This is a real dilemma. I worked in a small motorcycle shop and saw the problem first-hand. We had to keep stuff, like helmets, in stock, which cost money. People would try them on for size, and then buy them from a mail-order house for less than we could sell them for. After a while the stuff gets so shop-worn you can`t sell it. I`d hate to see my local dive shop go under, because where else am I going to get fills? But at the same time how can I justify paying more than I have to? I try to compromise. I buy a lot of stuff online, but if I`ve spent a lot of time gettng advice and trying it on at the shop, I`ll bite the bullet and pay more.