Eco Dive Center Bad Experience for New Diver

[ChrisA]

I simply cannot believe that an instructor would tell any story about taking hard drugs while scuba diving, but narcosis and hard drugs can be compared. Just try 150 feet on air.

I lot of people will joke like that. Say something totaly off the wall as if it were true. Like underwater coke snorting or diving on acid. Sometimes it's hard to sort out if it's real or a joke. Maybe the best joke is one that leaves you guessing. There are some of us who will say things like "No thermocline even at 80 feet and we were getting rides on a pod of whale sharkes till we got bored and noticed the dophins" to mean "it was F'ing cold and nothing to see but bare white sand"

 

[jbichsel]

Tough experience, bella.

Dive instruction is just a business, like any other. If you were treated this way by any other service business (say, like the auto mechanic) you would vote with your feet and your wallet.

You should do the same here. Plenty of other fish in the sea; plenty of other dive shops in LA.

Good reply, good analogy, good advice.

 

[Humongous]

Bella, you're not alone......

http://www.ScubaBoard.com/showthread.php?t=152176&referrerid=47358

Hmmmm is there a pattern here?

 

[Jamie_r]

I dont understand how shops like this and some of the "less then 5 star" resort training can continue to operate, it always seems to be blamed on the diver for acciendts, but maybe sometimes the diver never recived the proper training?

Then again if ChrisA is right it may just be a missunderstood thing, but nontheless if your not comfertable with this, is there any other courses you can take?

 

[Jibby]

I have never been in Eco Divers but I know I never will. How he is described by the original poster is how I found him to be.

I met Ron a few years ago at another dive shop where he was an instructor.Even then, he was rude and unprofessional. His jokes were degrading and disrespectful. I let the owner of the shop know how I felt about him and Ron surely knew how I felt. I was very close to never going into that particular shop again but he left to open his own.

If you're looking for a good shop on the westside, I can recommend OceanAdventures. The owner, Steve is a good guy and good businessman. Customer service is very important to him.

Jibby

 

[bellabubbles]

Uhmmm.... usually a new member posts on the Introductions and Greets section and introduces them selves... not jumping out of the stall with gun's a blazing

I'm sorry if I came out with my "gun's blazing and didn't introduce myself". I've never really used a chat board before and was just trying to find a way to express my concerns to any other tentative divers and I found this board through google. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[bellabubbles]

If your going to slam the bad stores why not tell us who you liked as well.

Randy

Good point! One of the instructors that I worked with was outside of the country after this. Hollywood Divers has been great they're on Ventura Blvd. Also, I worked with another shop regarding advanced diver classes, I'll have to get back on that one.

 

[DandyDon]

I'm sorry if I came out with my "gun's blazing and didn't introduce myself". I've never really used a chat board before and was just trying to find a way to express my concerns to any other tentative divers and I found this board through google. Thanks for the feedback!

Welcome to SB, Bella. Mosey over to Introductions forum and post one if you'd like, so we can welcome you more appropriately.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. It can look a little suspicious for a bran new member to post only a bad report on a business in the first post - with no profile. It can be a natural thing or it can be a competitor wanting to do damage. We have seen both happen here.

I understand the desire for anonymity, tho. I have posted on bad experiences, only to be thrashed by friends of the business I criticized. Sometimes I wish I was more anonymous here. I talked to a fellow last week, too, who needed to change his SN, as every time he posted something - a SB lurker who worked at this favorite dive shop would jump him about his posts next time he saw him.

Anyway, please understand why some may question the thread, except in this case - I think we've had other bad reports. Hang out here more, and join your local dive club forum, and you'll hear more about the good, bad, and ugly.

 

[TrojanCatMan]

I dont understand how shops like this and some of the "less then 5 star" resort training can continue to operate, it always seems to be blamed on the diver for acciendts, but maybe sometimes the diver never recived the proper training?

Then again if ChrisA is right it may just be a missunderstood thing, but nontheless if your not comfertable with this, is there any other courses you can take?

What accidents? Eco blamed a diver for the accident unjustly? I'm interested in learning more. Feel free to PM me if you dont want to post it.

 

[Jamie_r]

What accidents? Eco blamed a diver for the accident unjustly? I'm interested in learning more. Feel free to PM me if you dont want to post it.

Sorry, I should have worded this better, What I ment was that when we hear of accidnets, they (they being media) usually points the finger towards the diver, and not being experienced enough and not following the rules, and what I ment was maybe more accidents happen because divers arent trained properly.

Sorry for the confusion

Jamie