Scuba Economic SitRep

[svnipp]

Yeah. The tank seems to be the absolute last thing you need to buy. That's just my read on it.

 

[scubafanatic]

I would think close to home dive excursions would begin to pick up. After the initial costs, what are you really paying for other than air and maybe tank rentals? In comparison, snowboarding (my other love) is expensive always unless I am willing to hike a couple thousand vertical feet for a five minute ride down. And the initial cost of gear is really not that much different. $500.00 board, $150.00 bindings, $150.00 boots, $150.00 pants, $150.00 Jacket, $150.00 goggles, about $100.00-$200.00 for the rest of your gear to round you out and then you still have to pay for lift tickets each time (or a season pass which is close to $1000.00-2000.00 a year).
It seems like a lot up front and it is, but really, if you can just buy your gear and be happy with what you have, I don't really think scuba (at least staying close to home) is all that expensive in comparison to other hobbies/sports.
Now you can all thank me when you use this line of logic with your significant other who doesn't think you need to buy new gear...

well, although diving in the local lake/quarry would be way cheaper than flying somewhere to go diving, it is my impression most divers only 'tolerate' lake/quarry diving as a 'means to an end', that end ultimately being flying someplace warm/sunny to admire the tropical fishies......so if one can't afford such trips, there isn't much motivation to train/refresh skills/test out new gear in the local lake/quarry.

 

[scubafanatic]

Small dive shop I use says they are staying busy. They have also admitted they arent stocking as much stuff this year as they have in the past. They have a very nice selection of personal gear (mask/fins/snorkel/suits) but very few bcd/regs/comps etc etc. They have plenty of rental gear and can get stuff in a few days to a week. Now, of course this is what I've been told, but when I'm up there the phones ringing, they are calling peeps to let them know their orders are in, and have tons of classes they do and have people enrolled in them all.

So I think they are doing ok, but not pushing their luck by overextending and being stuck with too much stuff. We are doing that where I work also though.

If you HAD to have something TODAY there is another shop in town that's a big, pretty, new(ish) shop that you could get 100% geared up in the next hour... But it will cost you as they are a RETAIL place. Know for sure you could save a good chunk of change by ordering online. The one that really got me was an 80AL catalina tank. Nothing special. I know you can get them for $150 plus about $20-30 for shipping from most places. They wanted $270 plus tax for them. :shocked2:
Oh well, still no tank to call my own

$270 for an AL 80 ??? !!! WOW !!! I bought one from Scubatoys this spring and only paid $ 150, and it included a convertable DIN/yoke tank valve too.

 

[goonsquad]

well, although diving in the local lake/quarry would be way cheaper than flying somewhere to go diving, it is my impression most divers only 'tolerate' lake/quarry diving as a 'means to an end', that end ultimately being flying someplace warm/sunny to admire the tropical fishies......so if one can't afford such trips, there isn't much motivation to train/refresh skills/test out new gear in the local lake/quarry.

Oh i completely understand that point as well, relating it again to snowsports, there isn't too much snowboarding in FL. either. My state gets a lot of income from tourists coming here for snowsports during the winter, we do after all have the best snow on earth... but I can understand why people who live in states with less than stellar snow don't ride as often.
Although I think most of the people who let their diving skill set lapse because they aren't in the carribean or the south pacific are divers who became divers just so they could dive while on vacation in those kinds of locals. Perhaps LDS need to adapt and learn how to market local diving opportunities and work towards making these dive areas more interesting. More diving clubs, cheaper advanced classes, and working with state and local gov. to make diving more interesting would keep more people actively diving.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I think Dutch was empty that weekend because I was there (Dove Fri/Sat/Sun) and nobody wanted to share space with a crazy Canuck.

 

[sabbath999]

Yeah. The tank seems to be the absolute last thing you need to buy. That's just my read on it.

I would say that depends. When you live 100+ miles from the nearest fill station, priorities are different.

 

[parzdiver]

Was at Dutch Springs yesterday. It was crowded. Got in around 9 and there were no tables available on the Peninsula side. Some just had gear drying on them and a group next to ours donated a table to us.

It was also VERY HOT, luckily we did have a canopy because there was no space in the trees.

 

[Uraluni]

Was at Dutch Springs yesterday. It was crowded. Got in around 9 and there were no tables available on the Peninsula side. Some just had gear drying on them and a group next to ours donated a table to us.

It was also VERY HOT, luckily we did have a canopy because there was no space in the trees.

Yeah...I've talked to a few people since my OP, and I guess not many people go to Dutch on the 4th of July weekend. That was completely unexpected by me, given that the weekend was beautiful for those who like to do that type of diving. I just went there to test out some new gear and found it more-or-less barren. I'll have to remember that in the future when I want to test gear and don't want to deal with the masses.

 

[ReeferBen]

Ive been there alot this year, so far not a problem getting a table. I was there Sunday didnt get there till noon and had to take a table in the back of the peninsula side but w/e. We eventually moved to one over by the fence closer to the water but man it stunk so bad of urine there it made it hard for me to even sit there yet alone eat lunch there. It was like some lazy group all decided to pee on the ground around our table or something...gross. :shocked2: