Freedivers: Cheap B*stards or Holes in the Pockets?

[Spaniard]

1999 - Start company called Silent Blue because I think I can make money selling spearing/freediving kit in UK. Spend £7,000 GBP on first order to Sporasub in Italy. Spend every weekend driving to coast to flog gear out the back of car. Decide it's also a good idea to become C4 distributor in UK, spend £5,000 GBP on a load of blades. Drive around selling Sporasub kit, C4 blades. 1 year later, company broke, me broke. Swapping C4 blades for advertising space in Freediver magazine, selling Sporasub gear at cost.

2007 - still have Sporasub gear which is now fit for museum. Managed to offload last C4 blades for peanuts. A costly experiment which allowed me to have access to lots of nice kit but commercially a no-go. Still happy though, at least I tried.......

 

[Fondueset]

Who was it that said: Throughout my life I spent most my money on women and freediving, the rest was wasted.

Chris, How many types of sexual favours are there? I tried to Google it but the answer came back: "Insufficient memory, please ask Fondueset."

From the Daoist perspective; only one

 

[Walrus]

Hey Ben,
ever heard of "Ignorance is Bliss!"
There are some things best not to think about. With a bit of a scribble on some paper I have spent easy $15,000 just for comps, (Airfares + Accom + entry fee). Spent loads more on O/S trips where I have been diving but not competing. Gear in the $5000+ range not including camera, video camera and housings.

Now, why don't I have any money in my bank account...... rofl

Wal,

 

[monkeyhatfork]

I don't think the real problem here is peoples willingness to spend money but is more about lack of exposure of the product and the sport in general. For example, I only know of the f1 computer from the review on this site whereas the suunto computers are everywhere. When I go to the pool I'm the only one with a monofin, I get lots of oooos and ahhhhs and pointing, people seem interested but if they can't go down to the local sporting good store or find it relatively easy online they probably will not make the effort to get one.One thing I was thinking about the other day, I come from a surfing/skateboarding background and these sports have been very driven by video- every month or so sponsors put out videos of riders and everyone sits around with their friends to watch the latest achievments, then they go out and buy all the stuff thier idols have. Where are all the freedive vids, some people are starting to dable with this but it could be exploited much better, every world class freediver should have a dvd and it should be easily accessable. I know I've turned plenty of people on to the sport just by forwarding youtube stuff to people.People have the money, weather or not they buy some stupid new cell phone or a kick ass dive computer often comes down to what is put in front of them

 

[flying_spanner]

roflroflroflroflThats awesome mate, if she ever sees this I hope that softens the blow a bit roflroflrofl
They say theres no such thing as a strict woman only a scared man rofl

Yeah my right Jab is no match for her swift left Hook!!!! :ko

Seriously tho she can't be too upset about me getting into diving, Megan has been a scuba diver for a few years now. Plus she lent me the moolah to purchase my new wetsuit last week.

Although now that I'm going to be diving also, who's going to drive the boat????

 

[mupwi]

lets see

1st mask R100 later gave it to my brother as a birthday prezi so maby I can remove the cost from here
2nd mask R100
3rd mask R150
cresi fins R500
snorkel R60
weightbelt bug bag and gear bag diy R60

gloves for catching bugs R10

thats R980
then 1x pentax w30 underwater digital camera R3000

R3980 / whats the euro at the moment bout 10 398euro

 

[Lockedin]

Some additions (due to a botched kayak landing yesterday :crutch):

Gloves, (suitable for lobster hunting)

3mm Socks

Riffe knife (or equivalent)

(Un-dive related, but water-borne none the less):

Appx: 5 artificial lures,

1 badly bruised ego (crashed on a crowded beach :blackeye

More to come...:hmm

 

[nostres]

Elios suit, monofin, D-3, 3 masks, knifes, video housing and other stuff
My whole freediving equipment was over $2000. For some it's a lot for others it's nothing, the good thing is that now, since I have it all it is really FREE diving. It cost nothing except for the fuel for my economy transportation. I don't need nothing else now, just some time to enjoy with my fellow divers. I don't regret money spent on freediving, I benefit from it in many ways that cannot be translated to $$$, like great people I've met...

My next big buy is going to be titanium monofin by Ted Ciamillo when it's finally available, it's not like I need $1000 monofin or I am stinky rich. I have to work hard for it, but the way I look at money is simple - I give sweat to get You, now You let me enjoy things.

 

[azapa]

Benny: Good, and bad Idea on the thread

NOT cheap I would say reading above, never wanted to know, but ordering all through scubastore makes it easy to add list:
[FONT=&quot]SEAC-SUB ASSO FUCILE SUB ARIA 65CM WITH POWER REGULATOR BLACK Precio : 92.00 Euro
OMER MILLENIUM RUNNER 42/44 BLACK Precio : 79.90 Euro
SEAC-SUB SPEARTIP CONE-SHAPED TEMPLATED STAINLESS STEEL Precio : 7.60 Euro
AQUALUNG QUARTZ MK2 Precio : 36.90 Euro
OMER WEIGHT FOR BUOY 300GRS Precio : 5.99 Euro
CRESSI PESCA TEAM 7MM ULTRASPAN 3 BLACK-GREY Price : 241.2 US$
IMERSION GLOVES 4MM METALLITE Price : 35.71 US$
SPETTON E-50 GOLD SOCKSL BLACK 5MM Price : 21.07 US$
BEUCHAT ACTIVA DRY PURGE TRANS SILICONE SILVER Price : 17.88 US$
MARES X-VISION BLACK BLACK Price : 42.77 US$
MARES X-VISION LENSES -2,5 RIGHT Price : 29.08 US$
MARES X-VISION LENSES -2 LEFT Price : 29.08 US$
OMER CAYMAN ALUMINIUM 90CM BLACK Price : 113.83 US$
CRESSI GARA 3000 LD 42-43 GREY Price : 91.87 US$
SEAC-SUB ASSO FUCILE SUB ARIA 65CM WITH POWER REGULATOR BLACK Price : 99.93 US$
IMERSION JB ESCLAPEZ 40-42 GREEN Price : 74.59 US$

EBAYS:
Suunto Mosquito + cable 270

DON'T ADD IT UP FOR ME, AND DON'T TELL MY WIFE!:vangry
[/FONT]

 

[shoutatthesky]

Not to get off the subject.....but..... Azapa, a 7mm suit and 4mm gloves? Is that your summer, winter, or all year round gear? The water must get quite chilly in Chile :head:head

 

[azapa]

Adam, unfortunately thats all round gear: winter 11 deg C, summer (drum roll) 12. Thermoclines bellow 15m only drop a couple of degrees though Yes, the old Humboldt thing does a good job dragging up those Antarctic waters. I must say I am completly used to it now, with the above gear, and can stay in up to 3 hours without getting too cold.
have a good weekend... (no divin' for me this one...