The Comparative cost of scuba, including instruction

[halocline]

I’m an avid skier as well as a technical diver, and I have to agree that the cost of skiing has gotten way out of control for a lot of people. In fact, I believe the ski industry is doing itself a big disservice by not finding ways to get more kids skiing at a reasonable cost. It’s a shortsighted approach, although in some ways the ski industry probably is doomed due to climate change anyways. Still, there are ways to ski without breaking the bank, for some people that live near enough to a ski area to be able to get there without flying. I live near a decent ski area and buy an off-peak season pass in the summer for about $500.

But when I travel, I spend substantially more money on a week long ski trip than I do cave diving. That’s for backcountry skiing; which involves a helicopter ride, a guide, and staying in an off-grid hut. But no lift ticket. The gear cost is comparable, I think, to what I need for cave diving, although I don’t use a rebreather, I dive wet, and I buy used gear whenever I can. They’re both expensive hobbies!

 

[rhwestfall]

Shops here require fins, booties, mask, snorkel, and a weight belt (exposure protection if you want/need) be "owned" for pool portion of the class, and provide tanks, regs, and a BC.

For the open water dives, you must procure all gear needed (can rent it from them). They will require an inspection of "unknown" equipment.

 

[Still Kicking]

Shops here require fins, booties, mask, snorkel, and a weight belt (exposure protection if you want/need) be "owned" for pool portion of the class, and provide tanks, regs, and a BC.

For the open water dives, you must procure all gear needed (can rent it from them). They will require an inspection of "unknown" equipment.

My LDS includes two-day rental of scuba gear in the $299 class (a $60 value for the two days). Students have to have their own mask, snorkel, boots, fins, gloves. If student buys the basics, the shop comps them the books, c-card, videos etc ($150 value).

 

[broncobowsher]

1991 I had to have my own mask, fins, snorkle.
Adding an SMB is about all I have seen recently.

I remember a shop that liked to keep different gear in the training/rental fleet. The comment was given that it allows students to try different things and see what works for them.

 

[rhwestfall]

The "SCUBA vs. Skiing" in an odd comparison IMHO. From a recreational (not overly advanced level), skiing is a "time period" activity. Lift ticket is a period of time (couple hours to day or night session) with multiple runs (I can get 15-20+ runs in a session), while scuba is (assuming something like a two-tank trip), what, two 1-hour "sessions"?

You can get creative with SCUBA if geographically you can or want to do things like shore diving, but neither activity is economically friendly. Are you getting your money's worth out of either?

 

[Still Kicking]

The "SCUBA vs. Skiing" in an odd comparison IMHO. From a recreational (not overly advanced level), skiing is a "time period" activity. Lift ticket is a period of time (couple hours to day or night session) with multiple runs, while scuba is (assuming something like a two-tank trip), what, two 1-hour "sessions"?

You can get creative with SCUBA if geographically you can or want to do things like shore diving, but neither activity is economically friendly. Are you getting your money's worth out of either?

If you have the option to shore dive, scuba is ptetty cheap once you make the upfront investment in training and gear. Ongoing expenses are mainly airfills and replacing gear lost or broken in surf exits

 

[LI-er]

Ongoing expenses are mainly airfills and replacing gear lost or broken in surf exits

Is that a thing? Losing or breaking gear in surf exits as compared to losing or damaging gear diving off a boat? And why surf exits, why not surf entries?

 

[Tracy]

I have to say, none of this is on the same scale as boating. Bust Out Another Thousand and a hole in the ocean you throw money in to are entirely correct.

I wish that still applied. I remember that saying in the 90s. Now that first thousand doesn't even cover haulout and blocking.