What to buy, were to buy, how loyal to LDS

[PaulChristenson]

Ok so where would you buy from?

Anything that doesn't have to be worked on can be purchased thru the internet...

Regs...I'd try to go with the locals, if they are in the ballpark...just because I can get good service from my LDS...YMMV...

If I were to go internet for a REG...I'd probably go with Scuba Toys, because they are certified for what I'd get from them......and then just PLAN on shipping my regs for their yearly down to TX...

 

[Mark Vlahos]

I am not a divemaster or instructor, but I have seen many references here on ScubaBoard that Divemasters and Instructors that are affiliated with a shop are often required to use equipment that is sold by that shop. In effect they are a walking advertisment for the shop. I understand why a shop owner would have this poicy. It may not matter if you agree with this policy or not, you may be bound by it in the future. It is an important point to consider.

I have read posts by instructors where they have one set of gear to teach in and a different set that they use for their own personal gear on a pleasure dive. Some of the choices are configuration and some are strictly brand based choices. This of course is separate from those who have gear for a chlorine saturated pool and a separate set for salt or fresh water.

Instructors and Divemasters are often given deep discounts for this gear they must wear from the shop, these discounts are called "key man" discounts, but the instructor or divemaster must still buy their own gear.

Lots of things to consider, but one of them is to wait for a while.

Mark Vlahos

 

[msedivingdoc]

You stated that you will be diving in Key Largo... Last time I was there they had tons of shops!!! Why don't you see if the shop you have trips with will give you a deal on what you want. There is a huge shop in front of John Pennycamp Park... can't remember the name, but they had tons of gear for cheaper than I've seen in any LDS.

My two cents ont the matter is this: If you need support for a piece of gear, get it from your LDS. If it's something like a wetsuit and you are certain of the size buy it wherever you can pick it up the cheapest.

Also what better way to start out a vacation then going on a blitz for gear in Key Largo. Finally check out this post... something to consider
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=109113&highlight=john+pennycamp

 

[RocketMan]

Hi Matt,
I'm not going to get into the brand A vs. B here. You look at your needs and wants and then decided what brand you like. Now as for as the buying, do try to give your LDS a chance. I have bought 95% of my gear from a LDS that is within walking distance (sometimes I wish it was a lot further). Why? 1) The shop is willing to work with me on price, i.e. if I see an item cheaper elsewhere (even online), they will try to come as close as they can, 2) they offer great service, 3) they try their best to make the customer happy, 4) they have a large inventory. So give your LDS a chance. If they won't work with you then go some place else, preferably another LDS but online isn’t evil...after all it's your money. Oh BTW the LDS I used has a online store also...DiveSports

 

[350xfire]

I live in Texas and have been to SCUBA Toys a few times. Great folks. They are authorized dealers so anything you buy comes with full warranty. Larry is a good guy, he takes his time explaining anything you want to talk about.
While I was there yesterday I signed up for the AOP class and bough a few things as well...

Leisure Pro is good for items that you don't care about warranty on. They have their own warranty so you must send your gear in if you have problems. Sometimes worth the price since they can be quite a bit cheaper IMHO. Let's say you get a regulator for $75 cheaper at Leisure Pro, you can service that regulator for about 2 years with the savings.

Now, you buy that reg at SCUBA Toys and Larry will do the annual service for about $35, however parts I believe are free when you buy from him. So, the extra $$$ may be worth getting from LDS. It's mostly what you are confortable with and how long you will keep your gear and what type of gear you are getting.

 

[Fire_medic_RescueDiver]

The current gear that I have will be 10 years old this year. I still have almost ever thing, just not the wet suit which ripped, but did not wear out, and the boots that did wear out, I dive about 100 dives a year, ever thing fun diving to search and rescue. I have had a few problems with my regs ( like a free flow of the 1st stage ( IDI osprey) at 110', and the retaner ring that hold the front pruge on came off while I was doing my rescue diver class which turned out to be a problem for a lot of owners and IDI had a fixed for that, and my computer errored out on me on a solo dive at 80 feet, luck I had my back up PC and had done my dive plan prior to the dive.) But I have been very, very happy with all my gear. I have made both fun and work dives with all of it and have had the gear down to over 150' with no problems, from ice diving to warm diving, and and still very very happy. I do like the people at my LDS and love diving with them, but the mark up on the equipment is very high and on the set of regulators that I want it is almost $200 mark up! I live in a rural town about 1.5 hours from the closest dive shop. I have emailed the LDS owner and have not gotten a email back yet, and I am signed up for my Dive Master through them and they do "like it" when you wear gear that they sell around the students, but $200 is $200 bucks and I can get a lot of odds and ends with $200. I have been buyig some things from Larry at Scubatoys like a new Aeries AI dive PC, and a digital DC500 with strobe, 3mm wet suit, and a bunch of odds and ends. But know I am ready to buy a new BDC, Dry Suit, Regulators, and 3 LP tanks, and really need to save some money doing this.

I am thinking very very hard at spending the extra $200 bucks and getting the Apex Atx200 and DC50 from my LDS due to the Dive master class. But it is a very very hard pill to choke down !! The main fact for this is that I do the bidding and buying for my local fire district ( which is the tax payers money) and I am the one that deals with vendors alot and I know what kind of mark up they have most of the time.

But any way I am still working through this and hope to hear from my LDS soon. If not I will be calling larry the first part of next week and ordering my regulators and maybe a new BCD, and some new LP tanks. The dry suit will be later this summer.

Thanks all that have posted and voted so far and by the way you can check more than one box on the poll but can only vote one time.

Matt

 

[CADiverAdam]

Matt-

I want to weigh in on behalf of supporting both legit Internet dealers like ScubaToys and your local LDS. Scubatoys is a big LDS in the Dallas TX area. They also have a big internet presence. Buying from them is a no brainer cause Larry is more knowledgeable than most people in the dive business and will actually take more time to help you via email/phone than virtually any LDS I know (and I live in Los Angeles where there are lots of LDS, quite a few of them great.) I have bought a bcd and tank from Scubatoys and the service was great. Swapped out a size in one day, fed exed at their expense missing LP hose etc. For Wet Suits/Dry Suits, you really really need to try stuff on, so your best bet is a really good LDS. Likewise for regulators, you need to determine what is best for your dive profile and then see who carries what you want. I don't believe Scubatoys carries Apeks for example. Also, I believe Apeks has a 30 day return policy which works much better when you buy from a local LDS. Aqualung and Atomics don't allow any internet sales so you really need to get a good LDS that will give you the 10% discount.

Just my humble thoughts.

 

[cerich]

Gray market is gear sold outside of hte US without a factory warranty and then outfits like Leisurepro buy it up and resell it here cheap, without warranty. Just their own warranty.

Not always, actually hardly at all, many times they buy direct under the table.

I dive a couple of apex200's myself and love them. When you find a shop that has them in stock, over a year old, they are no longer restricted to the maxium 10% discount. It goes to schedule 2 after a year.

I take it you work in or own a shop to know the rules? Just come out and admit it.

Many times dive shops make up for higher initial purchase costs by offering discounted yearly service charges and free parts for life. Talk to your shop and see what they offer.

Best,

Chris

 

[pilot fish]

Matt, throw caution to the wind, roll the dice, take a chance and buy online from an unauthorized dealer. Llife is a gamble, right? Hey, you might get lucky and never have a problem. Then again..................

Choice is yours.

 

[redacted]

Matt, throw caution to the wind, roll the dice, take a chance and buy online from an unauthorized dealer. Llife is a gamble, right? Hey, you might get lucky and never have a problem. Then again..................

Choice is yours.

What "chance" are you talking about? I don't see any more risk associated with the grey market guys like Leisurepro as any other retail source. Just don't expect the same level of service but I have never had any problem with the quality of goods. But Apeks is pretty proud of their service kits (tuna $30 a stage) so authorized dealers and free parts makes pretty good sense if you plan on annual servicing. But if you plan on wstretching the service cycle out to 2 or 3 year then the grey market guy may still make good sense. I do my own service and find it easy to stretch the life of a service kit with good care and some generic parts.