Check out a dive center safety record

[rowgaf]

I am going on vacation soon and intend to try out some gear while diving, with a mind towards buying. I will be OW certified I am wondering if there was some way a diver who wanted to rent gear on vacation could check out the safety record of a Dive charter or dive center. I know DAN compiles diving injury reports but I called and they said they didn't have or provide, I forget which one, that info. I'm only asking because I was reading a thread discussing owning versus renting gear for a vacation diver. Any ideas?

 

[Saturation]

I am going on vacation soon and intend to try out some gear while diving, with a mind towards buying. I will be OW certified I am wondering if there was some way a diver who wanted to rent gear on vacation could check out the safety record of a Dive charter or dive center. I know DAN compiles diving injury reports but I called and they said they didn't have or provide, I forget which one, that info. I'm only asking because I was reading a thread discussing owning versus renting gear for a vacation diver. Any ideas?

If you're renting gear from a dive shop to take on a vacation, their reputation and your return to them as a repeat customer depends highly on their having good gear.

Generally, any US dive shop has good gear, it becomes iffy outside the US.

You can get best results by posting the dive shops you intend to rent from and wait for a reply from SB, someone may know about them.

However, I would buy gear if the total rent reached $500. Renting an entire rig, expect to pay about $30-50/day, and that could be close. Leisurepro.com sells entire warm water kits for under $500, without computers. If you use it once and toss it, it would be like renting. These regs and BC are fine for OW, zero current, warm water, max vis diving to 60' on tables. Fins and snorkel are extra.

http://s1059kxm.leisurepro.com/webapp/commerce/command/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=17979&prmenbr=946

http://s1059kxm.leisurepro.com/webapp/commerce/command/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=8762&prmenbr=946

If you're very new to scuba, find a divemaster willing to check out your gear for you for a good meal or tip.

Enjoy.

 

[JPBECK]

Ya good luck---There are no safety protocalls on rental gear---- Dive shops want you to buy gear, not rent it!!! They keep their rental crap---just that ----crap!

Why would they have good gear to rent ---you would have no reason to buy it yourself otherwise....

Besides you should own your own gear--- I never met a true Diver that did not own their own gear---- How long do you think it will take to burn out of diving if you dont own your own gear? No tlong I can tell you that!

 

[Bob3]

Where are you looking at traveling to?

 

[JPBECK]

I want a Viking Dry suit---- But I guess I will have to stick with my OS

 

[rowgaf]

Thanks for the responses. I intend to buy gear it's just that I keep hearing that I should rent, rent, beg, borrow, steal to find out what I really want before I buy.
I'm going to San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico and I've seen a couple of shops. A poster on this board had a very good experience with Ocean Sports Dive Center, they did their OW referral checkout dives through them, and I am leaning that way.

 

[simbrooks]

Thanks for the responses. I intend to buy gear it's just that I keep hearing that I should rent, rent, beg, borrow, steal to find out what I really want before I buy.
I'm going to San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico and I've seen a couple of shops. A poster on this board had a very good experience with Ocean Sports Dive Center, they did their OW referral checkout dives through them, and I am leaning that way.

Idealy try out a few things, reseach things that you find available and try them on if you can. If you cant find them, a leap of faith is reasonable IF you have a good idea what you might like. When are you going on this trip? Do you have time to get in a few dives before it? IF you are buying from an LDS, do they have rental versions of what you might like. Purchasing can be a large financial investment or a small one. Buying something as shown above from LP is an option if you are going to dive very recreationally in warm waters, if that is not your aim, then think of what else you might like to do and what is required for it, ask questions if you have to about your choices. I wouldnt just buy something for the sake of buying, evaluate if it meets your current and possibly future needs.

You said in your first post that you were vacationing to try out some gear, do you know what this place carries and how it might suit your diving?

 

[Fly N Dive]

not all rental is crap, some shops take pride in their equipment!!!

 

[rowgaf]

I was really asking if there was anyway to check out a dive center's safety record before I decided to dive with them. I intend to buy gear in the 3-4 months. I'm going on vacation at the end of June and I thought that the gear I rented at that time could help in making a decision. Let me say that I'm all over the place on my position on diving. After my classroom and pool sessions I was going to be a DM in a year. After checking around the boards and asking at places other than my LDS I've decided to take it easy. I want to evaluate more things but I was just wondering if there were some way to check out a dive center's safety record before I ran into a problem checking out all of this gear. I'd just want to know if the place I was renting from had a good record, on vacation or local.

 

[H2Andy]

"a dive center's safety record"

not sure what you mean. do you mean how many people have died or been injured
while diving under the auspices of said shop?

other than asking (good luck!), an exaustive search of local news, mostly available on the internet, is the only way i can think of if you don't live in the area, in which case ask local divers and try to get a feel for the shop.

or are you thinking of whether the shop consistently
sells good air and doesn't poison divers? asking local divers
and the competition might be a good way to find out this one (i am thinking outloud here...)

i am afraid that short of eyeballing the place, the quality of their staff, how they act when on the boat, their concern for safety, how seriously they take head counts (pre and post dive), etc., you won't really be able to "know."