What is your Recommended online US Scuba Shop

[Kharon]

Can anyone recommend a mail order place where I can get my tanks filled? All of the dive shops in my town closed in part due to competition from online sales, and I now need to drive 20 miles one way to get a nitrox fill.

Thanks,

Ken

Buy a compressor and start selling fills - or - get a hooka. Personally, I'd get an electric hooka rig.

 

[CT Sean]

Buy scuba gear, scuba diving and snorkeling equipment, and everything underwater from LeisurePro.com
Dive Gear Express® | Official Site
Dive Right In Scuba | Plainfield scuba diving lessons and scuba equipment. We also provide scuba certification for the Chicago area.


LP being my #1 for conventional recreational stuff. Being one state over anythign i order generally shows up at my door within 24 hours for "standard" shipping - which is usually free. Does "where to shop" really count as advanced scuba?

 

[Ironman]

Raleigh, closest place to dive is about half an hour away and there are 6 dive shops in Raleigh, wtf. No point, they should consolidate to maybe 2 or 3, and call it good. Keeps everyone happy and everyones business is better.

Interesting observation - what should determine the number of dive shops in an area? Why is 6 too many for Raleigh, and why would 2-3 be a better number? Why would that keep everyone happy? Why would everyone's business be better? Should the same apply to the number of online vendors? Why don't we limit the number for the US to 10? How many scuba gear manufacturers should there be? Maybe we should limit that to 3, so that everyone''s business is better. Maybe, there are 6 shops in Raleigh because that's what the market demands / supports. Maybe, each of them offers something unique to THEIR customers.

I won't give most of the LDS's business because they don't provide any useful service to warrant it.

That statement makes a lot more sense. I have certainly seen the absence of service in practice. In fact, I have recently seen it in Raleigh, since you mentioned that area. I go to NC 4-6 times a year on business, although not to Raleigh specifically. I happened to be there 4-5 years ago, and needed a piece of gear and called one of the shops. Based on the call, I decided to drive up to Raleigh to stop by the shop. Met the owner - great guy, knew what he was talking about, knew what I was asking about, helped me out with something that was a bit hard to find. He provided superb customer service, just the kind of behavior that supports LDS success. We struck up a casual friendship, and I made it a point to go back whenever I was back in the state, even though my business was about 90 minutes driving distance from Raleigh. I watched this guy work with a number of customers at various times when I stopped in, and it was easy to tell why that shop was successful - the owner really 'got it'. He helped his customers meet their needs. If all 6 of the shops in that area do the same thing, I see no problem with Raleigh having 6 shops (or more).

Unfortunately, I happened to go back last month when I was in NC, and what a change. Some clown, who seemed to be in charge that day, was behind the counter when I came in, apparently arguing on the phone with a customer about a class, essentially telling the person on the other end of the phone everything that the shop was NOT going to do - at least that was my surmise, based on hearing only one side of the conversation. When he finally slammed the phone down (apparently, the customer pissed him off), I asked where the owner was, and was told that the guy was dead - died a couple of months before. I left, and won't be going back.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

Can't call it my favorite site but I have bought a few items off the Scubaboard's Classified Section and have been very happy with the shipping, products and pricing. Obviously it is sometimes a haggle and I get my price or I walk - and lose the item... But I see this was not mentioned so - for what it is worth - I keep an eye on the ScubaBoard's Classified Section - but you need to know your size and item - if you dont know it could be a crap shoot or so I have been told not everyone is on the up and up - so be careful - but I have had good success for items.

 

[kelemvor]

I tend to spread it around though I usually price compare and go with the best deal that has no shipping.

DiveRightInScuba
DiveGearExpress
LeisurePro
DiveAddicts
CaveCountryDiving

Probably a couple more, but the top 3 are my go to for online. I still do shop at my LDS as well and with a 20% DM discount, sometimes it is the best price. And besides that, I like hanging out there.

I didn't realize cave country had an online store. Good for them!


Any dive shop that plans to stay in business should have a solid online store.


Another I didn't see listed is scuba.com. I bought a few things from them in the past, good experience all around.

 

[tbone1004]

That store was probably Down Under, Scott passed away about 3 months ago very suddenly. That was the one shop that I would go into if I needed something in a real pinch. Aaron is still running the store to my knowledge, and he's a little weird but still a good guy. Not sure where in NC you end up flying into, but Air Hogs is a good shop outside of Raleigh, and NADCO in Greensboro is very good as well. Dolphi Graves is a great guy with a good solid technical diving shop.

The reason it doesn't need 6 is because the business isn't there to support 6 of them. If there were 3 shops in that area, each shop would have more call it 2x the money coming through *obviously the business is not divided evenly, but for easy math* and be able to stay price competitive with the online shops because even though their margin is a lot smaller, the total dollar contribution ends up being higher. You need some competition to keep everyone honest, but too much and the stores are barely scraping by which isn't good for anyone. You have the awesome big shops like DRiS, Cave Adventurers, Northeast Scuba, DGX, etc who rake in boat loads of money yet still go bezerk trying to beat each other in pricing because the businesses are going quite well and they are moving lots of gear. You need one or two of those types of places near the big dive sites but to have more than a pair of decent sized shops in a city that isn't a diving hub is just a recipe for failure.

 

[bsppc]

Scuba Toys hands down. Outstanding customer service and if you ask they will make sure no one beats them on price.

I live in Dallas and they are also my LDS for gear, training and fills.

 

[freewillie]

I'm partial to Scuba.com. I coincidentally have the good fortune to live 20 minutes from the headquarters. They have a show room you can walk into and then "order" gear/equipment from computers at a table. Instead of shipping to your house they bring to you in store. They also have a great return policy. I had to order a wetsuit online from the email to get a special email only deal (wasn't available in store at the sale price) but the wetsuit didn't fit and had to take my daughter back for a return. They gave us full credit and spent the next 30 minutes bringing out different suits for her to try. They've also taken back a pair of fins after several months. I ordered them for her but we didn't dive them and then she wanted a different color. They took them back no problems.

I've also used Scubatoys in the past but haven't needed to return anything to them.

 

[Dsix36]

I can't believe that ADD HELIUM has not been mentioned. I buy a lot of stuff from them and have never had a problem.

 

[Bob DBF]

I can't believe that ADD HELIUM has not been mentioned. I buy a lot of stuff from them and have never had a problem.

I forgot.



Bob