lord khram
Contributor
LK, a check dive isn't necessary as long as you are using all of your own facilities, equipment, boat, emergency medical materials and so on. When you contract with a dive operator to use its facilities, boats, equipment, medical materials, etc., the contract may stipulate that you meet certain requirements, among which a check dive. If you don't like the terms of the operator's contract, don't enter into it. Simple as that! But don't be miffed if you are refused service because you won't comply with the terms.
Just because certain shops chose to operate in this fashion, it doesn't necesarilly mean it is the best way for all of their customers. As you suggest, on numerous occasions I have indeed declined to dive with operators that have made such stipulations and will do so again in the future should I find myself in that situation again. Generaly speaking I only have to walk up the road to find another operator who does not find it necessary for me to waste my time and money on futile exercises. Each dive operator has its free choice to stipulate their terms and conditions as indeed each customer is not compelled to subscribe to their nonsense.
---------- Post added May 7th, 2012 at 02:23 PM ----------
Yes, but in these cases common sense requires that somebody in the diveshop knows what they are talking about
I would agree, this can be a problem.