I've watched carefully, and he is scrupulous about pointing people towards what they need and what would be best for them, not what is most expensive or has the biggest profit margin. It's a small shop, but with a large inventory and a broad mix of product lines. I just finished a 4 day rental on a dry suit from Randy (for $50, no less) and really got my money's worth out of that rental.
