Need to orient myself

[shugar]

hi guys,

this is to sate my curiosity plus allow me to get a perspective to better understand what other people are posting and where they come from when they post...

my question is: in your country/state/city/community where is/are the Local Dive Shops located? how far away from where you live? is dive equipment available where you live? do you have to go to another city or state to get dive gear?

and: do you have to own you own tank where you live? is dive site equal to dive resort in your area? is dive resort/operator equal to dive stuff sales where you come from/ where you dive?

the reason i ask is there are stuff that confuse me when i've been reading through other's posts... there are some that say it's better to get stuff at an LDS so you can get tank fills... others want to have an LDS contact in another state to buy stuff from... many seem to rely on online dive equipment sales...

need input here to clarify myself on the context of how diving is for you where you live...

in the philippines, manila at least (and other major cities where most divers reside), the LDS are right smack in the middle of the metropolis, no where close to any body of water worth mentioning... some dive shops along dive areas sell equipment but mostly quick-replacement stuff (snorks, masks, accessories, lights, suits) rather than the whole slew of stuff... usually also their selection is very limited and not often as a result of a dealership for a certain brand (e.g. mares, cressi, etc.)

also, not many divers own tanks here as it's sooo much more convenient to get tanks and fills where you dive (tanks, air and weights are inclusive in all dive rates)... not to mention it cuts down on a lot of maintenance concerns and weight when traveling

i'm relatively new to most of this so i don't know how the world blows their bubbles

Jag

 

[Kayla]

Alright, let me take a shot at this!


MY LDS is about 10 miles or so from here, but it is in another city. Its nothing close to a dive resort, but they have lots of gear, and there great people, great service, etc.

Between my dad and I, I think that we probably own 10 tanks or so total.... I would have to drive over there and count to be for sure. We don't have to go very far to get them filled... so its no big deal, and I would rather own my own, just because I know that they have been taken care of.


Did I forget anything???



Kayla :dazzler1:

 

[shugar]

Between my dad and I, I think that we probably own 10 tanks or so total.... I would have to drive over there and count to be for sure. We don't have to go very far to get them filled... so its no big deal, and I would rather own my own, just because I know that they have been taken care of.
Did I forget anything???

i'd assume you bring about 4-6 of these tanks out for a weekend of diving... is diving far away from where you live? isn't it a hassle caring for 10+ tanks?

thanks for answering by the way

Jag

 

[alcina]

When we travel we don't take our tanks. On most dive tours with companies here in Australia the price includes tanks/weights/belts/air. Some companies on some tours will take a few bucks off if you have everything, but a lot of the times it is pretty close to what you will pay for an air fill, so my theory is why drag all that stuff?

On the other hand, many divers in Australia live close to some good shore diving and/or have their own boats that they dive from. If you are going to be doing a lot of independent diving, then having your own tanks can be a good investment & more convinient for those last minute dive plans.

Living here, a tank is the very last thing I would buy in my kit.

LDSs are all over in most Australian towns...some metro and some right at the marina/water. They vary wildly in what they carry for equipment. Locals tend to be quite loyal to a particular shop.

 

[OE2X]

Nearest dive shop (LDS) is two miles away. I typically shop and get my nitrox fills at one ten miles away. Most of my equipment was bought in various LDS's.

Nearest dive local dive sites are less than 15 miles away for shore diving. I keep my boat 30 miles away and can be at one of my favorite sites in an hour. There are numerous dive sites with in an hour of my house. None are resort.

I own 6 tanks and all my gear. I'm looking to buy more tanks. A typical day of diving is between 2 and 4 dives.

When I fly to go diving it is for warm water dives. I bring my all my own gear except for tanks, weights and drysuit.

 

[shugar]

thanks! that sheds quite a lot of light...

Jag

 

[shugar]

I keep my boat 30 miles away and can be at one of my favorite sites in an hour. There are numerous dive sites with in an hour of my house. None are resort.
QUOTE]

ok i see... i did see on leisure pro they had a portable changing hut for sale and although nifty, really wondered about the hassle of having to dive somewhere without available facilities or literally having to stop by the road, drag your gear to the edge of the shore, dive and then drag your stuff back up to the side of the road... we usually hang around the dive shop's lounge chairs sipping drinks during a shore entry surface interval (sorry if i'm sounding like a spoiled whiny diver hehehehe)

Jag

 

[OE2X]

My portable changing hut is either my pickup truck or a towel. In January it gets a bit frosty by your standards.

I spent a week diving the wrecks off of Coron Island. That was hard to take! Great diving, great wrecks, great weather and a great time. Sorry I don't feel sorry for you Jag

 

[shugar]

WAHAHAHAHAHA ROFL

well you do know how diving is here (where the dive ops pretty much do all but breathe for you), seriously though, what am i missing from the my-pickup-truck-is-my-dive-shop experience? i don't know anywhere here where i could do that so i might not be able to compare (i mean if so many people do it, then there definitely must be something in it)

Jag

 

[Kim]

I think it really depends where you are. In Japan it costs a lot if you have to rent tanks - it's much cheaper to have your own and dive for the price of an airfill (about $9 here)
If I fly somewhere else then as most have said - tanks and weights are included in the price of the dives.