Downsides of being cheap, sharing examples

[rob.mwpropane]

Buy once, cry once applies to used as well. I’ve seen people buy cheap new crap and have to replace it when it broke soon or didn’t fit their needs, when used better quality would have been a much better decision.

Oh, agreed 100%... I feel like one should wait and get a real feel for what's out there before just buying crap.

 

[Cio]

There are no downsides to being cheap, if you think there are downsides, you aren't recognizing the value of character building.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

And on the tech class cost - the people I’ve seen stop cold because of cost could afford it, they just couldn’t get past paying that much for training. Guess they didn’t get the message that training for **** that could kill you costs a hell of a lot more for very good reason. My initial CCR class is $1600.

I guess that depends on the diver... if they're going for a cert then sure it's stupid expensive, but if they're going because it'll open up more diving or newer wrecks or just more bottom time then it starts to make a lot more sense and the cost is easier to stomach.

I see way too many people run through the "card collecting" phase and when the dust settles you're left with.... cards.

 

[Bubblesong]

Oh, agreed 100%... I feel like one should wait and get a real feel for what's out there before just buying crap.

i did this, researched and slowly bought stuff I am happy with. People I know with more money bought the whole outfit at once, and dove one summer before ending their expensive “fling”

 

[rob.mwpropane]

i did this, researched and slowly bought stuff I am happy with. People I know with more money bought the whole outfit at once, and dove one summer before ending their expensive “fling”

I love those people... that's who I get all my gear from. Without those people I'm not sure I could afford this obsession.

 

[scrane]

I start with cheap and then sort out value.

 

[VikingDives]

I can see that. I paid $500 for so so instruction. I am and always have been extremely comfortable in the water, so being under came fairly easy. I didn't need someone to hold my hand, I needed the piece of plastic so I could go figure it out. I know a lot of people that way.

I have also seen people freak out.. my wife, other people in my OW class. I can see how it's imperative that they get better 1 on 1 instruction. I do not have to be comfortable to be comfortable underwater (if that makes sense). My wife has to have all the pieces be perfect to feel comfortable under.. just 2 different types of people.

So maybe it boils down to how comfortable you are in the water... Idk. I'm not an instructor. I think that you're 50% return of customers speaks volumes about your shop... I highly doubt the shops around here see 15%...

I'm a lot like you. I've posted before about the absolute shitshow that was my OW course, but it didn't deter me. I just wanted to dive and get things figured out. My wife, on the other hand, learned that diving is a scary, out of control feeling or imminent death.

She learned everything that was bad - like "to reach the surface, I must inflate my bcd" - because she was so overweighted, and poorly taught. She did a few dives to humor me, and then gladly gave up for 20 years.

She finally decided to get back in the water after both my boys learned to dive. When she said she wanted to go dive, I took her back to the pool for a refresher and to teach her trim and buoyancy. Now she's the occasional warm water vacation diver.

The problem with teaching yourself, IMO, is the lack of objective feedback. You can think you're doing everything right, but someone else can find things that you could improve (that someone doesn't have to be an instructor, but it helps). A good instructor will have experience with the problem, so will probably have a few "tricks" to get you to improve.

When I did tech training, I knew that my trim and buoyancy were spot on, but day one with another instructor I found out that my head position was off. I'd learned to compensate, but having someone just point that out improved my diving.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I'm a lot like you. I've posted before about the absolute shitshow that was my OW course, but it didn't deter me. I just wanted to dive and get things figured out. My wife, on the other hand, learned that diving is a scary, out of control feeling or imminent death.

She learned everything that was bad - like "to reach the surface, I must inflate my bcd" - because she was so overweighted, and poorly taught. She did a few dives to humor me, and then gladly gave up for 20 years.

She finally decided to get back in the water after both my boys learned to dive. When she said she wanted to go dive, I took her back to the pool for a refresher and to teach her trim and buoyancy. Now she's the occasional warm water vacation diver.

The problem with teaching yourself, IMO, is the lack of objective feedback. You can think you're doing everything right, but someone else can find things that you could improve (that someone doesn't have to be an instructor, but it helps). A good instructor will have experience with the problem, so will probably have a few "tricks" to get you to improve.

When I did tech training, I knew that my trim and buoyancy were spot on, but day one with another instructor I found out that my head position was off. I'd learned to compensate, but having someone just point that out improved my diving.

I didn't even realize that my wife has a fear of water until this year... I'm so dumb, I really just never put 2 and 2 together.... but if everything isn't picture perfect she's just about always miserable. So far to date I've gotten her on 1 dive this year, and even then she came up 3/4 way through and surface swam the rest.

I am narrow minded when it comes to diving because of how I am, but I can 100% see your point about different people needing to be comfortable before enjoying it... I think in my head I was thinking one would be comfortable in the water, in love with it even, to want to scuba. Obviously that's not the case for everyone.

I feel a little differently about teaching yourself, at least to a degree. I feel like I can get myself 90% of the way there, and then maybe have someone come in and tweak things. I like to be by myself when I'm trying new things (in shallow water). I can move some weight, try more air / less air. Maybe with someone I might learn faster... who knows. Just seems like there's a lot more certs then skills that actually need certs. That's just my take... I know if you own a shop some of those are revenue, so I get it.

Edit: I would make a horrible instructor, lol

 

[Marie13]

For some situations, it’s really helpful to have another experienced person there. Especially things like sidemount, where there is so much gear tweaking needed, that it goes MUCH quicker with someone to help.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

For some situations, it’s really helpful to have another experienced person there. Especially things like sidemount, where there is so much gear tweaking needed, that it goes MUCH quicker with someone to help.

I can see SM being being the major thing that would need an instructor or at the very least a good mentor that know the ropes. I dove with someone who was in SM recently.. streamlined in the water, but man that was a lot of stuff to tweak.