Dive shop requirements for equipment purchases

[blc]

First I am an older diver who is starting back diving with 25 year laspe. I dived for about twenty years before I quit.I do not have certifications of any type now, however I firmly plan to get re-certified before I begin diving again.

My plan is to purchase all my dive equipment before I begin the course so I will be using my own equipment. As i am familar with the equiment I am most comfortaable with I visited a local shop to discuss certifications and purhasing equipment prior to beginning the course.

I was told, by the co-owner of the shop, a woman I will not name or reveal the shop, that she could not sell me "life support equipment" (BCD & Regulars) until I became certified or actually signed up for the course. I very politely told her I thought she was mistaken and that she could sell anything but air refills. I politely asked her if this this her shop policy which I would respect or if she was referring to some legal requirement. She told me it was not shop policy but it was a "requirement". By whom she would not say.

My concern is, is she correct? Is this some sort of legal or PADI requirement ? If so how do all the internet sales sites get around it?

I can respect a shops decision and their policy not to sale equipment without certs if that is their decision and estabished policy, however I get the feeling its just a gimmick to ensure i sign up for their certification program(which i probably would if they sold me the equipment). I do not respect a shop that will maybe lead me to beleive its sort of legal requirement if it is not?

I could very happily purchase all my equipment on the internet, and probably save a few bucks, but I firmly beleive in supporting live storefronts and the support service/warranty they offer in the long run.

Should I move on to another shop or is this indeed a requirement? And dont just say go ahead and sign up for the course, you are going to do it anyway, as I dont like the feeling of being railroaded.

Thanks

 

[TMHeimer]

As far as I know, she is wrong, you are correct. I bought all my stuff, including tank before certified (I was doing the course there, but I don't think that matters). Am curious--you said you need to get re-certified. If you were certified back then, it doesn't expire. Of course doing the OW course again is the best idea, or at the very least a "Scuba Review".

 

[triplecove]

It looks like you have been introduced to the way alot of LDS's do business. I too had a long sebaticle from diving and when I returned I found most shops in my area have a very bad habit of refusing to service any equipment not bought in their store or they atempt to extort you to replace equipment that is perfectly safe and reliable (my son went to join a LDS dive club and was told unless he could produce all the service records from his reg set and bcd he could not dive with the group, though he was welcome to purchase/rent for the dives). Dive shops are in a struggle with the new reality that internet sales are here to stay and the sooner they embrace them the better.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I too bought all my initial gear before the start of my 1st class from my local dive shop. I did this the first time I walked in the shop. (and have always been glad I did)
DivemasterDennis

 

[Diver0001]

I was told, by the co-owner of the shop, a woman I will not name or reveal the shop, that she could not sell me "life support equipment" (BCD & Regulars) until I became certified or actually signed up for the course. I very politely told her I thought she was mistaken and that she could sell anything but air refills. I politely asked her if this this her shop policy which I would respect or if she was referring to some legal requirement. She told me it was not shop policy but it was a "requirement". By whom she would not say.

My concern is, is she correct? Is this some sort of legal or PADI requirement ? If so how do all the internet sales sites get around it?

She's mistaken. Your wife, grandma or even your 3 year old kid can buy diving gear for you as a present. Being certified is not a requirement for purchasing.

If you want to *rent* diving equipment then you need to show certification. Same goes for getting tanks filled.

R..

 

[Them]

I don't think it is a legit requirement. I know it's not a PADI requirement or anything like that. It may be coming from their insurance but most likely it's just that they are trying to push you into signing up for the course. The only bit of gear I've purchased where the shop wanted to see a C-Card was my tank, and that was about the air in the tank, not the tank itself.

I would see it as a mark against the shop and would look for another...but I wouldn't burn bridges in the process. You may find that on balance it's your best choice even with the rules.

 

[redacted]

she may honestly believe she is correct; but she is wrong. btw, there is no legal prohibition against an lds selling air to uncertified divers. most shops have modified their policies to profit from the paint-ball market by requiring the customer to sign a waiver [insurance requirement, not law].

her position waves a yellow flag with me. stupid shops are rarely good shops.

 

[Wookie]

Thankfully, there is no such thing as "Scuba Police". You may buy almost anything you like in this country without governmental or "rule" intervention. It is barely possible that she has a clause in her insurance that prohibits such sales, but if so, I've never heard of such a thing. It's one of those urban legends among dive shops that seem to permeate the industry. I wonder if she would let you buy a regulator for your son for his birthday, but I digress.

If you have a choice for using another dive shop, I would do so. If she makes up caca about buying gear, what else will she make up stuff about? If not, I'd find the instructor that will teach your class and have a long chat with him/her and make sure you will be comfortable with their teaching skills. There are a lot of bad instructors out there, and bad instructors and bad shops seem to find each other....

Good luck in your quest. I did the same thing many years ago, I showed up for OW class with all of my own gear. I was certified on a military base, so I didn't have any troubles with the other dive shop misconception "you have to buy your gear here or else we can't teach you to dive. Our instructors might not be familiar with your gear". If you find an instructor that can't teach you in your choice of gear, you need a new instructor.

 

[OldNSalty]

I hope that isn't the only shop near you.

If they have a policy like that then they made the choice for me and I would thank them, especially if they carry the gear I like. I would go in, try it all out for size and then go home and buy it from my favorite online retailer. Hell, I might even sign up for the class after my gear came in just to show them that bad policy cost money.

 

[The Chairman]

Some manufacturers require this, but not all. That being said, while there are no Scuba Police, store owners often act in a way to minimize their liability. IOW, in their eyes it IS a requirement because if you had an accident and it turned out that they sold gear to an un-certified diver, they might be held liable in an American Court of Law. This is even more true because you made a point of confessing that you're not certified.

A shop owner here in the Keys had a potential student come in to her shop. When she filled out her medical questionnaire, she indicated that she had some sort of medical issue. The shop owner explained to this woman that she would then need a doctor's clearance in order to continue classes. The response was to let her re-do the questionnaire. Too late. Once the shop owner became aware of the problem, she became bound to require the clearance. Like the shop owner you visited she would LOVE to sell the class and the gear. But responsibility and reason dictate a different response. Rather than make a quick sale, your shop owner put her responsibility ahead of pecuniary benefits and that's a good thing.

Here's a thought. Ask them if you can buy the gear AND the class simultaneously. Even allow them to keep the gear at their shop until such time as you get certified but you get to use it during class. This way, you'll get the gear and the instruction from someone who puts your safety over their profits. Not a bad deal and quite often they will discount the gear and/or the class when you do it this way.