How do you afford this sport?

[Diver0001]

Oh you're a banker, hey Bob....

There's probably a few things people would like to say to you in private..

R..

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I work as a waterjet operator and quality inspector. I also do home healthcare. My apt is 250 a month in a very good working class neighborhood. I drive 2003 GMC Envoy with less than 70K Miles. It's not paid for. I just bought a 2009 Kawasaki Vulcan 500. I have no kids at home and child support is done. My wife and I choose to travel and dive as opposed to owning a house. She also has an income. Supplemented by her casino winnings! It all comes down to priorities. Since certification I have helped out at a shop, DM'd, and now teach.As a result gear has always been at a discount or in many cases cost. I have not paid for air fills locally except trimix for nearly as long as I've been diving. The first two years I was certified I worked over 500 hours a year overtime at my primary job. All of that went to gear and travel. As a result I have all the gear I need and more. Still don't have the scooter but I'm working on it. Maybe under the new admin I'll come up with a scam, I MEAN PROGRAM, to get a grant from the new govt to buy student gear and some other necessities( ie SS-19, X-scoooter, or Gavin). Also teaching affords me the opportunity to do ALOT of local diving. It also allows me to get discounts on some trips. Many times resorts offer instructors/shops reduced rates as an enticement to send divers to them. Of course I have to check the place out first. I do not have many other hobbies. We are also big coupon and BOGO finders for dinners and entertainment. We belong to a conservatory that my wife likes to go to. 75 bucks a year and we go 8-10 times a year. Otherwise it's 12 per person. So we save money there. If one wants to do something they can. I can't afford Fiji but for the same money spread out I can do 2 N Carolina and 1 St Lawrence trip this year along with Jamaica for 4 days. And I'll be diving Jan 2nd and it'll cost me all of 20 bucks in gas.

 

[ryssyr]

It's really easy, here's what you do. . .

Risk everything you and your family have to start a business in a field you're not that familiar with (although I recommend you do it in a field you're familiar with). Then spend the next 12 years, taking no vacations, and doing nothing but working 18-20 hour days, everyday, to grow the business. If you do it right (and get a little lucky) you can then spend your time buying whatever equipment you need, to do whatever activity you want, wherever you want to do it.

See, doesn't that sound easy?!?!

you forgot to say 'rest, recycle, and do it all again'

... the # of years gets shorter everytime.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I've been working at the same low paying job for more than 31 years. I drive a 1994 Mazda pickup with 270,000 miles on it. I buy shoes every two years or so from Payless when they're on sale for less than $20. Eating out usually means hamburger. I haven't paid for a commercial dive boat trip since 2001. Most of my diving involves schlepping gear down a cliff or across sand. If I get the urge for a warm water trip I look at a scuba magazine and realize that I have more to see right here in my own backyard. And I love every minute I spend under water.

 

[boliver_69]

I used excess funds from my student loans to buy my equipment...

I am constantly on ebay looking at equipment.....
for smaller items such as bags and such it saves me a LOT of money.
For the 4 wetsuits I own, I paid less that $100 total for all of them.

I also have a great relationship with my LDS, they check out anything I buy for me, and give me advice on stuff I am looking at, without pushing me to buy from them. It gives me the freedom to truly comparison shop.

 

[Diver0001]

You know,

I just want to thank people for being so forthcoming about this issue. It's something that I think a lot of new divers think about but it doesn't get discussed much and I'm really surprised how open people are willing to be about it. I always thought that people would be a lot more reluctant to talk about their personal finances, and the choices they have to make, in public.

This thread has inspired me. I'll be taking this topic on in a very different light in my OW courses now, even shamelessly borrowing a couple of examples I read here.

R..

P.S. Psychocabbage, can you resize that big picture of yours to about 1/2 the size. My browser doesn't like you......

 

[vtxkev]

You know,

I just want to thank people for being so forthcoming about this issue. It's something that I think a lot of new divers think about but it doesn't get discussed much and I'm really surprised how open people are willing to be about it. I always thought that people would be a lot more reluctant to talk about their personal finances, and the choices they have to make, in public.

I have to agree with Diver0001 which is why I asked this question in the first place. From the answers everyone has given I have come to realize that maybe I will never go on a exotic trip to dive somewhere but thats fine by me because I like my 2006 f150, 2006 jeep grand cherokee, my new home (although leaving to move to Florida within the next year hopefully), my big screen tv, my computer, cell phone, going out to eat and everything else people decide to give up. I do it all on one salary and my wife gets to stay home with the 3-1/2 yr old and the 1 month old. So I assume to stick it out and when the kids go to school and she goes back to work we will have money for her to lay on the beach in Fiji while I dive. Only time will tell.

 

[Orsk]

I sold 3 more years of my life to the military and found the extra cash to get my gear. It also helped that I was dating one of the LDS employees so I got some of the best deals. Other than the initial cost of buying gear diving is fairly inexpensive for me. I don't have to go on fancy trips because I can have as much fun locally(although chilly) and save all of that for other stuff. I am however planning a honeymoon trip to the Caribbean which I'm sure will cost a bit. (Marrying that LDS employee ) So I guess for me it's just the cost of gas to get to whatever dive site I want.

 

[vladimir]

P.S. Psychocabbage, can you resize that big picture of yours to about 1/2 the size. My browser doesn't like you......

Hear, hear. Thanks, Diver0001.

Psychocabbage, I'm not sure what the threshhold is--perhaps 700 pixels--but I know that if you keep the width of pictures below 600 pixels, you will save readers the annoyance of having to scroll sideways to read each post. And then I can go back and read those 20 undoubtedly interesting posts, including yours.

 

[Jim Ernst]

You know,

I just want to thank people for being so forthcoming about this issue. It's something that I think a lot of new divers think about but it doesn't get discussed much and I'm really surprised how open people are willing to be about it. I always thought that people would be a lot more reluctant to talk about their personal finances, and the choices they have to make, in public.

This thread has inspired me. I'll be taking this topic on in a very different light in my OW courses now, even shamelessly borrowing a couple of examples I read here.

R..

P.S. Psychocabbage, can you resize that big picture of yours to about 1/2 the size. My browser doesn't like you......

Great post!!