nwflyboy
Contributor
First, some background.
I've been diving a long time (20 years), although I don't dive as often as I'd like - sometimes go a couple years between dives. Me and the wife have been diving more in the past few years and have finally decided to take the plunge and buy our own gear (we've had basic stuff for a long time, only now going all the way to buy our own BCDs, regs, computers, etc.).
I'm fairly picky about my stuff. Maybe a bit more than some consumers, but certainly not excessively so, compared to lots of others in this sport. For any kind of tech purchases, I tend to do extensive research on the net, check out reviews, shop around, etc. I don't think that's particularly unusual. Yes, price is an issue for me, but it's not necessarily the biggest issue for me (which may set me apart from the average "consumer" - I stay out of WalMart and try to support local businesses). I'm fine with paying a bit more to keep the local shop in business....up to a point, and as long as I feel like they are actually doing something to earn my business (other than just existing).
I have been doing my online research (lots of it here on ScubaBoard) and shopping the local dive shops. I must say that so far, I have been consistently unimpressed with my experiences at the local shops. Lots of "selling", not a lot of knowledge about what I'm looking for, quite a bit of attitude, and a general sense that the folks there seem to be a bunch of slackers who could care less if they are providing any kind of service. Yet, even with all those negatives, I'm still willing to pay a premium there (over what I could pay online) - and I'm talking about probably $3k - $4k of gear, perhaps a bit more, when we're done.
But I don't think that it's even possible for me to do this business with any of my local dive shops even if I wanted to.
After countless hours of research, I've (more or less) settled on a particular set of gear for BCDs (Cressi) and regs (Atomic). There are a bunch of dive shops within 100 miles of me (US west coast, major metro area). None of them carry what I'm looking for. In fact, as I've been trying to narrow down my choices, I started out with about half a dozen BCDs under consideration (from ScubaPro, Aqualung, Mares and Cressi). Considering about a dozen BCD models, I found just two of them could be found "locally" (within 2 hours drive), and that was only after quite a bit of research.
Based on research I've done online, I'm just about settled on a Cressi Travelight BCD. I do understand that Cressi is not one of the biggest brands, but it doesn't seem all that exotic, either. I can only find one dealer nearby who is listed as a Cressi dealer, but they tell me they don't actually stock any of that brand. They "can probably order one" for me, but I can't try it on before committing to the sale (even standing in the store, dry - never mind diving with it).
This begs the question: the dive shops have really been no help at all (to put it mildly) in choosing the BCD (they have consistently tried to sell me on things that do not meet the specific criteria that I explained to them). They're no help in assuring a good fit, either (must buy before having the privilege of trying it on). I can probably get the one local shop that technically is a Cressi dealer to order one for me and hand it to me after I pay them - but what exactly am I paying them the extra money for? I figure that if I can't even look at one of them (never mind trying the darn thing on to check fit and comfort before committing to buy it), I can get the same degree of "service" (actually, better service) by just buying online.
Note that I don't think the issue here is just that there are few Cressi dealers nearby (or that I'm settling on a second- or third-tier brand). When I was looking at gear from other brands, it seemed equally or nearly as impossible to find the gear locally and actually look at and touch it before committing to a purchase, even from some of the biggest names in the business.
In this case I feel like I've almost forced to buy online, because they offer the selection options I'm looking for, and (let's just say) "service" that's as good as the LDS. Heck, some of the online shops will let you exchange for size if you have mis-estimated the size you ordered - the LDS won't even do that.
If I end up spending $4000 online for our gear (as I'm currently leaning), that's not because it'll save me a few hundred bucks. It's because the local shops have been unable or unwilling to do anything for me.
It shouldn't be that hard to spend $4k locally on this stuff (or more likely $4.5k to $5, without the internet pricing). This seems crazy to me.
OK, rant over.
I sure wish it was easier to buy this stuff. Seems like it could be a real barrier to entry to the sport for many people - doesn't do the industry any good.
Or am I just crazy?
I've been diving a long time (20 years), although I don't dive as often as I'd like - sometimes go a couple years between dives. Me and the wife have been diving more in the past few years and have finally decided to take the plunge and buy our own gear (we've had basic stuff for a long time, only now going all the way to buy our own BCDs, regs, computers, etc.).
I'm fairly picky about my stuff. Maybe a bit more than some consumers, but certainly not excessively so, compared to lots of others in this sport. For any kind of tech purchases, I tend to do extensive research on the net, check out reviews, shop around, etc. I don't think that's particularly unusual. Yes, price is an issue for me, but it's not necessarily the biggest issue for me (which may set me apart from the average "consumer" - I stay out of WalMart and try to support local businesses). I'm fine with paying a bit more to keep the local shop in business....up to a point, and as long as I feel like they are actually doing something to earn my business (other than just existing).
I have been doing my online research (lots of it here on ScubaBoard) and shopping the local dive shops. I must say that so far, I have been consistently unimpressed with my experiences at the local shops. Lots of "selling", not a lot of knowledge about what I'm looking for, quite a bit of attitude, and a general sense that the folks there seem to be a bunch of slackers who could care less if they are providing any kind of service. Yet, even with all those negatives, I'm still willing to pay a premium there (over what I could pay online) - and I'm talking about probably $3k - $4k of gear, perhaps a bit more, when we're done.
But I don't think that it's even possible for me to do this business with any of my local dive shops even if I wanted to.
After countless hours of research, I've (more or less) settled on a particular set of gear for BCDs (Cressi) and regs (Atomic). There are a bunch of dive shops within 100 miles of me (US west coast, major metro area). None of them carry what I'm looking for. In fact, as I've been trying to narrow down my choices, I started out with about half a dozen BCDs under consideration (from ScubaPro, Aqualung, Mares and Cressi). Considering about a dozen BCD models, I found just two of them could be found "locally" (within 2 hours drive), and that was only after quite a bit of research.
Based on research I've done online, I'm just about settled on a Cressi Travelight BCD. I do understand that Cressi is not one of the biggest brands, but it doesn't seem all that exotic, either. I can only find one dealer nearby who is listed as a Cressi dealer, but they tell me they don't actually stock any of that brand. They "can probably order one" for me, but I can't try it on before committing to the sale (even standing in the store, dry - never mind diving with it).
This begs the question: the dive shops have really been no help at all (to put it mildly) in choosing the BCD (they have consistently tried to sell me on things that do not meet the specific criteria that I explained to them). They're no help in assuring a good fit, either (must buy before having the privilege of trying it on). I can probably get the one local shop that technically is a Cressi dealer to order one for me and hand it to me after I pay them - but what exactly am I paying them the extra money for? I figure that if I can't even look at one of them (never mind trying the darn thing on to check fit and comfort before committing to buy it), I can get the same degree of "service" (actually, better service) by just buying online.
Note that I don't think the issue here is just that there are few Cressi dealers nearby (or that I'm settling on a second- or third-tier brand). When I was looking at gear from other brands, it seemed equally or nearly as impossible to find the gear locally and actually look at and touch it before committing to a purchase, even from some of the biggest names in the business.
In this case I feel like I've almost forced to buy online, because they offer the selection options I'm looking for, and (let's just say) "service" that's as good as the LDS. Heck, some of the online shops will let you exchange for size if you have mis-estimated the size you ordered - the LDS won't even do that.
If I end up spending $4000 online for our gear (as I'm currently leaning), that's not because it'll save me a few hundred bucks. It's because the local shops have been unable or unwilling to do anything for me.
It shouldn't be that hard to spend $4k locally on this stuff (or more likely $4.5k to $5, without the internet pricing). This seems crazy to me.
OK, rant over.
I sure wish it was easier to buy this stuff. Seems like it could be a real barrier to entry to the sport for many people - doesn't do the industry any good.
Or am I just crazy?
