Buying equipment with out having a fitting?

[ashley25EC]

Hi,

My husband and I are just starting into the world of diving and would like to buy the basics before we start our Open Water certification. How do you all feel about a beginer buying equipment with out having a profesional consultation? The reason I ask is that it seems there are much better deals to be found on-line than in our local diveshop where will be taking our class. For example the fins they suggest for beginers can be found for half the price at one of the on-line shops. I'm interested to hear some suggestions.

Thanks!

 

[PhilEllis]

Hi,

My husband and I are just starting into the world of diving and would like to buy the basics before we start our Open Water certification. How do you all feel about a beginer buying equipment with out having a profesional consultation? The reason I ask is that it seems there are much better deals to be found on-line than in our local diveshop where will be taking our class. For example the fins they suggest for beginers can be found for half the price at one of the on-line shops. I'm interested to hear some suggestions.

Thanks!

Well, most of us (online guys) are pretty good at fitting fins and such just from conversation and consultation. Go to your local store with a copy of the online quote and see what they will do. You never know. If that fails, order it online.

Phil Ellis
Discount Scuba Gear at DiveSports.com - Buy Scuba Diving Equipment & Snorkeling Equipment

 

[shoupart]

I think it's really important to get a fitting done, especially when it comes to mask, boots, gloves, wetsuit, etc.

You could always go into a few shops and try some things on, and at the least, you'd know the sizes you need and which brands fit you best. And if you still wanted to buy online, at least you'd know what fit you and what didn't.

One benefit of getting a professional consultation would that you will hear reasons why oneproduct is better than another, so you have some more info when you make a purchasing decision. Such reasons could easily be overlooked by a new diver.

For example, I recently bought a wetsuit from an Ebay auction. I know what size I wear, and the suit fits fine, but I really dislike the zippered cuffs on the sleeve and ankles. They let too much water in, and my previous suits that just had normal tight seals were much better. If I'd had a little consultation on the pros and cons of zippered cuffs, I wouldn't have bought the suit.

By the way, you're going to get posts from people condemning you for buying online vs. supporting your local dive retailer. Or chastising me for suggesting you use a shop for a fitting, only to buy it elsewhere.

I personally don't have a problem with the notion of buying online, but you'll soon see the pros and cons of each laid out here.

Also, you could always ask the shop to match the deals you find online. They might find a way to make it worthwhile to you.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Although for the savings you could have by purchasing from a guy like Phil, you could have him send you a couple of sizes and then you send back what you don't want and still be money ahead. Shipping on items like that aren't that much.

By the way, guys like Phil or some of the other online folks who are active here on the board won't steer you wrong. If they did they know we would eat them alive!! Talk about blood in the water!! Do search on his company here on SB and see what others have said about his business not related to this specific thread. If you have a question about something related to a post, private message the poster. I don't think Phil would have any problem with you checking out his reputation for service and fair pricing. In fact, I think he would encourage people to compare him to others and determine if he really does offer great service.

As a noob, it is also a good idea to post a lot of questions and spend a lot of time reading on here about diving in general and then the type of diving that interests you. You will find the Scuba Board Community to be very helpful to a noob. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[ashley25EC]

Thanks for all the advice... I think we'll go into our dive shop and let them know off the bat we're thinking about buying on-line due to the pretty signficant savings. If they are able to cut as a deal, great, if not at least I can say I tried.

 

[almitywife]

Thanks for all the advice... I think we'll go into our dive shop and let them know off the bat we're thinking about buying on-line due to the pretty signficant savings. If they are able to cut as a deal, great, if not at least I can say I tried.

great attitude... be upfront and honest with the lds but if they start on the doom and gloom about internet sales, lack of warranties & support ect then they are telling you porkies so dont feel pressured to buy anything

enjoy! diving is a great & fun activity

cheers

 

[shotthebreeze]

Thanks for all the advice... I think we'll go into our dive shop and let them know off the bat we're thinking about buying on-line due to the pretty signficant savings. If they are able to cut as a deal, great, if not at least I can say I tried.

I've found that my LDS tends to beat the online prices if I confront him. There's some sort of law stating that they can't advertise gear at a lower prices than the MSRP, but the man comes through for me, lol. Also something to think about: Leisure Pro and Scuba Toys both have a "fit guarantee," which means, if it doesn't fit you, send it back free of charge and they'll replace it.

Welcome to the wonderful sport of diving by the way!

 

[davidryder]

Like others have said if it doesn't fit you can usually return it. A little more painful than getting it directly from the shop but the saving are well worth it, unless you just have the money to throw around.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Hi,

My husband and I are just starting into the world of diving and would like to buy the basics before we start our Open Water certification. How do you all feel about a beginer buying equipment with out having a profesional consultation? The reason I ask is that it seems there are much better deals to be found on-line than in our local diveshop where will be taking our class. For example the fins they suggest for beginers can be found for half the price at one of the on-line shops. I'm interested to hear some suggestions.

Thanks!

You've gotten some great advice from the other posters.

I'd highly recommend sticking to "just the basics" (wetsuit, mask, fins) until you are sure about what type of diving you'll be doing most... many of us have bought a full set of gear during or right after OW certification, only to learn it was not really what was best for the type of diving we enjoyed most, and ended up spending more money to "correct" our initial impulse buying mistakes

Welcome to diving, by the way!

 

[ReefHound]

Thanks for all the advice... I think we'll go into our dive shop and let them know off the bat we're thinking about buying on-line due to the pretty signficant savings. If they are able to cut as a deal, great, if not at least I can say I tried.

You could be making a mistake doing that. There are exceptions but many LDS owners are not very mature about dealing with customers who shop online. If they give you a balanced pros and cons of buying online they might be OK. If they give only a line of cons and downplay any savings then they are not telling you the whole story. Or worse, may be telling outright lies if they say you won't have a warranty or can't trust the gear you get. Some will get mad at the mere mention of online and some will even hold a grudge about it. It really is best if you can be open and honest as you want to be but feel them out first.