should a customer be charged for dropping and subsequently losing a weight belt?

[TSandM]

If the diver ditched weight in a self-rescue effort, as a diver operator, I would not charge for it (telling people they're going to suffer for trying to be safe is counterproductive). But a lost belt? You rented it, it was in your care and custody, it's your responsibility.

 

[SDAnderson]

You rent it (or borrow it) and it's yours for the duration. You have an obligation to return it. If you've lost it or broken it, it's your obligation to replace it.

Wasn't this one of the lessons we learned on the kindergarten playground?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

The only exception for this is if their was a failure in the equipment. Possibly if the boat crew/DM put the belt on the person or did the check.

Unless the diver is a disabled diver and has to have their weights put on any one who can't do something as simple as put a belt on correctly should not be diving. If the diver did not do a check even after the crew put it on then it's the diver's fault as well.

 

[underthedeepblue]

I am very suprised by these answers

Wouldn't one assume that in a sport like scuba dive shops would have their gear insured against loss for *whatever reason*??

Would a surfer/waterskier/jetskier/hang glider be charged for loss or damage to equipment and would the operator not be held responsible re insurance in this instance?

Seems very odd to hold guest 100% responsible given the precarious nature of diving with all the bits and pieces in open water/currents

The weight belt also came off on a dive at depth earlier in the week but the diver caught it and put it back on not knowing why and didn't analyze it as a poterntial future loss on future dive (weak buckle we think)

 

[ScubaSteve]

Seems very odd to hold guest 100% responsible given the precarious nature of diving with all the bits and pieces in open water/currents

:headscratch:....isn't that what the training is for? Or one reason for it anyways....

I think we now know why rebreather diving cave divers do not rent their rebreathers. The rebreather might get lost and not get reimbursed becuase it is too much to expect for the diver to keep control of their equipment.

I do hope you were just kidding. If yes, then ya got me

 

[Jax]

I am very suprised by these answers

Seriously? :huh:

Wouldn't one assume that in a sport like scuba dive shops would have their gear insured against loss for *whatever reason*??

The cost of such insurance would be astronomical. Like insuring a new teenage driver on a car.

Would a surfer/waterskier/jetskier/hang glider be charged for loss or damage to equipment and would the operator not be held responsible re insurance in this instance?

Why, yes, they would, unless the agreement states the insurance cost is part of the fee.

Seems very odd to hold guest 100% responsible given the precarious nature of diving with all the bits and pieces in open water/currents

Seriously?

The weight belt also came off on a dive at depth earlier in the week but the diver caught it and put it back on not knowing why and didn't analyze it as a poterntial future loss on future dive (weak buckle we think)

Sounds like the diver failed to check his / her equipment. As it already indicated a failure once, either the buckle was faulty (and the diver had already experienced it!) or the diver was engaging it improperly. Diver failure.

 

[mdax]

It's called personal responsibility.
Of course the diver should pay to replace gear they lost.
Why would the diver be entitled to free weight belts/weights?

 

[ScubaSteve]

Nope

All these answers are out of whack - hang-gliding/flying/surfing/jet skiers ops all have to be insured to cover themselves for loss and damage: expecting customers to cover costs in this instance is absurd. None of these answers make any sense whatsover.

You must be a very skilled diver if you are incapable of managing all that complicated equipment in a current. Thank god they do not let people like you fly commercial airliners......oh it's OK he crashed. You can't expect him to be able to manage all those knobs and dials in a turbulance can you? It's OK, we're insured.

 

[Surface Interval]

If the dive trip was all inclusive and included gear then if I did not sign something specifically stating otherwise, I would feel that a dropped belt would be covered.

--basically, that the shop would have it insured and could cover the cost of a lost weight belt.

Now if I lost more than one weight belt, then I would think it might be expected that it's user error and I would need to be charged replacement value for the second belt and probably recheck my weight belt bucklin' skills!

More expensive equipment such as a rented computer would most likely have a signed rental contract that user is responsible for replacement value.

I agree with the above post that a belt dropped due to safety should not be a forced reimbursement charge.

 

[Potapko]

Nope

All these answers are out of whack - hang-gliding/flying/surfing/jet skiers ops all have to be insured to cover themselves for loss and damage: expecting customers to cover costs in this instance is absurd. None of these answers make any sense whatsover.

Around here when you rent equipment you leave a deposit equal to half the value of the equipment. If you lose it or break it other than normal wear, you bought it.

If the diver in question didn't ask about equipment insurance, I would say they are certainly on the hotseat for the gear. If there was a problem with the buckle he should have demanded another belt.