Should all instructors really have ALL their own equipment?

[Bob DBF]

Haven't read the remaining 7 pages of this thread so this may have already been covered.

As PADI instructor when I finish the I.E (and get the paperwork) I am good to go as an independent instructor. I do not need a dive shop to operate from. All I need is my kit and away I go. For that reason I need personal kit as I can't afford to be an independent who rents his kit every time he has a course to teach. That may be different with SSI.

My daughter became a DM through SSI, my understanding is that with SSI you can only work if you are affiliated with a SSI shop. This was one reason she did a crossover to PADI. The OP may not understand that there are other ways to do business than what he has seen and is not open understanding those differences. Or he could be trolling for a lively discussion.

 

[aprivetera]

As I am still doing my PADI DM, I have just read the manual over again this weekend when I had some spare time. I do not see any rule specifically where its says " 3. As a DM you MUST own all your own gear and use it every time." Though it does mention that you are a professional and are expected to dive with the current gear used in the sport. Now I am a poli sci major way back when from undergrad (i.e. natural politician who does not want to be a politician) so i could convice you either way. But for me, interpreting what these books are telling me (think we call it here "good judgement" and "intention of the rule") i think it is safe to say that as a DM you should be expected to own a complete set of gear because you are going to be responsible for leading new and experienced divers when they ask you for help.

For me this does not mean that i must have the new (insert brand, model, piece of equipment) to be a DM, but I should have a set of something presentable, in good condition, that sets a good example. As I have said before, the rest of that is marketing and subject to the policies of the dive shop where you work/rent gear from. There is nothing in any of the rules mentioning that you must have what the LDS has.

If I am a independant professional carpenter, I may not have all the top of the line saws, drills, etc, but I should have A saw and A drill. If I am reasonably proficient and do this work often enough I will use these tools enough and buy a new piece of equipment now and then when the old piece is worn out and does not do a good job.

If I am a professional construction company, I will have my own equipment and hire people with the best skills to come and use my equipment because I want to ensure the best quality work is done, again, replacing when necessary.

If I am a handyman, I work with whatever is at hand at the moment.

For me, yes, I am buying now a full set of all my own gear. I have been going piece by piece for a few years now, but heck, I love diving and, yes, as a professional I believe that I should own the basics to perform my trade, whether I do it on the weeked or every day. Obviously what really matters is the quality of the service I provide to people who choose to dive with me, but I can get it done without a brand new set of equipment.

Back to the carpenter analogy, depending on what I need I will contact one of the three above. The question is what do YOU want to be or where YOU want to work for. Diving equipment is means to an end and sacrificing the means to reach the end is not how I roll/dive.

 

[doctormike]

There are two possible interpretations of the original question:

1) Should a person who has not purchased their own dive gear be an instructor or DM?

2) Should an LDS insist that an instructor or DM use a specific brand of dive gear? If so, is this to push sales or to minimize gear related confusion for new divers?


It seems that a lot of the posts here are based on disagreements between people who read the OP's question as #1 and people who read it as #2.

 

[TMHeimer]

There are two possible interpretations of the original question:

1) Should a person who has not purchased their own dive gear be an instructor or DM?

2) Should an LDS insist that an instructor or DM use a specific brand of dive gear? If so, is this to push sales or to minimize gear related confusion for new divers?


*************************************8

Right. I would say

1. No. Unless they could prove that they had the required number of dives--via a log. And that they rented equipment for all those dives (not likely--if you had that much $ to rent all those times you would have your own stuff).

2. No. Except if the owned equipment was not basic rec. diver stuff. Even then, any basic stuff should be OK no matter where it was bought.

 

[Hawkwood]

I go back to my point in Post #2. On a busy weekend in the summer around here, you would be poop out of luck to get equipment.....students come first...."staff" comes a very distant second.

 

[Bubble Junky]

There is nothing to say a pro diver MUST own his own personal equipment, but there is also nothing to say that a dive centre owner cannot insist on this as a requirement for employment.

 

[beanojones]

I'm a carpenter..... Can I borrow your hammer and saw?
I'm a mechanic..... Can I borrow your socket set?
I'm a farmer.... Can I borrow your tractor?
I'm a captain..... Can I borrow your boat?
Really?

One of these things is not even slightly like the other, and that is in fact the most dive related one.

 

[corvettejoe]

Hmm should I wear the bargain basement shop equipment and urine-soaked wetsuits or should I have my own kit?

Tough call

This is why I got all my stuff from almost day 1 as a new diver LOL.
Especially the wetsuit...blech. The thought of others peeing in them, and KNOWING that the LDSs usually just rinsed them out without a bleach bath is enough to turn my stomach. Or puking in regs, or having who knows what in the regs, or the regs coming out of who knows who's mouth.


To add to it... you need to be diving the same gear all the time to get muscle memory of where everything is when diving with people that have zero experience under water.

Not that it's bad diving in many different setups... BUT ...when you're in charge of other people's lives under water, grabbing for their feet as they ascend too fast and needing to go for your dump valve or needing to get them a reg in their mouth quick, etc... it's better to have gear you can just grab and do without even thinking about it vs "Oh man, I wonder where and if the dump valve works" or "I hope this octo works" or "I wonder if the tank monkey cleaned this wetsuit out before I put it on, it smells funky"

If you have your own stuff, you always know who last used it (you) and what condition it's in (hopefully well taken care of and serviced).

Professional mechanics/technicians all own their own tools... It shouldn't be any different for a professional diver.



Oh on the note of "being the same as the students"... my instructor dove in a backplate/wing in the hogarthian config. Myself and my buddies all had shop rental gear of all randomness. I don't ever recall being confused at anyone's configuration vs what I had on.

When I help teach OW.. I dive a backplate/wing with long hose. Not once has any student ever been confused about my setup vs theirs. It's "similar enough". People aren't THAT dumb.