Do NOT do any business with EZ SCUBA in Tampa

[stinggirl]

msscuba
Anytime you would like, let's go dive and work on your weighting, trim and whatever else you want to work on or talk about. You are welcome to bring along whoever you would like to. That's a standing offer. almtree: Bob

Thank you so much for the offer. I tell you, the divers on this board are great people. I will keep you in mind also.

 

[Dive-aholic]

I told them MANY times that I am new and need ALOT of help.

Unfortunately, that's the case for way too many new OW divers these days. Being new shouldn't mean you need a lot of help. If you were properly trained, you should be able to go out with a buddy and plan and execute your own dives without the assistance of anyone else. That's not to say that you shouldn't seek out good mentors - you should. But you shouldn't need to seek out assistance to dive. I can't claim to have had the best OW training when I was certified, but the next several dozen dives were just me and my wife. The first one in the cove we were certified in. The next several in lakes we had never been to and couldn't get any information on local conditions from anyone else. We simply went to the lakes and went diving. There was a lot of trial and error on the weighting at first. Heck, even now we still have some trial and error when we get new suits, new gear, etc. There's no magic formula, but you should at least have been taught how to get in the ballpark. Apparently you weren't.

As for EZScuba, it seems their main issue is poor customer service. But, from what I've come across over most of the country, this seems to be more the norm than the exception.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Unfortunately, that's the case for way too many new OW divers these days. Being new shouldn't mean you need a lot of help. If you were properly trained, you should be able to go out with a buddy and plan and execute your own dives without the assistance of anyone else........

To msscuba's defense, the statement that you highlighted in your reply was simply a statment that was implying she needed a lot of help with equipment. I do not think (therefore I may have missed something) there was any implication that she was unable to plan or execute a simple dive. I do recall that she mentioned she was looking to dive the salt water world for the first time which is why the difference in equipment. I think it is absolutely normal for a new diver to have a thousand questions about gear when they first buy it. I do agree that the basic formula for weighting a diver should have been taught as part of the open water certification because it gets you at least close in most cases. It does all fall down to check out dives which allow us to confirm weighting and even weight location/dispersion. However, for a new diver to go into a store and say "I am a newly certified diver and I want to dive in the ocean for the first time......" I think it is a valid question. I also think that it is only smart to NOT plan a dive in a new environment (like ocean for the first time) without much hesitation or even not at all without a guide for the first time. I see no problem with this for a brand new diver. If she had been certified in that spot, then I say go out and have fun. She was not so I say be cautious and ask lots of questions (which brought us here).

Without having heard the other side of the story (it could easily change my viewpoint), shame on EZ Scuba for just pushing her out the door. Yes, 30# may seem like a lot, but perhaps they had a reason (besides "not caring") behind the decision. What increments were the weights? If there was lots of different sizes, they perhaps they figured it was a good investment in future weight shifts and trim adjustments at $2.50/lb (or so). I know my weight carried has dropped a lot since I certified and I was thankful I knowingly bought too much weight so that I could drop the weight incrementally while still having the ability to adjust trim as required.

Until they show up, we will never know everything that transpired or what there reasoning may have been. Some will just jump to say they are the worst people on the planet and others will wait before passing complete judgement.

 

[GulfCoastdiver]

I have been reading a lot about this "secret formula" for figuring out the weight you need, I wish someone would just post this "secret formula" because I would love to know what it is. I know how much weight I need w/wo a suit and when I got my cert (a long, long, long time ago) we (my class) where told we would need near 10% of our bodyweight and that would be close, then depending on body fat we may need +/- a little bit.

 

[EZ Scuba]

Thanks for bringing this situtation to my attention. I have spoken with Rachel and she has been taken care of and I hope that ANY needs or problems would be brought to my attention so that I can make thing right. If there is anything I can do to help SB members, please call me. Thanks again.

Eric Zimmerman
EZ Scuba Diving
813 887 5712
Scuba Florida, Scuba Diving Equipment Tampa, Kayak Dive Florida!

 

[letterboy]

So what did he do to make it right?

 

[DivingPrincessE]

Yeah...that was kind of a lame response. No explanation for why the reg failed...or why the shop sold her so much weight when she said she clearly asked how much weight she would need to dive in the ocean with only a skin??

Not much of a response...

 

[ScubaSteve]

..........Some will just jump to say they are the worst people on the planet and others will wait before passing complete judgement.

Thanks for bringing this situtation to my attention. I have spoken with Rachel and she has been taken care of and I hope that ANY needs or problems would be brought to my attention so that I can make thing right. If there is anything I can do to help SB members, please call me. Thanks again.

Eric Zimmerman
EZ Scuba Diving
813 887 5712
Scuba Florida, Scuba Diving Equipment Tampa, Kayak Dive Florida!

Well, I was one to hold off on judgment but with a response like this, I think perhaps I will switch sides. The lack of information in the response seems to scream avoidance in my mind. Oh well, I guess it is a good thing I am not in Tampa.

 

[EZ Scuba]

Judgement before Inquest?
The customer is happy, what else would you like to know?

 

[DivingPrincessE]

Why did her reg fail? Did you all really blame the customer for not up keeping your equipment? If so, why would you do something like that? What rational did you have for selling her so much weight when she was asked how much she would need to dive in the ocean with a skin? Does your shop really sell new divers more equipment than they need?

Why did it take a thread on SB to make you all do right by the customer, since you obviously weren't going to make the "customer happy" before reading this?