Downsides of being cheap, sharing examples

[Tracy]

Do you put rec fuel in your boat or E85?

Neither during the season. It runs on 87 all summer. I will switch to rec fuel next week in whitefish and finish the season on rec fuel for winter storage.

 

[Tracy]

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

Yes, but in her defense, I liked my 20 year old suit until I couldn't keep it semi dry any more.

 

[CathyE]

My mask leaks.
It is my third $150 mask that still leaks. I am not inclined to fork out more money so I put up with it.
It only leaks when I turn my head to look for my buddy (husband). I have decided he can look for me.

 

[brsnow]

Biggest downside of being cheap is people think you are a cheapass

 

[Quikster]

I wonder if you took a diver that paid for good instruction and one that paid for crap instruction... waited for both to have 100 dives under their belt in recreational gear if the 1st would still be better than the other? Honest question. I wonder if it's the instruction... or time underwater that makes a good diver. I'm sure instruction has some to do with it, at least in the beginning... but there's something about taking the training wheels off and just seeing what works (for me). I learn better hands on.

Having time underwater after class did far more for me than any in class instruction... they even said it at the end of OW... "this is a license to go practice"

(this is not at all directed at you or meant to be offensive towards your shop... just talking)



"Inexpensive" doesn't seem to offend people and stir the pot as much as the C word does, lol.

I always ask myself "will this piece of gear get me to dive more.... or is it just a want?"

While if both make it to 100 dives they might be the same, what is the chance of them making it to even 10 dives good instructor vs bad?

I would imagine many of the students that have bad instruction give up due to more struggling and issues then if they had had a little more care and information early along the way to get them on a good track for a lifetime of enjoyment

 

[Boarderguy]

While if both make it to 100 dives they might be the same, what is the chance of them making it to even 10 dives good instructor vs bad?

I would imagine many of the students that have bad instruction give up due to more struggling and issues then if they had had a little more care and information early along the way to get them on a good track for a lifetime of enjoyment

Many only dive on vacation. Renting gear cost $75-100 per day for a single tank and $20 more for the second dive. That gets cost prohibitive and deters a lot. The rental cost is why I have 8 tanks in rotation for my wife and me. I hate throwing $10 per dive away since a fill is only $10. Fills are free if I ever get around to getting another C-card from them.

 

[Marie13]

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

It violated the number one rule of diving which is “look cool.” Very hard to look cool when all your bolt snaps are rusting.

 

[kaylee_ann]

It violated the number one rule of diving which is “look cool.” Very hard to look cool when all your bolt snaps are rusting.

Yeahhhh I don’t think anyones gonna wanna dive with a dude with that setup…

 

[Catito]

We all want the best value for our money, but over years of diving and reading Scubaboard, I can think of so many times cheapness leads to a net total negative, and even danger and death.

My example is I did not want to face not fitting my wetsuit, did not want to pay for another one. However, squeezing into a suit two sizes too small for TWO YEARS(!) was making me miserable-why the heck did I wait so long? Cheap cheap cheap.

Well, what I dislike are divers who are so cheap that they don’t tip the crew or tip cheaply. I am not part of a crew…but to me that is pathetic. Everyone should be paid for their services (if normal to great service is provided).

 

[ibj40]

How about having to pay an extra $1 USD for a cab ride at a dive destination that you paid $2,500 to be there?