Since the invention of the internet, everyone has the world at their fingertips these days. You can do anything from research to reviews to buying and anything in-between. With everyone buying on the internet these days, why not buy SCUBA equipment too? Here are Five reasons not to buy online.
5 Reasons to Buy from a Dive Shop Vs Online
- You don’t get to touch and try on the equipment. If it does not fit or is not what you want, you have to send it back. However, if you shop at your dive shop, you get to feel and try on the items, so you are sure of the true size and fit. Plus you know that it is what you want. And a lot of times you get to take it home with you that day. If you need to return them you just take it to the dive shop.
- Setting up and getting advice on how to use this life-saving equipment. Plus you get expert advice on the correct equipment to purchase for the type of diving that you will be doing. Sometimes cheapest is not best! You don’t get this personal service when you buy online, you probably won’t even talk to a person. Buying at your dive shop, you will talk to the instructor, owner, or another diver to give you advice on what to purchase. And, your equipment will be set up to use and you will be advised how to maintain this expensive equipment. If you purchase online and bring it to us to set up and test we will charge a fee to do this. That is an additional charge you would not have if you had bought through a local dive shop.
- Warranty. In most cases, you will not receive the warranty on your equipment that you would get when you purchase from a dive shop. If something is wrong you would have to send it back to the company. If you buy from a local dive shop, you just take it back to them to be taken care of. Again, personal service is important.
- Dive Training. You cannot get SCUBA certified off of the internet. You have to seek out a Dive Instructor that usually works through a dive shop. Help support the dive shop by buying from them too, so they can continue to employ Dive Instructors. Dive Shops cannot survive from teaching classes alone, they need the revenue from selling equipment as well.
- Purchasing air to dive. Obviously, you cannot buy air online. The dive shop has to purchase and maintain the expensive compressor to pump air for you to take classes and dive. Again, buy from them, so they can keep these expensive compressors going, so you can buy air and continue taking classes and diving.