How Did I Pay More and Save So Much I started thinking about replacing my regulator with a new one and a friend of mine told me I should check the internet. He said I could save some money. I have no problem saving money and getting a good deal, so I started browsing the net to see what I could find. After working a couple hours on the net looking for that deal I started to realize that the best deal was in my own home town at local dive shop. I started thinking of all the money I would have spent if I had not had him. The beat deal on the net came with warranty not backed by manufacture, but by the store I had never done business with in another state. I would need to send it back for any repair; warranty or service and I would be without my unit for weeks at a time plus the cost of shipping. I would not be able to look at them in the face and find out when I was going to get my items back. I now realized that as I started to work to put my local store out of business, I was cutting my nose off to spite my face. I would have to drive 50 miles for an air fill when I had bought many from him over for $4 to $6 dollars, a lost in his pocket. Now my air fills was going to be two hours drive time, $12 dollars worth of gas plus what I would have to pay for the air fill. That was not to think of all he had taught me and favors he had done for me over the years. I would never receive a favor from an out of state mail order store. One of the things I love most about my sport was dropping by my local shop and talking diving. Getting him to teach ma and take me to find those big shark teeth and civil war relics ha had displayed at store. With all the things he did for me, I realized he could not take care of me the way he did by beating everyone's prices. If all he had to do was to put it in the mail, he could do that but I wanted more. I found out you cannot be the best for less. What he does not know is he already beaten the discount prices by saving me all the money he has saved me. Don't tell him, support him! You will continue to save money. This article is to thank all small business local dive stores that continue to hang in there. Those that continue to take care of divers like me. Fill my cylinders at a lost, do me favors and service my equipment. I plan to do all my business at my local store because I like saving money. I like the good deal in my back yard that I did not realize I had. I just hope I can convince my friend to stop spending so much on the internet and start saving money. Our best deal is keeping our local store and friend open and in business. Written by a person who loves the sport of diving?