The initial costs of diving

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Those are crooks then. Any shop that only allows personal gear they sell you should fail. The most expensive item may be mask. But you can often find a scubamax style brand for under 50 bucks. Snorkel should be a simple 12 to 15 dollar j tube. If the shop doesn't carry one get one from Amazon.
Boots? Can be found for under 50 easy.
Fins? Open heel from ebay or again, scubamax or Sherwood for 75 bucks or so.

Jim,

Mask, fins, snorkels (and gloves) are high profit margin items. When you pay an instructor $50 max per student, you focus on volume. They don't make money off courses really, despite the paltry instructor payment. They are not interested in retention. The profit margin from the required items is enough.

The shops that don't operate this way are the exception. At least in my area.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Tell me you've never been to eastern Washington without telling me you've never been to eastern Washington. Or any area outside the Seattle metro area.

I’ve never been to Washington State in my life.
Do I need to, is there something I’m missing?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I’ve never been to Washington State in my life.
Do I need to, is there something I’m missing?

The Seattle area is overwhelmingly liberal and the bulk of the state population. Eastern Washington is rural, lots of farmland, and quite conservative. Not as conservative as Boundary County in Idaho (Trump country per a billboard as you drive in from Coeur d'Alene). There are some that want to secede from Washington state (good riddance I say). But even in western Washington, you can hear dueling banjos in places like Quilcene.

You are missing the diving out at Neah Bay. Waddah Fingers is my absolute favorite dive site in the state. So much life. I find it more impressive than Belize.

 

[rx7diver]

... If I had to lay out that type of money right out of the gate to start directly with scuba with all my own gear there would probably be no way I could have done it. ...

If I was to have to replace all my gear right now ...

This applies to me, too--especially with having three still-dependent children (young adults) now--which is why I have a rider on my insurance policy that covers my scuba gear (which I have been acquiring since 1987).

This reminds me: I am overdue reviewing this coverage!

rx7diver

 

[BRT]

The Seattle area is overwhelmingly liberal and the bulk of the state population. Eastern Washington is rural, lots of farmland, and quite conservative. Not as conservative as Boundary County in Idaho (Trump country per a billboard as you drive in from Coeur d'Alene). There are some that want to secede from Washington state (good riddance I say). But even in western Washington, you can hear dueling banjos in places like Quilcene.

You are missing the diving out at Neah Bay. Waddah Fingers is my absolute favorite dive site in the state. So much life. I find it more impressive than Belize.

Next time you are talking to Inslee, would you tell him that he should let us go?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Next time you are talking to Inslee, would you tell him that he should let us go?

I'd rather focus on telling him to stop f-ing things up. You know, things that affect me. Not concerned about the eastern part of the state being part of Washington or not.

 

[BRT]

I'd rather focus on telling him to stop f-ing things up. You know, things that affect me. Not concerned about the eastern part of the state being part of Washington or not.

And if eastern Washington was no longer under his control, I wouldn't care what he did on the wet side.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Jim,

Mask, fins, snorkels (and gloves) are high profit margin items. When you pay an instructor $50 max per student, you focus on volume. They don't make money off courses really, despite the paltry instructor payment. They are not interested in retention. The profit margin from the required items is enough.

The shops that don't operate this way are the exception. At least in my area.

If anyone wants to know I can tell them that the profit margin is not high. It's obscene in many cases. That $90 mask cost the dealer something like 22-30 in some cases. $40-$60 dry snorkel? $8-$15 depending on the brand. Boots? 5-6 mm neoprene they are selling for $60-70 MSRP plus? 20-25 is what the dealer is paying.
Some brands also don't allow the dealer to make real deals.
It's called the MSP or minimum selling price. Usually 5-10% under MSRP or MAP.
Other brands have MAP but the dealer can sell for whatever they want. If I liked someone and wanted to sell them something at cost, I could do that. Had that been one of the MSP brands, they'd have pitched a fit and yanked my dealership.
The other thing about shops like this is they are likely carrying lines that have minimum orders to get anything in and require the dealer to have so much of certain items. Even if the stuff doesn't sell. So the have to obscenely inflate the prices on the stuff that does to make up for what doesn't. But it still has to be in inventory.

 

[scrane]

The Seattle area is overwhelmingly liberal and the bulk of the state population. Eastern Washington is rural, lots of farmland, and quite conservative. Not as conservative as Boundary County in Idaho (Trump country per a billboard as you drive in from Coeur d'Alene). There are some that want to secede from Washington state (good riddance I say). But even in western Washington, you can hear dueling banjos in places like Quilcene.

You are missing the diving out at Neah Bay. Waddah Fingers is my absolute favorite dive site in the state. So much life. I find it more impressive than Belize.

Move Oregon's Border for a Greater IDAHO - Move Oregon's Border for a greater Idaho

Counties can become a part of Idaho. State lines have been relocated many times in American history because it just takes an interstate compact between two

www.greateridaho.org

It seems half of Oregon wants to be part of Idaho. With typical gerrymandering they would be a better fit with Florida. We don't want them unless they bring the Pot along.

 

[rx7diver]

Please take the political discussions to another, more appropriate SB sub-forum. And keep it over there--wherever "there" is!

Respectfully,

rx7diver