Equipment on Ebay???

[JDK01269]

HELP!

 

Little Brother and I got certified to dive last fall. We did so in Oklahoma's cold, not so clear, Lake Tenkiller with Sam's Wholesale Club masks, snorkles, and fins. :rolleyes: Ben loves his gear but I will be at the dive shop soon to find a mask that fits better.

We take our first cruise to the W. Carribean the first week of December. Our ports of call are Belize, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, & Mahahual/Costa Maya. Our excursions are dive, dive, dive, and oh did I mention.. DIVE!!! :D Unfortunately, Oklahoma's Lake Tenkiller is not a dive that I have any desire to do again and the budget only allows for 1 cruise or scuba suitable vacation per year. :mad: Buying new equipment at a local dive shop at retail prices can get very expensive (especially for less than 10 dives per year).

So I have turned to Ebay... I got Ben a dive computer (for Christmas) on Ebay. It turns out that although I was ignorant when I bought it (really had no clue what I was buying but the money back guarantee that the seller offered set my mind at ease) - the local dive shop checked it out and said I made a good buy. :p I also got him a new (never worn - tags still on) shortie on Ebay. Sooooo - what do you guys think about buying equipment on Ebay - another dive computer (for me), regs, BCs, wetsuit (for me), etc. on Ebay? Did I take too much of a risk buying his things on Ebay? Maybe I shouldn't push my luck any further??? Should I just rent a BC and skip buying one (or two) all together? Snorkle & regs... I am not crazy about renting anything that has been in someone else's mouth... I think I'll skip Ebay and pay regular prices for my mask - I NEED one that FITS!!! Any input would be appreciated!

Thanks!

[bruce-r]

I wouldn't buy regs on Ebay because internal condition of the first and second stages can only be known after they are taken apart for annual servicing. Anything else that had to do with comfort, like a wet suit, fins, booties, and such I'd say go for it. Also don't forget to check prices on some of the online scuba retailers before bidding on ebay for gear. You would be surprise how many people end up paying retail. Having your own wrist mount dive computers, and knowing how to use them is an excellent idea.

 

There is also the option of renting regs and a BC's for the once a year trip. I'd probably recommend this route. If you want, you can buy your own mouth piece to have the shop put on the rental reg. I highly recommend the Seacure mouth piece.

[w&k]

Bruce has hit it dead center.

 

E-Bay all you like for ancillary gear, but leave your BC, mask, reg and gauge purchases for real dive retailers or outlets. Lots of dive shops run a once-a-year sale of rental and leftover gear, where you can buy good stuff at a bargain price.

 

Above all, DON'T buy a 'cheap' regulator. Remember that your life depends on your regulator.

 

However, if you are only planning to dive once or twice a year, renting gear is really your best option - buying and maintaining gear can get expensive fast (not to mention a hassle).

 

If you want to be sure you get rental gear of good quality, develop a relationship with your local scuba shop - you can rent gear for a week to take with you on the ship.

 

Welcome to diving!

 

Wendy

[Hilary]

Be careful about buying your dive gear on-line too. There are some on-line retailers that have excellent prices on new equipment because it is 'grey market' equipment. What that means is that the on-line retailer will guarantee it, but it isn't guaranteed by the manufacturer. You definitely want at least your regs to be waranteed by the manufacturer since it is your life support gear. Be aware that anything made by Oceanic (or it's subsidiaries) is only waranteed when you buy it at your local dive shop.

 

I bought my BC off e-bay from someone who had used it once for fresh water diving. It came in fabulous condition and looks brand new and I love it. But I tried on about 20 different BCs before that so I knew exactly what I was buying. It is important if you buy your BC on-line that you know it'll fit and be comfortable prior to purchase. BCs fit differently and you don't want something that's going to be uncomfortable.

 

My husband checked out e-bay for what he wanted, but when he went to our local dive shop, he found that they offered him a package deal on everything (regs, computer, BC) for only about $200 more than e-bay or the on-line retailers, and since it's Oceanic, he now has a warantee from the manufacturer. I got my regs and computer from ScubaToys, which is an on-line retailer but they also have a huge shop in Texas. Larry gave me a great deal on my regs/computer and I have a manufacturer's warantee because I bought Zegle and Aeris.

 

Do your homework prior to purchasing something as important as life support gear. Don't skimp on your BC and regulator, your life may depend on it!

[mzhibbs]

We only get to dive once a year and I agree with above, it makes since to rent. Since you should have your equipment checked and serviced every year you could just spend that on the rental gear and save the cost of purchasing everything. Some dive operators in the Islands include all equipment w/ the cost of the dive (dive with marting does this in Coz). The other plus to renting equipment is you don't have to lug it w/ you traveling! Enjoy your cruise this Dec. both Belize and Coz are just so awsome for diving!

[bruce-r]

Actually, when I suggest renting gear, I mean that you should rent it from your local dive shop. They will change the mouth piece for you, if you want to use your own. They might also let you test dive the gear in the pool before you go so you can get used to it and make sure you are comfortable with the fit and function. It is good to be familiar with the gear before you go on your trip and you will be comfortable with the condition it is in. The one downside is that you do have to haul it with you.

[Hilary]

Another option is to buy your own mouth piece for a few dollars and rent in each port. Dive operators will usually gladly change out the mouth piece for you to put your own on since it only takes a few seconds.

[Woodsmaster]

Sorry guys.... I have to disagree..... nothing unusual.

 

I have purchased my regulator (Oceanic Zeta with an envirosealed 1st stage) on ebay. I had gone to my local shop and begged for their best deal.....$540.00 plus tax. I picked up a brand new in the box, full warranty Zeta for $320.00 plus $15.00 shipping. Apparently it came from a dealer in Florida. Maybe they were unloading supplies as they had five on ebay at one time. I have dove with it for three years and not a problem with it at all. My local shop services it and takes care of its annuals.

 

My Zeagle Ranger was also purchased new in the box over Ebay. Again no problems at all. I have been using it for four years. Good BC. Every piece of gear you buy gets shipped from somewhere.

 

My sons BC came new over Ebay and it was a lower end BC, but still very reliable and serviceable. He has grown and we will be looking again.

 

Grey market means that it just doesn't carry a U.S. warranty. It can still be serviced, you will just have to pay the parts if it is a warranty repair. If you dive cozumel every year you may be able to cut a deal with your foreign dive shop to service it under warranty...... just a thought......

 

Your regulator and BC should be serviced annually. I don't mind the charge as it helps keep the relationship with my dive shop.

 

If I did not own my own gear, I would check with people who had dove in the area you are going and pick a good operator and correspond with him to see what gear he uses, its age, and annual status. I would not carry rental gear. It will be cheaper in the location you go to dive. But it depends on the number of dives you make as well. It also saves you luggage space. Most of the places we have been charge an additional $10-20 for a two tank dive to rent their gear.

 

The comment about trying on the BC's is pertinent. You do want to try them on to see what you have. Also, if you buy on Ebay....ask them what year's model they are selling. The models change and it makes a difference (number of dumps, location, D rings, etc.).

 

Tanks are easy to get via ebay, but beware as well. I got one that was freshly annualed and freshly hydroed that had a smell to it when we got it. We retumbled it and cleaned it out and it is fine, but if you are not friends with the local diveshop, go buy some of your gear from them or they may not be as helpful, and cheap (free).... Oh, and you have to amuse them with an ebay horror tale every once in a while (whether true or not) for their amusement.

 

As I see it, the key is to go to the shops and see what they can do for you. If they are relatively close, I buy locally and from the shop. When they are not, money is money and you will test your regs and BC anyway before you take them out to dive. The worst deal I got was from a shop going out of business and selling off their equipment. A new gauge set (not the same brand - not a good idea to buy it, but hey.....when you have five sets of regulators and need one more gauge set..... it was worth the $35.00 if it worked) simply did not work on the regulator I wanted to put it on. I put it in storage and it will find its way to a set somewhere.......

 

In any event, make your dives, be safe, and have fun. Keep the bubbles going up.

[scubalisa]

My husband and I just bought reg sets from Scubatoys.com for $349pp. They are Tusa brand and come with an octopus and gauges. They do have warranties and manuals. They also sell a Dacor set for $299. So far, we have been happy with the company and customer service. Good luck. This is a very hard decision with so many brands, models, and features to choose from!

[JDK01269]

Thanks for all the input... I think I may be more confused now than ever... :eek: So many choices... I think I may have to visit the dive shop where we got certified and see what they have to offer... Maybe they sell used equipment?? :confused:

 

I just wanna dive!!! :D

[bruce-r]

I think I may have to visit the dive shop where we got certified and see what they have to offer... Maybe they sell used equipment??

 

:D

 

If they are like my local dive shop, they will sell their rental gear every other year. It is the gear they use for instruction so it gets used in the pool and on certification dives. Usually a pretty good deal on gear.

[KaC-Cruiser]

Other options .... one of our local dive shops will price match fairly close to prices found on-line, so it can't hurt to ask. And many of our shops do Fall sales as things slow down for the winter .... we got our regs at a great price during a weekend sale in early November one year ....

[tkd]

I bought a Tusa Computer once off of the internet from a very well known online retailer. I took the computer out of the box, wet it in the sink to turn it on and decided that I didn't like the readout and tried to return it. Guess what, they could tell it had been used and refused to take it back with no refund. So, now I have a $400 dive computer that I don't use and don't like. I do like the one I got from my local dive shop because I got to play with it before purchasing.

 

The other drawback is the many times the online retailer offers their own version of a warranty and not the factory warranty. It makes me feel better knowing I can go to a local shop where I know everyone and everyone knows me. If the unit is defective, I get a new one, hands down, no bull. I know the techs and I know the training and certifications that they hold because I can read them hanging on the wall. IF my equipment needs servicing (and I am big believer in maintenance) I know that I can get a loaner unit that is equivalent with no hassle.

 

Me personally, I would only buy non-mechanical equipment (snorkel, mask, weightbelt, fins, etc) but I would try them all on at a local shop to determine the fit and finish first.

 

I totally agree with 99% of the posts here. Especially the one about not skimping a reg. Keep this in mind--That regulator is responsible for taking air from 3000psi to around 100psi (roughly) which is a breathable pressure. If something fails, you are looking at the possiblility of your last dive. Don't skimp, please.

[steveNcindy]

My husband and I are going on our second cruise in January. After snorkeling the first time I determined that this is something I would like to do again and again. We would like to buy our own snorkeling gear and would appreciate any advice as to where we should start. My DH has a go-tee and wears glasses/contacts.

 

Thanks

 

Cindy

[Hilary]

Cindy,

 

Go to your local dive shop and try on a bunch of different masks. That's the only way to find one that will fit your face and be comfortable. If your husband has a mustache, he'll either have to shave it up by his nose so his mask won't leak or he'll have to use silcone grease to seal the mask against his face. The dive shop will have the grease you want and it's very cheap. Since your husband also needs corrective lenses, the local dive shop can help you find the right mask that he can get a corrective lens for so he won't have to wear his glasses or contacts in the water.

 

If you feel that the dive shop's prices are too high for the masks, just make a note of the brand and model and do some shopping on-line to compare prices. You might find them cheaper, and might not. Snorkels don't have to be fitted, so you can buy one just about anywhere.

 

Quite a few on-line retailers put together snorkeling packages that combine the mask and snorkel into one price. You could certainly ask your local dive shop if they have a package price too.

[steveNcindy]

Cindy,

 

Go to your local dive shop and try on a bunch of different masks. That's the only way to find one that will fit your face and be comfortable. If your husband has a mustache, he'll either have to shave it up by his nose so his mask won't leak or he'll have to use silcone grease to seal the mask against his face. The dive shop will have the grease you want and it's very cheap. Since your husband also needs corrective lenses, the local dive shop can help you find the right mask that he can get a corrective lens for so he won't have to wear his glasses or contacts in the water.

 

If you feel that the dive shop's prices are too high for the masks, just make a note of the brand and model and do some shopping on-line to compare prices. You might find them cheaper, and might not. Snorkels don't have to be fitted, so you can buy one just about anywhere.

 

Quite a few on-line retailers put together snorkeling packages that combine the mask and snorkel into one price. You could certainly ask your local dive shop if they have a package price too.

Hilary:

 

Thanks for the advice.

 

Cindy

[w&k]

We just went on a mini new gear spree for DH - we drove all over North and Central Florida trying on BCs and masks at about 10 different dive shops from NE Jacksonville Beach to SE Orlando.

 

We bought big buck masks at two different 'locals' and ended up buying the BC at a dive outlet store. The best a 'local' could do was $599, and the dive outlet had it in stock at $315 (too big a difference). That being said, we bought at least something at every shop that was friendly and helpful to add to our gizmo closet (clips, surface tubes, defog, dry box, mask box...).

 

I did check the on-line retailers for pricing levels, sizing, and models, but I personally would not order an important piece of gear that I could not see first.

 

Great diving to everyone!

 

Wendy

[thedebbied]

I would save the big bucks and consider renting if you are only going to use the equipment once per year. If you want new equipment to remain under warrantee you have to have it serviced 1x year (regs) and then you have to find a local dealer who services your brand. Servicing equipment can really add up. Go the the LDS, pick out you stuff, try it out in the pool and off you go. When you're done just give it back and forget about it. This advise is from someone who has 4 sets of gear in the house ($$$$$)!