How much that the LDS tells me can I believe?

[Web Monkey]

Example, the new AL Micro Mask is priced at 115 dollars at the LDS, LP it is 65 dollars. That is an expensive mask, LP lists many completely adequate dive masks for 30 dollars. Jets, again, 65 dollars, you should have been able to get Jets, a mask and snorkel for no more than 125 dollars maybe with some cheap fin socks. Dry snorkels are useless for scuba. Just get a simple J tube, you will rarely use it and it will work fine when you do. I see them for five bucks on ebay all the time or even 99 cents.
N

That's all easy to say, however as with everything else, the answer is "it depends". My old SCUBAPro tri-view mask cost me something like $100, but it was the only one I found that fit and didn't leak.

Sure, jets are cheap, and a lot of people like them, however I have a bad knee and am crippled for 2 or 3 days after using them. A pair of $200 Twin-Jets fixed that.

Snorkels are a different story. I'd go for both. The cheap rubber J tube is great to roll up and jam into a pocket for the time the snorkel-police won't let you in the water, but the dry snorkel is really nice for snorkeling. Sure, you can just clear the jtube when water runs down it, but it's nicer to not have to.

If you're happy with the $125 package, that's great, but you can't just tell everybody that bought more expensive stuff that they were robbed.

Terry

 

[Trixxie]

If you're happy with the $125 package, that's great, but you can't just tell everybody that bought more expensive stuff that they were robbed.

Terry

I 2nd that.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Considering this is our first time ever doing this, it's hard to say whether we'll decide to actually go diving up here in the frigid north or if we'll stick to warmer southern waters, whether we'll be deep divers or just want to stay at shallower depth and check out gorgeous fish in the tropics. Until then, rentals are fine with me, so long as they come from reputable shops.

Since the others have addressed the actual topic of the thread I'm going to momentarily wander off on a tangent attached to this little subject

It's not actually "frigid" up here even though some people in the local shops like to insist it is You'll have fun on your Florida trip, I'll have my students from the university in the same area at about the same time. Once you're certified make sure you try out the local diving, both at Natural Springs which the shop usually uses (if it's the shop I think it is) and at Gilboa, White Star and Portage quarries.

You can find water in Ohio in late summer and early fall that's warmer than the water you'll do your check-outs in I always laugh when my students go to rent wetsuits from the LDS in November for Ohio check-outs and get told they are going to freeze and their instructor is crazy. Ok, maybe they got the crazy part right but we do all sorts of things to keep the students from freezing and make sure they have a great time. The water isn't the problem in November, it's the unpredictable weather and we have the technology to deal with that :14:
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[ReefHound]

Well $350 on a Mask, fins snorkel, is not uncommon....It all depends on what you buy...We have masks at $150....Now that mask has anti-fog, tru-view lens, and color correcting lens....so your getting your money worth, but its still a $150 mask....Flip Fins start at $240.....Dry snorkels can be $45.....Or you can walk out the door paying $100 for a set....It all depends on what you pick...You cant just say that $350 is high for a Mask, Fins, Snorkel....without knowing what it is

I can say that $350 for m/f/s is high even if that is the going rate for certain gear because few new divers *need* that kind of gear. There are people who have the income where paying $50 or $150 for a mask isn't worth the time to think about but the OP in this case has made clear they were not those people. Dropping $700 on m/f/s and another $750 on a BC (also ridiculous) has precluded them from completing their kit. They have been oversold on some components and their budget has been depleted prematurely.

The problem with the LDS in question isn't that they have high end gear at a high end price, but that they push it hard onto people who cannot afford it and do not need it.

 

[jefffalcone]

I agree scuba gear is expensive but despite people not believing this, it's the manufacturers that set retail price - it's called MAP or MSRP. Some will let you sell below that set price and others will pull their line from your store if you do. The LDS should not make you feel guilty if you have already purchased items at their store, that is not a good way to treat your customers. We like our customers to buy their gear from us, of course. That is the store's lifeline. We make little profit on classes or trips. The online buying is good in some aspects for the consumer but not for the shops. If the shops go away due to lack of sales where are you going to get training, air fills, equipment worked on etc? Some on line retailers will work on your stuff but do you know them like you know the folks at your LDS? Plus you have to ship it out wait..wait..wait for them to ship it back and hope it doesn't get lost in the process. A customer dropped his computer off yesterday to have a battery replaced and viola, it's ready for him to pick up today. try that with an online retailer....

This is a touchy subject on the board, you'll soon find out

The prices she quotes are well above MAP. $750 for a BC that has a MAP around $500!!! This particular LDS is way out of line. There are plenty of shops out there with competitive prices.

 

[aaron9876]

Those prices are ridiculous; all the LDSs in my area (San Diego) sells the Legend LX Supreme (the most expensive one) for $650, and I see lots of fins (most of them) for less than $100, and a few masks (including mine, which has never leaked a drop of water in 20 dives) for less than $30. The only regs I've seen for $1000 or more are titanium ones, and the only computers in that range were air-integrated watch-style ones. (both complete overkill IMO) Personally I'd not buy a reg or computer online without reading all the warranty fine print, especially for computers since I've read so many failure stories on this board where the failed computer was replaced under warranty with no problem. I'd buy a wetsuit online any day (though I've tried on many wetsuits and know every size small fits me). I don't recall seeing a wetsuit at any LDS for much more than $500 anyway, and most were much cheaper than that.

I didn't even think of buying gear until I'd been on a dive trip, and I'm still working on gear buying (been certified about 1 year). What I've found to be very effective in getting deals is do lots of homework on gear and ask very specific questions to the LDS, then leave and think about it for awhile. The LDS will know they can't sell to you easily

 

[ReefHound]

If you're happy with the $125 package, that's great, but you can't just tell everybody that bought more expensive stuff that they were robbed.

Terry

They were "robbed" in that they were never offered an opportunity to see or try a $125 package. They were systematically guided towards the high end models in a store that only carries high end products. I'm not saying they were overcharged, I'm saying they were oversold.

 

[Coalcracker]

Recently, while in NYC, I took a friend from PA into the Leisure Pro store. He is starting a class with a private instructor. He has some gear already that he inherited from his brother. He needed his own mask, fin, and snorkel. We walked out of Leisure Pro with a Cressi Reaction fin and a Cressi mask and snorkel package for just under $110.00. Everything fit fine and the price was right.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

They were "robbed" in that they were never offered an opportunity to see or try a $125 package. They were systematically guided towards the high end models in a store that only carries high end products. I'm not saying they were overcharged, I'm saying they were oversold.

ITs not up to the store to offer everything for a consumer....its up to the consumer to find different choices. Not all shops have a wide variety, Im not saying they shouldnt...but you cant go to a High End TV Shop and be mad that you overpaid on a Samsung TV...when you could have gone to CIrcuit City and got a Sony Cheaper.....Would I then get mad at the High End shop for not offering different choices? We sometimes think that the Scuba Industry is different than others.....its not

Again, Im not in favor of the shop, it seems they did charge more than they should have and they are out of line FORCING equip on the students....but some of the points made against LDSs are just rediculous

 

[Divedoggie]

It not a question of LDS or online. Its a question of being treated fairly.

I teach diving at a University which contracts me through a local dive shop. We require that each student own their own mask, fins and snorkel. 3 packages are offered through the shop. These packages are discounted to about 40% below msrp. If you want a custom package, which is any mask, snorkel, and fins available in the shop, then you get a 15% discount. The prices are equal to or better than Scubatoys and other online shops.
However, they are not required to purchase from us. If they want to borrow their's mom's gear for the class, its no problem. The important thing is the educational experience.

Each student can rent a wetsuit, or purchase. We have nice 3mm full suits for as little as $120.

All of the gear that we sell can be returned or exchanged if it doesn't fit properly. We value our college students, and they value the shop because they are treated fairly.

Everyone likes a good deal. I will pay a little more for convenience, instant gratification, service, proper fit, etc.
No one likes to feel ripped off. Whether you are buying a car, a bike, golf clubs, scuba gear, or lunch, you want value for your money.