Purchasing new equipment

[PWCPD Diver]

I think it would real crude and tasteless to waste the lds time to try on their stock and then buy on line..And people wonder why lds gets upset when you show up with stuff purchasesd on line..I suggest purchase all at lds..they will be able to package sale at a good discount to you and you will get it all serviced and warrentied..too many online places-leisurepro in particular-sell either grey market items with no warrenty or knockoff equipment..If you trust the lds to teach you you should trust them to equip you properly..Tell the lds the type of diving or interests you have in diving and they will suggest the configurations that will work best for you..That is what we do on City Island in NY ..we do not try to upsell you something if it is not what you really need..and we are there too help and go diving with you after the sale also..

I never said to try on the stock at a local LDS and then buy on line. It's your gear that you are buying. You need to make the choice. And BTW I have always purchased all of my gear at my local LDS "After" I looked around on line and through shops.

 

[oly5050user]

Do you think you could give us a couple links to this "knockoff equipment" so we can see what you are talking about?

Shop around, Weigh the values of low prices, manufacturer's warrenties, convience, and a smile on your LDS's face. Know how much it will cost to by and to maintain. If the budget is really tight, there are some great buys in used gear; but it is not without risk.

I was doing an annual on a customers aqualung regulator and the supposedly stainless steel pin that holds the lever in place was rusted through like a old nail in an outside deck..not supposed to rust ..regulator less than 1 yr old minimum use( 1 week vacation dive trip? same customer came in with a "sherwood"bcd,he pulled on the corrugated hose to dump air and the assembly broke off..inspected it and tooksame model off my wall and compared..the plastic was thinner at the joint where it connects to to bcd..these are knock offs ..Scuba pro sued leisure pro for getting a oem to produce bcd with scubapro logo on it..most scubapro dealers are informed about it(I am not a sp dealer but have worked at some dealers who where.)

 

[oly5050user]

Research what you are looking at buying. Then go to some local dive shops and try on gear...BCD, Wetsuit, Drysuit, Mask, Fin, etc... you get the idea. Then do a price comparision online and through the dive shops. They may price match. But be sure of what you want before you make the purchase.

You could even rent some of the gear that you are looking at buying and try it out that way.

Happy diving

you never said to go to lds and try on gear...here is your quote above..like I said it is wrong and crude,tasteless to do something like that..Waste the dealers time ,get all the info you need from him and then go buy on line..no wonder they get upset,would'nt you??

 

[redacted]

I was doing an annual on a customers aqualung regulator and the supposedly stainless steel pin that holds the lever in place was rusted through like a old nail in an outside deck..not supposed to rust ..regulator less than 1 yr old minimum use( 1 week vacation dive trip? same customer came in with a "sherwood"bcd,he pulled on the corrugated hose to dump air and the assembly broke off..inspected it and tooksame model off my wall and compared..the plastic was thinner at the joint where it connects to to bcd..these are knock offs ..Scuba pro sued leisure pro for getting a oem to produce bcd with scubapro logo on it..most scubapro dealers are informed about it(I am not a sp dealer but have worked at some dealers who where.)

I have seen a counterfeit Scubapro BCD on ebay. I questioned the seller about the lack of a right shoulder pull dump and he pulled the BC. Shortly after that I heard a story of SP tracing the source to one of their BC assemblers who supposedly continued to produce BC's after the contract was complete. I would expect that if this was legally tracked back to LP, there would be a public record of it and that would be prominently hanging on the wall of most LDSs. I have not seen it yet.

I believe I am familiar with some of the routes LP uses to obtain merchandise. I sure would like to see any public record of the legal actions involving AL or Sherwood in the cases you site. That might make it clear that LP was directly involved in the substandard products as opposed to a possible QC problems or 3rd party actions.

And I assume you are only talking about one internet scuba retailer - leisurepro - in these accusation as opposed to the host of authorized scuba retailer who also maintain an internet segment of their LDS.

 

[redacted]

you never said to go to lds and try on gear...here is your quote above..like I said it is wrong and crude,tasteless to do something like that..Waste the dealers time ,get all the info you need from him and then go buy on line..no wonder they get upset,would'nt you??

I did exactly that when I bought my last new car. I went to the local dealer, looked at all my options, did some test drives, and got all the info I needed and their price. I then expanded my shopping area and got other prices. Local dealer got a last shot at price but would not come close enough. He is still happy to do my service so he has not entirely lost a customer.

Was I wrong, crude, and tasteless or just a smart car shopper?

 

[scubaaaronh]

I did exactly that when I bought my last new car. I went to the local dealer, looked at all my options, did some test drives, and got all the info I needed and their price. I then expanded my shopping area and got other prices. Local dealer got a last shot at price but would not come close enough. He is still happy to do my service so he has not entirely lost a customer.

Was I wrong, crude, and tasteless or just a smart car shopper?

I think your smart, its all about the dollar.

As far as trying stuff on and not buying every shop doesnt carry every line of equipment. You have to go to different shops and try stuff on to see what you like. It doesn't mean you have to buy from them if you dont like the fit. I went to three shops recently to try on new wetsuits. I was trying to find one that fit right, not every suit fits the same. I finally found a suit i liked and compared prices to the net. The LDS was way over priced, even by the manufacture suggested pricing. I went in and talked to them they wouldn't budge, so i ordered it from another shop across state. I payed 214.00 and 6.00 shipping instead of the 350.00 my lds wanted to charge.

 

[**ping**]

My diveshop is full of grumpy people with a very sullen attitude... so frankly, I see no point in paying the monster prices they are charging, when I can get much better and faster service for a LOT less by buying online.

It is sad to see LDS going down because of the internet, then again, I have no qualms about it when it comes to my local diveshop. They took over two months to repair a regulator... nice going!

check out scubatoys, joediver, leisurepro and for wetsuits, Sierratradingpost.com... they sometimes have sweet deals.

 

[cbborromeo]

I have purchased major gear from a LDS as well as from LeisurePro.com. The big difference is that you get a value add when you buy from a good LDS, which is great for a new OW diver. A quality LDS will give you great advice, follow up service, continuing education, and generally be a place where you want to go to over and over again. That's what you are paying the extra $ for really. That said, if you already know what you want and just need to know the hardware is the same quality, then the answer is yes. Best thing you can do for youself though is research based on your dive needs. Good luck!

 

[Paco]

OK, now that my popcorn bucket is half gone and I've washed the butter off my fingers I can chime in.

I support my LDS and buy there. It didn't take long for them to appreciate my business and always give me a discount. My yearly reg checkups are free and when they do need a rebuild, I pay only labor because I keep current on the checkups.

 

[Vayu]

My LDS didn't sell the regulator I wanted so I got it off leisurepro. I took it to a technician that everyone around here sends their stuff to. Well everything checked out just fine. Leisurepro may have some unhappy customers however the Scubapro item I purchased from them was real and validated by the technician. Just make sure to get everything inspected. As others have said buy at your own risk... However for my part I have had only good dealings with leisurepro and with scubatoys.

-V