More Expensive than I thought

[pjones]

If you own your own gear you will always have the cost of:

-Transport to and from the dive site (gas)
-tank fills ( air, nitrox or tri mix)
-tank maintenance (hydro and vis inspections)
-replacement of lost equipment (though you will probably find some to balance this cost)
-gear maintenance (reg services and BCD and Drysuit components)

But with those expenses come the simplicity of not having to rent and the experience which is totally worth it in my opinion.

My suggestion is to try some local diving in lakes or ocean (if you have that available to you). Boat diving and travel destinations are luxuries to most on here and by no means is it the only way to see cool stuff.

 

[RJP]

Seems I spend most of my money on dive gear and travel. The rest I just waste...

 

[buddhasummer]

Seems I spend most of my money on dive gear and travel. The rest I just waste...

Sounds very familiar. Except after the dive gear and travel I have none left to waste...

 

[Sabanist]

I spent 450 on the whole rig. Bc, tank, weights, wetsuit, octo, snorkel, mask, fins, knife, light

Not all at once mind you, but here and there on cl and scuba board

The certification prob cost 400 for ow and another 250 for adv (groupon)

Boat trips cost the most collectively, 60-80 per

But that is a luxury. Shore dives cost 10 bucks for a tank fill or rental and parking

 

[Wolfie]

First we should start with how much money you have to spend.... Then add in the Current Value of your lifetime earning potential........
There was a poster on another thread that was amazed that a flashlight could be $150. Then after it crapped out on a night dive he found out that a $750 light was a very good deal..... Once you really catch the bug it can be quite addicting...... quite often the cost is relative to your addiction..... You will know you are really hooked when you start looking into a scooter and rebreather

 

[Saxatilis]

Diving doesn't have to be expensive.
It's sort of similar to golf in that
it can get as costly as you allow it to.
Just wait 'til you decide to go Tech,
then you'll gain a whole new perspective.
Keep diving, Dive Safe.

AGREED.

***While reading this please keep in mind I realize I am fully addicted to SCUBA. For example, up till very recently my scuba gear was worth far more than my car... I mean seriously...

I really don't want to know how much I have spent on scuba especially during the last few years when I went over to the dark side (tech diving). How do I do it? Well, I sure as hell am not a rich man. I teach people how to swim for a living. I do work with my LDS as a Divemaster but its almost all volunteer work. Honestly, I started out just as you have. A beginning open water diver who has to rent a lot of gear and is slightly overwhelmed at the price of owning a "complete" kit of his own. The best solution is to just keep chipping away at it one piece at a time. Maybe since this year you spent a lot of money on gear already, just get a nice knife (the EZcut is my personal favorite). Next year get the exposure protection, the year after the tanks, etc. It took me THREE YEARS to build a kit good enough to start tech classes. I bought the training manual in 2007, started course the in 2010. In retrospect, this worked out in my favor because I used those three years to build up experience before taking the next big step. Fortunately, the training manual didn't change duriing that time !!!!

All in all just take your time, dive as much as you can comfortably afford, and enjoy yourself!!!

 

[August470]

Well so far for me is Ebay...

a bc that is 695 rtl, i picked up for 190. regs that would probably cost in the neighborhood of 600n i got for 200. and so on... i'm not certed yet but will be next month. i think im getting really good deals there. although i think when i take it in to get it checked out my lds they will do a good job looking it over.

 

[kimbalabala]

Well so far for me is Ebay...

a bc that is 695 rtl, i picked up for 190. regs that would probably cost in the neighborhood of 600n i got for 200. and so on... i'm not certed yet but will be next month. i think im getting really good deals there. although i think when i take it in to get it checked out my lds they will do a good job looking it over.

You might as well pay to have both serviced as if they've been in use for over a year. At the prices you got these items it will be well worth it. I love getting a good deal!

 

[drbill]

One does not need to spend a fortune to get good gear and dive. Unfortunately many enter the activity and leave all too quickly for whatever reason. Much of my gear acquired over 50 years on SCUBA has been second hand, bought from people who gave up. As a certified dive bum, I couldn't really afford new gear all the time. I'm very fortunate in having some pretty awesome shore diving (Catalina's Casino Point Dive Park) at my front doorstep so I don't need to spend a fortune doing boat dives or traveling to exotic locales. I realize most aren't so blessed, but it was a very conscious choice to live here on the island to enjoy the diving it affords. However, if I ever do win the lottery or earn my fortune selling my DVDs, etc., I'll be enjoying a lot more exotic dive travel! Until then I'm pretty happy diving right here at home (well, not today... it's windy and cold... which is why I'm spending so much time on SB this morning!).

 

[kmurray719]

Other posters are right that while scuba will never be cheap, gear doesn't have to be ridiculously expensive. If you are patient and willing to wait, you can find amazing deals on ebay, craigslist and close out specials and get other things as christmas/birthday presents. My rig:
7 mil Pinnacle Merino wetsuit--$275 on ebay by "make an offer" listing
7 mil step in vest--birthday gift
7 mil gloves, xmas present
Mares Avanti Quattros open heel fins, brand new in package, $29+$10 shipping on ebay
7mil boots, one pair bought myself, one pair xmas present
Halcyon backplate/wing/integrated weight pockets with hog harness $310 on ebay
Original BC I used: Sherwood Outback, almost new $125 on ebay+$25 for inspection, used it for 2 years
Sherwood blizzard w/octo and gauges bought used, $260 (I used this for a couple of years, now back-up)

Naturally I own about a bazillion other pieces of gear and accessories, but these are the major purchases. If you want to be economical, you don't need top-of-the-line models of everything or to buy everything new.

Sometimes pursuing things you want requires making choices about what really matters to you and what you can sacrifice. That applies when buying gear, and when looking at the expense of diving in general. I work in a field (early childhood education) that pays ridiculously low salaries, yet I've managed to find ways to be a very active diver locally and travel a bit. I don't have cable, I don't drive a fancy car, I live in a small apartment, I rarely eat out and I have a second job. Some people (non-divers in particular) think I'm a little nuts to make those sacrifices so that I can dive, but how many of those people can say they've seen dolphins in the wild, been in the center of a school of hammerhead sharks, snorkeled with a humpback whale and calf, watched the grace of stingrays and eagle rays, watched turtles eat sponges, seen crabs mating, and had dolphins swim circles around them under water? I have no idea exactly how much money I've spent on dive gear, air fills, or travel. I don't think I want to know. But I have met so many amazing people and had so many awe inspiring experiences diving that I don't regret a single penny of it. Let other people have their fancy cars, big houses etc....I'll keep my dive buddies and irreplaceable memories, thank you very much