Little service or support is available by mail order, and a regulator that is not purchased locally may not be able to be serviced locally and may have no warranty. The least expensive is not necessarily the best buy. Retail dive stores have been the focal point of local dive support since recreational diving became popular. Your local dive store can provide instruction, dive travel, local dives, inspection and repair services, compressed air, rental equipment, equipment advice and the opportunity to look at, feel, compare, and test equipment before purchase. In addition, the store can back up products immediately if necessary.
Personal contact is also an important part of a dive store's value.
Of particular importance with regulators is what the store can do to provide you with a complete and correct regulator set up that connects to your BC's inflator, dry suit, air-integrated instrument console, etc. In short, a dive store is in a unique position to provide the service and support you need and should expect.