Cheap Bastard Divers

[jupitermermaid]

What is it about scuba diving that brings the cheap bastards out of the woodwork?:365:

Compare diving to a few other recreational sports:

Biking. Either road or mountain biking.
Golf
Skiing/snowboarding
Motorcycling/Road/dirt/ATV
Snowmobiling
Waterskiing/wakeboarding
Horseback riding
Kayaking
Hunting

It is far less expensive to be outfitted with high end scuba diving equipment than it is to be similarily outfitted with equipment for any of the above sports. I seldom hear people griping about the cost of those other sports.

Why do people get so uptight about the inherent costs associated with diving? :cussing:
People are almost violent when it comes to how much they HAD to pay for Nitrox or a new wetsuit, or for a logbook! Everyone is trying to rip them off. The equipment and education associated with diving are designed to keep you alive and help with a comfortable and enjoyable experience.
Most of the equipment, with the exception of helmets, associated with the other sports is purely for performance and status, and rarely do people gripe about it.

Have I accurately observed this, or have I been sniffing too much glue?

Other than biking, I don't do much of the others mentioned above. I used to ski, but torn ligaments put me out of that game. I never paid as much for either of them as I do for diving since I didn't (don't) participate in them as often as I do in diving. But let's look at other costs I can compare them to:

Psychiatrist once a month: $100 per visit
Drugs shrink Rx's: $130 per month (insurance co-pays)
Psychologist to discuss stress level $50 per visit (once a week)

Total cost: $430 month (with no relief or pleasure involved)

Diving: $50 per two tank boat dive once a week
$20 per two tank nitrox fills
$20 tip for good crew
$20 for brew/food after dive

If I go once a week, Total cost = $440 month
Cost of pleasure, peace of mind, not needing therapy or drugs: PRICELESS

Conclusion: Diving wins hands down. Who's complaining?????i

 

[HakoFugu]

Well, I think it's all a matter of context, isn't it? Completely subjective, both in terms of how we assign value and in what we choose as our sports/hobbies, and how it all fits into our specific circumstances, financial and otherwise? I've seen a lot of laundry lists in this thread, comparing this or that, each with differing results based on the goal of the author of each post. There's a lot of variability from person to person. So I can speak only for myself.

I'm a cyclist and diver. In my home country, the USA, I was a mountain biker. Here in Japan, I road bike. I can ride everyday with no further investment beyond the initial cost of my modest but dependable bike, other than parts for regular maintenance and the occasional new cycling clothes. I don't have to factor cycling into my monthly budget. It's literally unlimited.

But my diving, even with all of my gear bought and paid for, has to be budgeted every month. It's severely restricted. I live smack-dab in the middle of Japan.... literally as far from the ocean as you can be on Honshu. So my dive buddies and I face a three-to-four-hour drive to any dive site. Don't know how familiar you folks are with Japan, but most long-distance access is over toll roads. Gas in Japan is about 180 yen/liter (about $6.50/gal). Then there are the dive sites themselves. Outside of Okinawa (which is a long and expensive trip from where I live), we don't get to just park on the beach and jump in. Most Japanese divers would never dream of diving without a guide, so the independent diving infrastructure which we enjoy in the States just doesn't exist here. Beaches are owned and controlled by the fishermen, with full official and legal support, so there are fees fees fees. Aside from these diving-specific costs, everything in Japan is just expensive as hell, so you can count on anything you do taking large bites out of your wallet. It's not something I spend much time complaining about. It's just something all of us who live here and dive have to deal with. My budget allows me to log four to six dives a month. There's no way around it.

And I love every friggin' dive. :-D

Now these are only my own circumstances, and obviously vary wildly from those of anyone else, whose circumstances, in turn, vary wildly from any other given person's. So when someone complains about the expense of whatever the topic may be, remember they may be in a vastly different situation than yours.

But as far as diving is concerned, we all do it, we all love it, and we all manage. So dive on, brothers and sisters!

 

[kathydee]

Here's a cheap way to dive: get and cancel frequent flyer cards from united or continental for 3 years and you will be rewarded with a very cheap air ticket to SE Asia (Kuala Lumpur is best) Switch to Air Asia (book tickets 3-4 months early) and probably fly for $30 per flight. For $6 lodging & breakfast and $15 per dive/with gear rental you can shore dive in Bali to your hearts content.

Or shack up with 12 other people in Sipadan Malaysia for $3 per night including breakfast and dive for $30US per dive (think they offer DM intern slave deals too). Also visit couchsurfing.com or pack a tent for free lodging.

My rock climbing gear retail was $10,000. (50% off for pro deal)
My mountain bike retail was $2,400 (50% off for pro deal)
My ski equipment costs at least $1,500
New to Diving so investing soon:
My strategy - the best for safety (reg/computer/probably mask) used gear/off brands for the rest.

If diving had a set cost - I'd invest, but I agree with wayward son. It's the repetitive cost that are annoying.

 

[Jan Kruger]

I had no problem with paying for my scuba gear at all.I do have a problem with being exploited by entrepeneurs owning the accommodation sites at various dive spots. We find that the actual dive costs us relatively much ,so we would prefer to be able to pitch our own tents at the dive centres or dive sites rather than to have to stay in luxury and pay high prices for that.I would rather dive as much as possible , and as often as possible , than to stay somewhere in some luxurious mansion and have to use some of my 'Diving money ' for that.

Walk into any big diving shop here and all they do is to try and impress you with the size and luxury of their coastal accommodation and how 'Very economical ' the cost for staying there is !

I am a diver and i want to dive - don't always rip us off !

 

[h90]

What is it about scuba diving that brings the cheap bastards out of the woodwork?:365:

Compare diving to a few other recreational sports:

Biking. Either road or mountain biking.
Golf
Skiing/snowboarding
Motorcycling/Road/dirt/ATV
Snowmobiling
Waterskiing/wakeboarding
Horseback riding
Kayaking
Hunting

It is far less expensive to be outfitted with high end scuba diving equipment than it is to be similarily outfitted with equipment for any of the above sports. I seldom hear people griping about the cost of those other sports.

Why do people get so uptight about the inherent costs associated with diving? :cussing:
People are almost violent when it comes to how much they HAD to pay for Nitrox or a new wetsuit, or for a logbook! Everyone is trying to rip them off. The equipment and education associated with diving are designed to keep you alive and help with a comfortable and enjoyable experience.
Most of the equipment, with the exception of helmets, associated with the other sports is purely for performance and status, and rarely do people gripe about it.

Have I accurately observed this, or have I been sniffing too much glue?

bike both street and mountain can be very cheap....much cheaper than scuba

 

[Hoomi]

Hoomi's Axiom: There are some people who will complain no matter what. If they make it to heaven, they will complain that there is nothing to complain about.

I figured long ago that in some cases, complaining is done because the person just thinks it's what is expected of them. This seems to be especially true when it comes to spouses; get a group of men together or a group of women together, and it's like a game to see who can voice the worst complaint about the person they're married to. It's such an entrenched practice that I truly wonder if most of the complaints aren't embellished just to add to the "mine is worse than yours" value.

In other cases, I think complaints are the most superficial attempt to find a default common ground with someone without revealing too much of our personal selves. It's a pretty safe bet that if I'm unhappy with the cost of something, that other people are as well, and we have a shallow conversation about it to fill the otherwise awkward silence.

And, of course, there are those who just really are cheap bastards.

 

[ScubaSteve]

And, of course, there are those who just really are cheap bastards.

Excellent post but I must say that the ending was the best.

 

[SkipperJohn]

I had no problem with paying for my scuba gear at all.I do have a problem with being exploited by entrepeneurs owning the accommodation sites at various dive spots. We find that the actual dive costs us relatively much ,so we would prefer to be able to pitch our own tents at the dive centres or dive sites rather than to have to stay in luxury and pay high prices for that.I would rather dive as much as possible , and as often as possible , than to stay somewhere in some luxurious mansion and have to use some of my 'Diving money ' for that.

Walk into any big diving shop here and all they do is to try and impress you with the size and luxury of their coastal accommodation and how 'Very economical ' the cost for staying there is !

I am a diver and i want to dive - don't always rip us off !

DING!
I think that's it in a nut shell. Sure I have no problem supporting my LDS, but I do have a problem getting ripped off by him or anyone else. Some days I roll out of bed and wonder who's hand I will find in my pocket and how much they will get.

I am also a cigar aficionado... There isn't a cigar my local tobacconist sells that I cant get cheaper on the net. But if his prices are not above retail, I buy form him. In return he gives me deals, friendship/conversation, contacts, hard to get items, invites to events, etc. I assume it will be similar with my dive shop (which is around the corner form my tobacconist!)

 

[GrandpaScuba]

Wow. 27 pages.
Like the chicken farmer said: Talk is cheep!

 

[tomboyy]

then you have more moneyy than sense . . . .fool

Thats nice... you'll fit in good around here

Or perhaps he is wise and checked out the
cost to own and maintain a compressor/fill station.

Unless you have a compressor and everything
needed to accomplish the filling of your tanks.
I would suggest that you support your LDS as well.

I routinely pay more for items through my LDS in order
to insure that I can get fills and equipment serviced.

There are many dive shops in my area.(Tampa, Florida)
But, only one that I trust with my life support gear,
& to fill my tanks without contaminating them.

Since I'm not quite ready to invest in a compressor,tanks for a bank, and a manifold/regulator set-up. I'll continue to pay more for things and support my LDS.
Just my 2%

I don't give my LDS every purchase. I did purchase my life support system from them along with quite a few other things. That being said, somethings are just to pricey there. Supporting my LDS comes with small benefits, an occasional free fill, and take the last time in there, they gave me the stoppers ( for a better word) when I needed to remove my octo on my first stage.. gave me extras and some O-rings and then I got a tank to check a leak in the pool and kept it for a week and never used it so they gave me credit.