Stoo
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Where is the best place to buy Weights?
- Thread starter Dzydvl33
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Yeah, it works. I learned this trick from shooter's who do it to collect lead for reloading ammo.
Bob DBF
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Some of us have more time than money, so we are interested in value for our money. If SCUBA was an expensive sport, I would have been out decades ago.
Actually I have a number of areas that I find weight belts occasionally, so far I believe I'm over 100#, but it's taken decades. Sometimes divers, or shops, identify their gear well and I have to return it, but mostly no one does. Now that Abalone diving is stopped the supply may dry up.
Bob
Last time I bought lead from a scrap recyclable a year or two ago it was $1.25/lb and they had around 50lbs of scuba weights that someone had recycled in with all the other stuff. On craigslist the average is around $1-2/lb here for either hard or soft weights, sometimes less depending on how much lead was being sold. Ebay was the most expensive option at around $3/lb for soft weights, $2.50/lb for rubber coated hard weights and $2/lb for non-coated hard weights.
Its not just the money. I get more enjoyment out of my hobbies when I spend time planning, hunting around for good bargains, coming up with DIY and custom solutions, etc. If I just throw down the money and don't have to work for it, it's not as much fun.
JamesBon92007
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Yes, sometimes I'll decide I need a couple of 3 lb weights and all I have is 5 pounders so I just melt some down and make 3 pounders. Aside from that, sometimes what I want is (at least was) simply not available. Some places where I used to dive had lots of fishing weights on the bottom and I'd collect them. Someone gave me a scuba weight mold and I've probably made 80 pounds of weights or more. At retail prices that's around $400 which is more than I'm paying for 10 days in an AirBnB in December. I'm not rich so I guess it's more a matter of what I'd rather spend my money on. 10 years from now I'll probably have fonder memories of a two-tank dive in Cozumel than I would about buying 18 pounds of weights somewhere.
OP
Dzydvl33
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These kind of comments always make me laugh. If I'm not willing to spend more money than I have to on every aspect of this hobby then I must not belong.... have you ever heard the old saying "A fool and his money are soon parted" ???
I am no fool.
I enjoy building and making what I can. So that I can save money and spend it where it counts. I mean spending, what, about $4 a pound vs pennies a pounds for something that just has to be heavy???? Yeah I must be "in the wrong Sport"..... Seriously.
Oh yeah I talked to the range today and they sale their reclaimed shot for about 25cents a pound. I'd say that saves me money to spend where it counts.
Stoo
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I guess it depends on what value you put on your time. If you feel it's worth it, by all means carry on! Certainly no offense intended. Maybe you wear more lead than me, so it's a factor. I wear 12 pounds up north and down south, I wear 6 pounds, so regardless of weather it's $4.00 a pound or $0.25 a pound, it's not worth getting excited about.
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