Exploring new gear options

[Jsour01]

I am curious of how you guys go about picking new gear and where you get it from. I have been led to believe that Internet scuba gear is a major "no-no", but since the dive shop I went through to get certified is very small, with an extremely limited amount of stock and there is not any other dive shops close by, all I have to go off of is my dive instructor's opinion.

 

[BDSC]

There is nothing wrong with buying from the internet. Lots of folks do it with great success. Having said that, I do believe you should support your local dive shop when possible. I know one of my local dive shops will price match what you can find on-line or come very close to it. Close enough that paying an extra $50 or so for a BC from your LDS is money well spent in my opinion.

Out of curiosity, what brands does you LDS carry?

 

[Searcaigh]

See what other people are using, ask them questions about their gear, how good or bad it is etc.

I buy stuff from both online and LDS and also when I travel, certain things you need to buy direct from a shop as you need to try them on (e.g. wetsuits)

 

[Jsour01]

The shop carries Sherwood and Akona

 

[beaverdivers]

I am curious of how you guys go about picking new gear and where you get it from. I have been led to believe that Internet scuba gear is a major "no-no", but since the dive shop I went through to get certified is very small, with an extremely limited amount of stock and there is not any other dive shops close by,

I do believe that you should use due caution when dealing w/ the internet. However if you use a "trusted" source, then it can be an excellent option.

 

[BDSC]

The shop carries Sherwood and Akona

Kind of limiting in what they offer but overall I think Sherwood makes good stuff. I have their Wisdom computer and if it crapped out tomorrow I'd get another one in a heart beat. Love that computer. A lot of folks swear by their regs as well. So if you ended up with just Sherwood stuff you'd do OK. I dive with a lot of ScubaPro equipment but I think any major equipment company is going to put out a reliable product.

You can always rent of course and then when you take a trip somewhere, you could check out other gear and maybe give it a try. But if you do decide on Sherwood stuff, check out the prices you can find on the internet and then compare them with the prices at your LDS. At one time it seemed that when you bought from the internet, it was "gray market" stuff with no warranty or at least not the manufacturers warranty. Now a lot of mainstream brick and mortar dive shops sell on the internet. So you should be able to get a resonable idea what other regular dive shops can sell it to you for and then compare that to your LDS. I'd check out scubatoys.com.

 

[uncfnp]

I buy about 50/50 LDS vs internet. And if they sell it, the LDS will usually meet and occasionally beat online prices. Things that require regular servicing, like regs, I try to get locally. Other stuff, SMBs, lights, etc, I usually buy on internet because the local options are so limited. Fins, wetsuits, masks, etc I like to get through a shop but not always locally.

 

[SSpiffy]

You used that shop's rental stuff when you got certified, rent from a couple of other LDSs for a while so you can try other brands. If there are no other LDSs, there's an excuse for a little diving vacation.

If you have an active club there, there will probably be people who will let you try out different gear - offer to pay for their fill. You'll also get exposure to different diving styles and partners at the same time.

 

[Colliam7]

I am curious of how you guys go about picking new gear and where you get it from. I have been led to believe that Internet scuba gear is a major "no-no", but since the dive shop I went through to get certified is very small, with an extremely limited amount of stock and there is not any other dive shops close by, all I have to go off of is my dive instructor's opinion.

And what, may I ask, is your 'instructor's opinion' on this?

The shop carries Sherwood and Akona

That's it??? Seriously, I know you said it is 'very small', but that seems a bit more limited than reality would support. So, in your training - you used an Akona wetsuit and boots, and a Sherwood BCD and regulator? Maybe I am a little off on this one, but I am surprisedthat a shop would carry (only) two (major) brands, one of which is probably known more for gear bags than scuba kit. Still, if that is truly the case, those particular brands are not bad by any means. However, the available options within the product lines (I am thinking of the Sherwood BCDs in particular) may be somewhat limited.

Buying online is NOT a major "no-no". I buy a lot of used gear online, I buy hardware (bolt snaps, double enders, D-rings) in quantity online (at the suggestion of my LDS). And, yet, I am the consumate LDS 'loyalist' - everything 'new' comes from them, with the exception of specialty items they don't carry. I like supporting my LDS when possible, and it has paid off handsomely. But, I also like used gear, and they don't carry any. I appreciate the fact that you specified 'new'. But, I wouldn't limit myself.

 

[fjpatrum]

To put it bluntly, your instructor is wrong. When and where to buy gear is all a matter of opinion. Whether to buy new or used is similarly a matter of opinion. Personally, I don't buy new gear, except wetsuits and some accessories like cutting tools and SMBs (which I buy in my LDS just to support them). I support my preferred LDS with small purchases, air fills, and training. My last purchase was also a special order of parts so I could do my own servicing since they won't service most of my regs. (I do have one they will service but they have to send it out of house.)

I'm not made of money and as much as I'd like to support the shop with more direct purchases, I just can't justify paying the extra price. I've talked with them about price-matching and they simply can't get close enough on the items I buy new. They really can't compare to the things I buy used, which is almost everything that is actually high dollar value.

One of these days I might be able to schedule taking a trip with them, but so far I just haven't been able to swing the time when they've got trips scheduled.

EDIT: I'd also say with an LDS only carrying such a limited supply you're more or less forced to special order or buy elsewhere. If you just want to support your shop and don't care about price, special order through them. If price is an issue (or if your shop won't or can't match price) then you're pretty much forced to buy elsewhere.