Downsides of being cheap, sharing examples

[Bubblesong]

So true! I'm not sure if I'm the cheapest SOB on this board... but I've got to be pretty close!

And I'll go against the grain a little... there's a HUGE difference between finding good gear used at a nice discount vs buying crap. I haven't really bought any "crap" and I've been pretty happy with all my gear purchases (drysuit seems to be shrinking... but that's a different story!).

I've spent less than $10K to get all 5 of my family members certified, all outfitted for cold water, all have their own reg sets, loads of tanks, and a compressor to boot. Not too shabby.

That is $2K per person to get outfitted, so we’ll chosen, it is a good investment. I have bought the good stuff too, at first, but my issue is knowing when it is time to replace it. I hung on to that Spleen Squishing Suit way too long!

 

[runsongas]

buying a used liquivision because it had great stats on paper (trimix! ccr! oled!) and was only 150 bucks. screen is practically unreadable now due to fading and has battery issues half the time.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I think it totally depends on the diver. I took a "less expensive" OW course that, while covering the essentials, was definitely light in some areas. This actually motivated me to study more after the course, both books and online, and also motivated me to take further classes with different instructors, and continue to practice skills in my local quarry dives. A different person might not do as much follow-up work, and might not improve their skills much.

It absolutley does, at least in my opinion. But lets say there's 2 types of divers.. vacation divers and passionate divers (for lack of a better word). I wonder if you took 2 "passionate" divers and did what I said.. what would they look like after 100 dives say in the 1st ~ 3 years after OW?

I really don't know.. I'm sure the better instructed student would have an easier 1st 10-20 dives.. but after that? I'm really not sure.

Passionate Diver: (to me); someone who is passionate about diving, dives as often as they can. They live this stuff.
Vacation Diver: (to me); someone who gets the card and dives 2-3 times a year.

(there is a LOT of grey in between, and not all people learn the same way so I don't think we'll ever really know the answer to that question)

That is $2K per person to get outfitted, so we’ll chosen, it is a good investment. I have bought the good stuff too, at first, but my issue is knowing when it is time to replace it. I hung on to that Spleen Squishing Suit way too long!

The damn drysuit will be the next thing to replace. I have been happy with the used neo suit I have, I've learned a TON diving it, and it opened up my diving to be all year and not be cold... but it's getting to that point where I want to be able to get the thing on myself and not have a back zip... if there was ONE huge regret I have it would be the back zip!!

 

[Robert H. Diver]

Training. There have been a number of posts with people asking about the cheapest OW course.

I’ve seen people want to cheap out on stuff that seemed weird at the time, but I can’t remember the specifics.

Right?! I mean I don’t want to have to take out a loan to take a course…but I definitely don’t want to cheap out on life saving training.

 

[Bigbella]

In the late nineties, my former business partner could not resist some loss leader that a local dive shop had offered during a Memorial Day Sale: an Oceanic P.O.S., I believe, whose plastic casing had developed hairline cracks, within months, near the attachment point for the hose. There may even have been a later recall.

During the course of a forty meter dive, the second stage just detached from the hose; came right off in his hand, with the LP hose whipping around.

He wound up using my octopus, which he had derided me for purchasing -- called me "pussy" at the time -- since he rarely used one; was terribly old school — and was quiet as the dead about it, afterwards . . .

 

[RyanT]

I really don't know.. I'm sure the better instructed student would have an easier 1st 10-20 dives.. but after that? I'm really not sure.

I agree, in particular if, after OW, there is some decent mentoring along the way!

 

[Marie13]

I hear you. Both of my wife's rebreathers were purchased new. All of mine were used. Up until a few years ago, I don't think there was a single piece of kit I used that was purchased new. I have always been in the "Built, not bought" camp.

And didn’t she also get a new drysuit while you were diving a 20 year old used one?

 

[Marie13]

Specially with dive equipment I always follow “buy once cry once” motto, however I always buy cheapest bolt snaps

I’ve seen at least one SM diver who did their tank rigging and tank bungees with bolt snaps and other stuff from the hardware store. That crap was rusting!

 

[kaylee_ann]

I’ve seen at least one SM diver who did their tank rigging and tank bungees with bolt snaps and other stuff from the hardware store. That crap was rusting!

that sounds like a catastrophic failure waiting to happen....

 

[FF / EMT]

I hear you. Both of my wife's rebreathers were purchased new. All of mine were used. Up until a few years ago, I don't think there was a single piece of kit I used that was purchased new. I have always been in the "Built, not bought" camp.

Do you put rec fuel in your boat or E85?