MidCoast Scuba Center is the areas authorized  SCUBAPRO / UWATEC dealer.

FINS

Scuba diving, like many recreational activities, is equipment intensive. Recreational diving has grown into an activity enjoyed by millions of all ages all around the world, in all kinds of water. Increasingly sophisticated and reliable equipment, and the training to use it properly are largely responsible for this growth. 

Each piece of dive equipment was designed and developed to satisfy a definite need and perform a specific function. From regulator to gauges, mask to fins and buoyancy compensator to wet suit, recreational scuba equipment is purposeful, interesting to use, and a big contributor to the overall fascination and attraction of diving.

Acquiring your own dive equipment is a major factor in the enjoyment of scuba diving. Sure, you can rent gear at many dive destinations, but do you really want to rely on the availability of much used rental equipment for your personal safety and enjoyment of diving?

Owning your own dive equipment has many advantages. As a beginning Open Water Diver student, you can speed your learning curve and progress quickly into the open water environment by purchasing and using a basic dive equipment package: regulator and BC in addition to mask, snorkel and fins. Learning how to scuba dive involves a lot more than learning how to breathe through a regulator underwater. You learn the art of buoyancy control, the subtleties of swimming and streamlining, and a host of other skills.

Acquiring these skills quickly and comfortably has a lot to do with the equipment you use in training. Fit and comfort are the prime criteria in the selection of most items of dive equipment; and in achieving maximum safety and pleasure underwater. If the BC is too small or too large you will struggle with it, which interferes with your learning.  The best way to ensure that your equipment fits correctly and comfortable is to wear your own.

Even if loaner or rental equipment fits well, it may not be right for you because of particular features - or lack of them. Features are what distinguish one item of dive equipment from another. When you buy your own equipment, you evaluate and choose the features you need and appreciate. The process is fun, adds greatly to your knowledge of diving, and ensures that the type of equipment you dive with does what you want it to, the way you want it to.

You will know how to operate it properly and care for it responsibly. You will know the condition of your equipment, where it has been, and who has been using it. You will be confident of it's maintenance and performance. That familiarity contributes to the highest level of safety, which in turn gives you peace of mind.

You will know how to operate it properly and care for it responsibly. You will know the condition of your equipment, where it has been, and who has been using it.

You will know how to operate it properly and care for it responsibly. You will know the condition of your equipment, where it has been, and who has been using it. You will be confident of it's maintenance and performance. That familiarity contributes to the highest level of safety, which in turn gives you peace of mind.

Other less obvious but still important benefits accrue form owning your own dive equipment. Buying equipment deepens your relationship with your dive center. Your dive center is your conduit to diving. It offers training opportunities, arranges trips, keeps you in contact with other divers, and services and supports your equipment. Having your own equipment also marks you as a serious, committed diver, and it encourages you to dive regularly, to stay involved in the sport.

The bottom line on equipment ownership: It's the way to achieve maximum enjoyment of diving. At MidCoast Scuba Center we believe that part of the commitment you are making to learn to dive should include acquiring your own dive equipment. It's an excellent investment in yourself and in your future diving adventures.

Why purchase your equipment from MidCoast Scuba Center?

We offer significant added value to any equipment we sell. We evaluate and personally test equipment before we decide it is good enough to offer to our customers. We assemble it, configure it to your needs, test to manufacturer's standards, adjusting if necessary, and absolutely guarantee fit and comfort.

We make sure you are fully aware of all the features of the equipment you choose by spending time with you "hands on" until you feel comfortable and are fully familiar in the purpose and use of all features.

We are here to instantly resolve any warranty issues. We guarantee your satisfaction with your equipment choice or we'll exchange it for any other piece of equipment that will satisfy you.

We spend many tens of hours and hundreds of dollars each year to train and update our technicians in the proper servicing of the items we sell. We maintain our status as authorized dealers for all products we offer.

We advise you when your annual service is due to allow you to keep your valuable lifetime parts

benefit active and current. This saves you $75.00 to $150.00 in benefits and discounts annually. We will notify you when your annual service is due as a benefit for being our customer. We are always here for free, cheerful consultation on all the places and ways you can use your new equipment.

We do everything we can to connect you to the community of diving and make diving opportunities available to you whether it be a trip, training, education or simply a social event.

Can I get better prices by ordering from mail order sources or the internet?

Maybe, but we doubt it. Don't fall into the trap of confusing price with cost. In nearly every instance what seems a lower price will cost you more in the end.

Internet direct sellers are

It may not be current product and no matter what they try to tell you, most certainly will not come with the manufacturers warranty.

Most manufacturers of quality products know the value a local retailer provides in presenting their products to the customer. In order to be certain the equipment is properly set up, functioning and serviced before the customer jumps into the water with it they require their distributors to be authorized full service Scuba Centers. As a benefit, product warranties and other benefits (such as the lifetime free parts benefit) are offered to customers purchasing through these authorized retailers. 

Internet and mail order sellers are generally not manufacturer authorized dealers. This means their products cannot be registered for product warranties, and you will not receive lifetime parts benefits.

At MidCoast Scuba Center we offer our customers a discounted labor rate on items purchased from our store. This discount does not apply to items purchased elsewhere discounts. Yes, we know you asked them and they say otherwise. Do yourself a favor and contact the manufacturer directly. You may be surprised to learn these internet sellers are prone to lying for their benefit.

The people you buy from may not be in your town, your state or even your country. Most Internet sellers come into possession of equipment from "going-out-of-business" sales, overseas outlets, or some other means outside the normal channel of distribution.

The equipment manufacturers do not sell directly to them. They do not work with this type of internet seller as their products, delivered to you in anything less than perfect, assembled, and warrantied operating condition, from the factory, through and authorized dealer hurts their reputation in the industry. Manufacturer's reputations suffer from product delivered as anything less, as much, if not more than you do.

In short manufacturers make every effort to prevent these sellers from getting their equipment and do not honor warranties offered on equipment purchased through these sellers as they are not authorized dealers. Most manufacturers post this policy on their websites. Check out www.ScubaPro.com and click on the consumer alert link on the home page.

It means that if the product shipped to you is not exactly what you want, doesn't quite fit, the color isn't right, or if it is defective in any way, you'll have to send it back, generally at our own expense. Assuming they have what you want in the first place and even have an acceptable return or exchange policy.

It means that no charge warranty work is not available locally or on a national basis.

It means the seller may warranty the item but that service is only available from a single location and again, you'll have to send it off at your expense and wait...and wait...

It means the equipment may not be configured or tested for final sale. We have had people complain to us the gauges they purchased over the internet or through mail order outlets read in metric units, as they were shipped from another country.

It means the product will most likely be delivered unassembled and in a state not up to the manufacturer's specifications.

It means that we will be happy to setup, configure, service and or adjust any of your new equipment, for a reasonable charge to cover our time, cost, liability insurance and labor. A service that would have been included at no extra charge and done prior to you picking it up had you purchased the equipment from us.

It means you may have shipping charges that were not quoted in the original offer.

In the event your item is shipped from another country, there will be a US Customs declaration prepared by the shipper naming you as the importer of record and are responsible to meet all US import laws and that you may have delays and US Customs charges.

It may also mean you will have exchange rate differences and exchange charges on your credit card you were not expecting.

It definitely means you will have a hard time returning it if you need to do so, that you have no US consumer protection laws working for you and the local Better

Better Business Bureau will be of no help.

Overseas purchases may have a manufacturer's warranty but it may only be honored in the country or area of origin and not in the USA due to differences in warranty laws and contracts.

Again, we will be most happy to help you in any way we can and we are here in your community on a full time basis trying to help you go diving. We appreciate your business every day.

An intelligent internet strategy.

You should fully understand the purchase you are making. All the pictures, sizing charts and virtual realities are no substitute. You know you want to touch the product and try it on first!

Come visit us, check out the size, quality, and get full product descriptions. Above all else ask questions of our staff. Chances are you will realize the value of purchasing your desired items form MidCoast Scuba Center and purchase them form us then and there.

This will save you your valuable time and in all probability dollars too!

Then give us one last chance to make you one of our many happy, loyal customers before you send that credit card number off to someone out-of-state or even out-of-the-country. Just show us what you have chosen and what pricing you have found.

In exchange for your fairness we will make certain that you are getting what you think you're getting, the right size, current model, right features, etc.

We'll tell you what the cost difference would be if you bought that identical system from us with all the value we would add. And what their low price will cost you in warranties, benefits, and other charges. No pressure, we'll just give you a number then allow you to decide.

We promise that we will treat you with all the cordial respect due an intelligent and thorough shopper, and will sincerely attempt to negotiate something that will make us both happy. Regardless.

Scuba is an equipment intensive activity. There is no way around that. Without equipment you don't dive.

One of the privileges that comes with earning your Scuba certification card is the ability to purchase or rent Scuba equipment. One advantage of renting is having equipment to use without a commitment of your dollars.