Attic Sale #5: It’s the Tyme to Dive ‘n Jive

Letter from the Editor

Pictured: A “Totally Fine, Why Do You Ask?” fella in Oceanside, California. And Ron.

Well, if you were ever worried that we will ever use AI on social media (or any other marketing), the rest of this newsletter should put your concern to bed.

No AI can make this up. AI is supposed to give you what you want; we give you what you need.

We would call this the “annual” Attic Sale, but it’s not. We don’t do these every year. These make uncommon sense, like pushing a 5,000 lb rack of ASME cylinders across a carpeted floor (picture might be related).

And before you look too closely, the oil is covering the blood on my left hand, so, no, I’m not bleeding in this photo. I’m merely leaking oil.

So…. what does that mean?

Big sales. Weird sales. Set sails. Horse trading and cajoling, running and rolling, dignity notwithholdin’. Dive, jive, and feel alive, while you barter, as a self-starter, with the weather getting hotter. Come rain, sleet, or snow, we’ll be rocking and rolling, donchaknow? Slamming, jamming, moving, and grooving, as a wise man once said.

You get the idea. It’s a three-day sale where we completely debase ourselves for the people.

It is the most wonderful time of the year. Or maybe the most surreal. It’s Attic Sale Tyme.

Anyway, we took a little time to expand on some of the stuff we are absolutely going to try and foist on you this year.

We do it because we care. And because it’s fun.

We do it for the love of the game. We do it for the people.

You can also just show up for some free food, because it’s going all three days, and the only way to do the Attic Sale “wrong” is not to play.

Anyway, we love you all.

Let’s. Go. Attic Sale-ing.

Let’s. Go. Diving.

Table O’ Contents

Nobody loves the sound of their own voice, or the sight of their own words, more than we do. But if you don’t, we put together a handy table of contents so you can pick and choose where you want to go in this newsletter.

And you know what they say…. a newsletter is just a manifesto that hasn’t become a cult yet.

Yet.

Unrelated, but we are very excited to see you at the Attic Sale. If you can dive, you can jive, and you can show up and look at our treasures and wares. And our warehouse. And our sicrits.

  1. Tanks A Lot (Tank Deals)
  2. Drysuits? More Like “Fly”suits! (Self-Explanatory, We Hope)
  3. Case the Place (Things Associated with “Cases”)
  4. Staples (The Tried ‘n True Sales)
  5. Non-Diving Unessentials (Thing Completely Unrelated to Diving)
  6. Moonshots (Because You Miss 100% of the Shots You Don’t Take)
  7. What Did We Miss? What Didn’t We Miss? (Everything Else)
  8. Can You Take Me Hire? (We’re Hiring)
  9. Summer Vacation = Summer School (Upcoming Course Schedules)
  10. Trippin’ All Summer (Kayaker’s Cove and Fox Island Weekends)

SIKE! Shop Announcement First!

Did we get you good? We bet we got you good! Haaaaaaa!

We’re going to be closed Monday, May 25th for Memorial Day. Rentals are extended until Tuesday.

We know, we know, there are classes that day. Those are still happening. But the shop will be closed.

We love you all. Enjoy the long weekend.

And then come hang with us on Thursday.

Monthly Mixer will be that Thursday, May 28th.

1. Tanks A Lot (Tank Deals)

Everything in this category is tank-related. And we’re not talking Shermans, or the M1 Abrahams. Our tax stamp for owning a battle tank hasn’t come in yet. We’re talking compressed pressure vessels.

  • SCBA Garage/Trunk Tanks
    • We have a pile of SCBA cylinders that we’re not using. They’re like SCUBA tanks, but minus the “U”, you sea?
    • You can’t use them for diving. You shouldn’t use them for diving. But you can use them for just about everything else, including:
      • Blowing out your garage
      • Filling up your car tires
      • Making a very limited-run jacuzzi effect in your bath-tub
      • Driving pneumatic air tools
      • And more! And how!
      • Almost all the staff at Dive Alaska have one of these set-ups, and the applications are as broad as your imagination.
  • Tanks come filled with air, with recent hydro, and an adapter to DIN or Yoke, for $275 (while supplies last; if you want the tank standalone, it’s just $225).
  • For $66, you get a 22-piece garage air-tool kit, ready to screw into a regulator, and do everything from fill your tires, to blow out your shop, to drive your air tools.
    • You need to supply your own regulator, but we have plenty of those, too. We even have a bunch of used ones that are destined to never be used for diving service again. But you know what they are destined for? These tanks.
  • Used aluminum and steel tanks for days! We can’t really get a comprehensive list, as we keep finding them. Some are good for diving, some are good for argon, but all are for sale, until they aren’t!
  • Tech Diver’s Special: buy any set of double tanks or stage cylinder, and get your first gas fill half-off (trimix, oxygen, deco gasses).
  • Get Rec’d (recreational dubs): buy any set of doubles, and get a v-weight for $49 (because we’re the 49th state. We’re the first people to ever make a sale like that. Aren’t we zany?.)
  • BOGO Nitrox & Air Fill cards (no limit, fully transferable, go in with your friends)
  • BTGT Trimix Fills (that is not a clear acronym at all. Buy two, get three)
  • $20 *Project* Tanks (for projects, not for scoob)
  • Set the Stage: in-test, used AL80’s with stage rigging and MOD stickers for $379, air or 32% is free on first fill, 50% or 100% is half-off.

2. Drysuits? More Like “Fly”suits!

As a dive shop in Alaska, we pride ourselves on having an excellent stock of drysuits. But like too much pride, too many drysuits can bring about a fall, and we are more “drysuit” than “dive shop”.

Please humble us, and get some of these  out of here. This is our long-overdue cry for help.

  • Dive Alaska certified-refurbished Viking and Harding drysuits for only $1,200.
    • These are the perfect suits for dredging, dock work, or very, very specific kinks. They are durable, all come with new zippers and seals, and have been pressure-tested by the staff at Dive Alaska prior to sale.
    • Wanna dive in a tailings pond? This is the suit for you. Want to perform a Dexter-style operation on a carcass? Vulcanized rubber suits are for you.
    • If you’re only looking to recreational dive, don’t talk yourself into one of these. However….
  • Recreational diving drysuits starting at just $850. “Surely, you can’t get a new diving drysuit for that price!“, you say. And boy-howdy, would you be correct! That would be insane. We would just be hemorraghing money, and we all like having health insurance.
    • Which is why now is the perfect time to get guilt-tripped into buying a Dive Alaska refurbished drysuit. Whether it’s your first suit, or a backup, we are wheeling, dealing, and latex-sealing. Don’t like the price? Complain about it! Really complain, and we will probably move it.’
    • We are absolutely not going to regret adding that caveat!
  • With purchase of any in-stock drysuit:
    • Any desired changes or accessories installed for the cost of the part (no labor)
    • A verified pressure-test
    • A personalized “Drysuit Diver Jig”. We’re not sure what this is, but Josh is excited to show you.
  • Massive deals on in-stock undergarments, and even better deals on overstock ones. If you want to mix up your base layers, now is the time, and the best value you’re going to get.

3. Case the Place

  • Compact Emergency Oxygen kits for only $369.
    • Perfect to keep in your car, these come with a regulator, canulas, non-rebreather mask, mini first-aid kit, and hard-side case.
  • Full-size Emergency Oxygen kits starting at $600.
    • These are full-size, full-service kits, complete with Pelican case.
  • Military, Pelican, and Hardigg cases
    • Sized from everything for a drone, up to… well, a Predator drone, we blinked and ended up with so many hard-sided cases, they’re actually causing a physical storage problem on our shelves.
  • An Oxy-Egg! We aren’t 100% sure what it is, but you can buy it for $99! It’s vintage!
  • 40%-off select, in-stock luggage and travel bags.
  • You know what comes in cases? Compressors. And we will include a case to fit the purchase of any in-stock compressor, up to a case-value of $1,000. Or, we’ll just knock that value off the cost of the compressor.
  • Gas boosters also come in cases, and we’re selling personal, 110v, plug-n-play boosters for just $1,000! Boost anything you can put a first stage on, to anything you want at 3,000 PSI.
  • Decommissioned Saros oxygen concentrators. We don’t know what you’ll do with them, but you can buy it for $99! They make noises and light up! Like Eric!

4. Staples; Because We’re Easy

Pretty straight forward; these are some of the staple sales that always come out.

We’re not losing steam, we’ll catch our second-wind, but this is where AI would be nice.

But you’ll catch us solo-diving before you catch us using AI.

And you won’t catch us solo diving. We have too many buddies that we haven’t met yet.

  • Rental Regulator Sets from $555.55
  • Jacket-Style Rental BC’s starting at $312.49
  • Out-of-service first and second stages, starting at $20
  • $5, $10, $15, & $20 Masks
  • Rental Wetsuits starting at $62.50
  • $2, $4, & $6 Snorkels
  • $10 Dive Knives
  • $20 Bigger Knives
  • $1, $2, $3, and $4 Used Hoses

5. Non-Diving Unessentials (Things Completely Unrelated to Diving)

This category is for everything that a dive shop really doesn’t need, shouldn’t have, or doesn’t quite make sense.

  • Printer toner. Yep, printer toner. Sweet, on-brand, didn’t-check-the-part-number, printer toner.
  • $5 multi-tools
  • $2 folding knives, courtesy of your hometown TSA
  • Meat hooks. We don’t know where they came from, but they’re here.
  • Winter gear and a pair of boots that turned up like an Edgar Allen Poe poem.
  • Off-brand permanent markers for a quarter! Maybe two for a quarter!
  • 40%-off any in-stock analog watch (all new, all lovely gifts for someone, even if that someone is “you”)
  • Used Pace Edwards JackRabbit for $200. Fits a standard sized, 6’7″ Chevy/GMC truck bed. Has most of it’s parts.
  • Wired, heavy-duty tables for a classroom or shop for just $49. Like how we’re the 49th State. Because that’s where dreams are made.
  • There’s more. Oh, we promise, there’s more. We are a Scrapyard of Dreams, given to the Great Dive in the Sea. And we end up with some cool, completely unrelated knick-knacks (thanks, Cody!)

6. Moonshots (Because You Miss 100% of the Shots You Don’t Take)

You know what they say: shoot for the moon, and if you miss, you’ll drift alone in the cold expanse of space until the end of your days.

And you’ll be amongst the stars.

This section is for things we don’t actually plan on selling, but are offering for consideration nonetheless. Like that fancy painting at your favorite hipster coffee shop.

  • Sierra/Masterline Electric Gas Booster for $5,250. If you know, you know
    • Can be cleaned/converted for oxygen for an extra $1,000.
  • 2016 Bauer Maxi-Verticus. 3-Phase, 25 CFM, Complete System/Build for $17,500.
    • This is a beautiful and obscene compressor that is in good order, and was maintained bi-annually by a fire authority in California. Less than 1,00 hours when removed from service.
  • 1995 Bauer K-180, 3-Phase, 25 CFM, Complete System/Build for $5,750
    • This compressor has been maintained by us, and is the “work-horse” for the shop, despite having less than 600 hours.
  • LW 100 Electric Portable Compressor for $4,950 (almost a $2,000 discount)
    • An absolute unit of a portable compressor, comes with filter cartridges, oil, etc, and is the continuous-duty rated portable compressor on the market.
  • Complete, 4-position Fill Panel/Gas Mixing Panel for $1,500.
    • This was removed from a functioning fill station. $1,500 is the cost of the parts, but you get a panel. That’s deals. That’s dive. That’s jive.

7. What Did We Miss? What Didn’t We Miss? (Everything Else)

Pictured: what 11,000 lbs of Los Angeles Steel and Air Power look like. Also, a Kian. And a Big Rig Ron (slight leak).

This is starting to run long, so we’re going to shorten it. The only way to truly know everything for sale is to come to the shop for the actual blow-out, but this is more than we typically write up.

Set sail for the sale. Or whatever. We’re all outta steam. But you all are the best. See you soon, if not sooner!

  • Buy an in-stock BlackTip DPV, and get the $399 DPV Diver Tuition for freeeeee!
  • $125 3mm Overstock Wetsuits
  • Vintage Double Hose Regulators for $125. Maybe they work! Maybe they don’t!
  • 50%-off Select Full-Face Snorkels
  • 50%-off Select Freediving Fins/Pockets
  • TONS of freediving deals
  • $100-off Select, New 7mm Freediving Wetsuits. Thazza a Benjamin.
  • $45 Dry Bags
  • 25%-off Select Weight Harnesses
  • Reclaimed 4-ish lb Lead Weights for $20 p/weight

Food, Food, Food:

  • Burgers… we grill ‘em… you eat ‘em.
  • Dogs… you can bring yours, or eat our hot ones… but there will be dogs.
  • Do. Not. Like. The. Phrasing. Of. That. Last. One.

There’s so much more. We haven’t even mentioned the half of it, and like a supportive spouse, we always have more to give. Like televisions. Or a taxidermy duck. Or, like, eight iPhones. They work, and we don’t know where they came from.

All the weird stuff is coming when the cleaning starts.

And if you like weird stuff, we’re your weird stuff emporium.

Really need to work on our copy-writing and catch-phrases.

Or do we?

No, we definitely do.

8. Can You Take Me Hire?

This is probably as good of post as any to say that we’re hiring for full-time and part-time staff, for long-term positions.⁣⁣

Full-time includes:

  • Starting pay $17.50 p/hour, with tiered raises based on capacity⁣⁠
  • Health insurance⁣
  • Matching IRA⁣
  • Free dive training and education, through instructor and technical⁣⁠
  • Free equipment and/or at-cost discounts⁣⁠
  • Free travel and guiding opportunities ⁣
  • PTO (based on accumulated time)
  • Flexible scheduling
  • No cap on OT hours
  • Paid, on-the-job training
  • Learn how to sharpen machetes and other directly-applicable skills

It’s not a perfect job, but it’s an honest, exceptionally fun job. The work is diverse and you get to meet cool people.

You need to have some mechanical capacity, an ability to interact with people comfortably, and a strong attention to detail. Obviously, punctuality and the ability to seek out work matter as well.

If you’re not a diver… perfect. You don’t need to be a diver, or even passionate about diving, to work at the shop. But we would use an extra set or two of able hands, for what is hopefully a fun gig with a ton of opportunity to grow and learn everything from the diving industry, to how to make sure you keep oxygen from exploding.⁠

Love you all. ⁣⁣⁠

Resumes or inquiries can be sent to [email protected].⁣

Please include, 1) why you would think you would be a good fit, 2) availability for an interview, as well as work schedule, and 3) why you want to work here. It doesn’t need to be extensive or eloquent; we don’t care about that.

We’re just trying to get a bead on what we can do for you, and vice versa.

9. Summer Vacation = Summer School

It’s Summer School! Here’s a handful of classes in the middle-distance, if you’re looking to make some summer plans:

  • PADI Emergency First Response: Monday, June 1st
  • PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider: Monday, June 1st
  • PADI Rescue: Wednesday, June 3rd – Sunday, June 7th
  • PADI Open Water Referral: Wednesday, June 3rd – Sunday, June 7th
  • PADI Open Water & Drysuit: Wednesday, June 3rd – Sunday, June 14th
  • PADI Nitrox (Enriched Air): Monday, June 8th
  • PADI Drysuit: Thursday, June 11th – Sunday, June 14th
    • Thu – Fri (evenings) / Sun (morning-afternoon)
  • PADI Freediver: Wednesday, June 17th – Sunday, June 21st
    • Wed – Friday (evenings) / Sat – Sun (morning-afternoon)
  • PADI Open Water Referral: Wednesday, 17th – Sunday, June 21st
  • PADI Open Water & Drysuit: Wednesday, June 17th – Sunday, June 28th
  • PADI Wreck: Saturday, June 20th – Sunday, June 21st
  • PADI Drysuit: Thursday, June 25th – Sunday, June 28th
    • Thu – Fri (evenings) / Sun (morning-afternoon)
  • PADI Advanced Open Water: Saturday, June 27th – Sunday, June 28th

10. Trippin’ All Summer

Dive Alaska Shop Trip Weekends

It’s all so trippy, maaaaan. Here’s a couple of the shop trips in SC Alaska we’re running this summer. The Fox Island trips are obviously uncapped. We don’t own that island. We don’t own Kayaker’s Cove either, but there is a limit on space for those, so spots are first-come, first-serve.

  • Fox Island Overnighter: Saturday, June 20th – Sunday, June 21st
  • Kayaker’s Cove Weekend: Friday, July 24th – Sunday, July 26th
  • Fox Island Overnighter: Saturday, August 1st – Sunday, August 2nd
  • Kayaker’s Cove Weekend: Friday, August 14th – Sunday, August 16th

Here’s the deets on the diving meets (a sentence we will never use again):

Kayaker’s Cove:

  • Cost is $245 per/person, for two nights. Includes use of the whole property, sleeping quarters.
  • Price is for the whole weekend, Friday to Sunday, and does not change if you only come for one night.
  • Does not include water taxi (booked separately/indepently)
  • Both weekends offer the possibility for training. The first weekend will be hosting a two-day GUE Technical Fundamentals Upgrade course. The second weekend will be a Recreational Fundamentals course, for those who have never taken the class.
  • Non-diving family and friends are more than welcome; they do need to pay for their spot, but Kayaker’s is a phenomenal getaway to play, swim, kayak (no kidding) and more.
  • Pets are unfortunately not allowed. For all the rules, feel free to visit their website, or call the shop.

Fox Island Overnighters:

  • Cost is entirely free. Book your own water taxis.
  • Family and friends are always welcome, as are pets.
  • The highest attendance we’ve ever had at one of these things was 46 people. We can beat that this year. C’mon, let’s beat that this year!

Let’s. Go. Diving.

The Dive Alaska Monthly Mixer

For those who don’t know… on the last Thursday of every month, Dive Alaska hosts a “Monthly Mixer”.

Divers and non-divers alike are welcome, as are pets, friends, family, whoever. Food and drinks are provided, and contributions to the communal eats are always appreciated.

This is a very (sometimes exceedingly) informal opportunity to hang out with friends, make new dive buddies and plan, unwind after a long week, talk diving, chat about whatever, with whoever, and overall, just relax amongst like-minded company.

All are welcome, and we always love to see you there.

The Alaska “Just Go Diving Club”

If you’re on Facebook, and you’re an active local diver who always looking for a dive buddy, check out The Alaska “Just Go Diving” Club. It’s a space reserved purely for helping local Alaskan divers find dive buddies, and that purpose only.

This is group is explicitly not affiliated with any dive shop, instructor, or agenda. The sole purpose of The Alaska “Just Go Diving” Club to just go diving.