Costco Scuba Gear

[Uncle Pug]

I should not have said LDS/Costco...
I should have said LDS/mail order...
I confused my competitors... sorry

I Don't like the idea of using the LDS to try things on and then buying mailorder....
However....

You can go try things on at Costco....
And you can take them back easier than to the LDS....

But...
I don't like the idea of buying from Costco to things use rent free and then taking it back....

Just treat others the way you would want to be treated.

 

[Hawk]

When you buy equipment from Costco you are not getting any less quality than you do at your LDS. The items that are for sale there such as the IDI equipment are directly sold to you from the manufacturer and come with all of the warrentees. If you decide to order a Nekton 2000 from Costco online, it will be shipped directly to you from IDI. Costco is only acting as an agent for the companies that it represents. You may very possibly be able to get better quality gear this way since you can get a higher grade of equipment for the same price that you would pay for cheap stuff at a shop. If you want my opinion on this BC , check under a thread labled "IDI Nekton 2000" in the BC section.




Later, Hawk.

 

[DawgPaddle]

Thanks Hawk, I read the whole thread and much appreciate the info. I would like to have a first hand look at the sizes though. The advert (Costco) states that a size large begins at waist size 39 but want to verify that....I'm a 36 and consider that large but again, I am new to this scuba thing so perhaps large means larger.

Thanks again Hawk...

DawgPaddle

ilot:

Originally posted by Hawk
When you buy equipment from Costco you are not getting any less quality than you do at your LDS. The items that are for sale there such as the IDI equipment are directly sold to you from the manufacturer and come with all of the warrentees. If you decide to order a Nekton 2000 from Costco online, it will be shipped directly to you from IDI. Costco is only acting as an agent for the companies that it represents. You may very possibly be able to get better quality gear this way since you can get a higher grade of equipment for the same price that you would pay for cheap stuff at a shop. If you want my opinion on this BC , check under a thread labled "IDI Nekton 2000" in the BC section.




Later, Hawk.

 

[Hawk]

Costco has "special events" in which they have the gear at the store, other shops may also carry this gear so that you can try it. You can also call IDI directly and ask them if you have any size questions. I found the people there to be very helpfull. I bought most of my gear from my favorite shop (350 miles away) since the local one here in central Oregon is not too good of a place. The BC and my reg set (also from IDI, the Osprey) I bought from costco. I see nothing wrong with this and am extremely happy with both. Good luck, whichever route you decide to go.





Later, Hawk.

 

[schwa99x]

I know Uncle Pug is not a fan of IDI so you have to decide on reputation and not business philosphies of distribution.

IDI has been around for 25 years.
They always have great reviews in Rodales...and do not do a lot of advertising in SCUBA DIVING magazine.

Everyone went nuts when SCUBA gear started being sold on the Internet (IDI was the first to allow it.) and now most Mfgs allow selling over the Internet.

Support my local dive store? You bet! I spend several hundred dollars a year with my shop. Buy my Regs and BC from them? Nope...looked at reviews, talked to divers, and looked at prices at shops and the web. Made my own choices.

I bought a IDI Nekton BC and Seaira Titanium/Brass Airtec reg with a Genisis Resource Computer. I have tried Mares, Dacor, Oceanic...they are all good gear...but I am thrilled with ,my IDI equipment...it has performed better than other gear that I have owned at less cost.


It is good to look at my feedback, Uncle Pugs, comments, etc...just buy the equipment that you feel fits you and will perform at the level of diving that you will be doing most.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by schwa99x
I know Uncle Pug is not a fan of IDI

Well now!
I'll have you know that I take two pieces of IDI gear on every dive... love em... wouldn't dive with out them...

 

[schwa99x]

Uncle Pug

My apologies. I stand corrected. (Good lesson to show that you should never make blanket assumptions.)

 

[CCDeep]

costco is more like a mail order operation than a retail operation. They have very low overhead costs, more comparable to the mail order's warehouse than an LDS. No one will help you when you are looking at the BC's, they will just be on a rack. You might as well be reading the ingredients on a 2 gallon can of soup as trying on a BC.

I think you are unlikely to find that BC at your LDS. A friend of mine bought an IDI BC at costco a few years ago. Assuming (and this is a big assumption) that they are selling the same BC now, I'd avoid it just because it's such a cheap BC. My buddy's has all 1" nylon webbing on all the straps, even the suspenders that take all the weight, and it has a really light nylon for the body. Most BC's use 2" web. The 1" webbing itself is strong enough, but there just isn't much meat there to get stitching through, and the light nylon in the BC body ends up taking a big load in a small area.

I've got no problem with a cheap basic BC without a lot of features, but - if this is the same bc my buddy has - it is so cheap that it's practically disposable. My buddy's has held up, but he doesn't dive much, I think it has a dozen dive days on it. I'd consider one if I were going on a warm water dive trip with light al 80's since it would be cheaper than renting for a week or two, but I'm not sure I would bring it back with me, I'd give it to the divemaster as a tip.

In addition to what people are saying about buying good life support equipment, I'd add that if you want to buy any gear that lasts, look around and pay for quality. This is not a knock against IDI, just against that one bc, and even then, I could be wrong, this could be a different bc.

 

[wch]

The IDI has got "tester's choice" by Rodales.
http://www.scubadiving.com/gear/2001gear/2001bcs.shtml
Hope that helps.
Where to buy? What a can of worms! The idea that if I pay twice as much for a Scubapro MK25 at my LDS vs DiveInn online will get me a safer piece of "Life Support" equipment doesn't make any sense. Unless the Mk25 my shop sells is made differently.
LDS's are like any retail business, they must offer their goods and services at a fair price. I think what is wrong with the system is that maufacturer's are forcing the shops to sell at MSRP. The manufacturer's should set their wholesale price, and let the individual business owners set their own retail. It would be better to make a smaller precentage and make the sale than lose it all together.
I wouldn't mind paying a little more to shop local, but the difference many times is just too great.
My 2 cents.
Bill

 

[The Chairman]

I want to see this! But I went to www.costco.com and typed in scuba, and it came up with zilch. Give us a web page to go to. I agree with UP... You shouldn't use the LDS as a remote "try it on" station, only to buy it more cheaply on line. Even if the service is bad (which it is not at my LDS), you should support them unless you want fewer options and nowhere to try the gear on.