Got My DM - But I Don't Want to Dive "This Way"...

[Peter Guy]

RFrank -- A simple question -- did you read my last post? This is NOT an issue about "the shop" demanding that I (or anyone else) dive the same gear as the students (the shop's rental gear) -- which is what I wrote. As many people have written, they dive one gear setup in the pool but have different gear for OW. (As I wrote, all, or almost all, of the teaching staff dive different gear in the pool than in the Sound -- if only because they don't want to "chlorinate" their "good" gear!)

It is just a PITA to change over my pool gear to cold water gear. (Note -- I only have 3 sets of regs -- a cheap pool reg (unbalanced, no dry suit hose, AirSource inflator hose; I'm not all sure it wouldn't freeze under an air share in our water); good singles rig (sold by the LDS, set up for dry suit, "normal" inflator lp hose and unlikely to freeze if I'm forced to share air in our water, long hose primary & has a secondary reg); doubles set up (not relevant here). OK -- I'm being a good boy and I've switched my regs/hoses, etc. -- but for what purpose? I'm still diving gear that is different from what the students have (they don't have an AirSource, they are in jacket BC's, they have air integrated computers different from mine -- shop sells both -- they don't have the same type of fins).

Why the snarls about the snorkel? Well, for one, I don't believe any student should be using a snorkel in our waters -- it just gets in the way of grabbing the inflator and is otherwise totally useless. We do our surface swimming on our backs (can't see anything anyway from the surface); with an MOD of 6 inches, it isn't worth much for the dive. And, of course, you can't use a long hose with a snorkel on the mask -- and I believe that being able to donate a long hose to a student will have a lot more benefit than showing them I can put a useless piece of plastic on the side of my head. (And yes, I am aware there might be another opinion on this.)

Oh, and to the person who asked about who paid for my DM insurance -- what a silly question! The only thing the LDS is supplying me is a filled tank for the pool work. (I've heard that if I work free for a year I might get discounts on gear purchases as my reward.)

 

[Thalassamania]

Why the snarls about the snorkel? Well, for one, I don't believe any student should be using a snorkel in our waters -- it just gets in the way of grabbing the inflator and is otherwise totally useless. We do our surface swimming on our backs (can't see anything anyway from the surface); with an MOD of 6 inches, it isn't worth much for the dive. And, of course, you can't use a long hose with a snorkel on the mask -- and I believe that being able to donate a long hose to a student will have a lot more benefit than showing them I can put a useless piece of plastic on the side of my head. (And yes, I am aware there might be another opinion on this.)

There is, I have no problem using a long hose with a snorkel and my snorkel does not get in the way of my using my inflator. That said, I tend to swim face down and use my snorkel ... but I'd have no problem with you swimming on your back and keeping it in your pocket.

 

[ArcticDiver]

This has been very interesting for me to read -- both for the information and for the misunderstandings.

FOR THE RECORD:

a. The shop owner has not said one word to me about this -- ever. The only conversation I've had with paid staff about gear was that it is hoped that all DM's, AI's, I's will encourage students to shop at the store AND that they not bad mouth any of the gear. It has been specifically stated that it is shop policy NOT to require "teaching staff" to use only gear from the shop.

b. My instructor does not dive the same gear in OW as he dives in the pool (in fact, the standard practice is that pool gear is different from OW gear for all teaching staff!). I know that some of the gear my instructor uses in OW is NOT sold by the shop -- but probably most is (although I couldn't tell you what BCD he dives or reg he uses).

c. Since I'm doing this just for kicks, I'll see how it goes and if I don't like the restrictions, I'll just quietly walk away -- no harm, no foul. IF, later, some one asks me why, I'll tell them. Of course the DM "works for" the Instructor and must conform to his wishes -- my only decision is whether to accept his requirements. And, for me, that will be a simple decision to make.

Contrary to the poster who wrote "The solution is conformity" I believe the solution is to find a situation that fits me. (As my wife knows, I've never been one to "conform" -- it just doesn't fit my personality!)

Peter: Thanks for the clarification. Until this post I thought it was a problem of being willing to accept "the bosses" desires. Instead it appears you are just trying to sort out your feelings on the GCC issue.

Isn't it funny how much stress our kit configurations cause? And it doesn't seem to matter where a person is. Reminds me of a bunch of horse farmers arguing over which horese is "better".

 

[Nemrod]

There is a simple soltion, just go dive. Leave the DM stuff to somebody who draws a salary from the "shop" instead of you paying your money and using your time and your efforts to nanny their customers.

Sure, it is fun to mentor a new diver(s) but to be always under the gun at your expense for some "shop," why bother with that. You and your wife, just go dive, you got a new boat, enough money and time to have some fun, go do it.

N

 

[--tom--]

Then consider this an invitation to come dive in Puget Sound ... you'll find lots of people here in BP/W's ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I want to know 2 things:
1. How do I get a piece of this invite
2. Do you think my Monterey diving is okay preparation for the Sound?

I gotta go. I've got to get ready for a dive at Pt. Lobos this weekend.

--tom--

 

[1_T_Submariner]

Wow 10 pages in one day I guess that shows how heated disscussions like this are.

I haven't read all of the posts but here is my take.
If possible find a shop that agrees with your style, values etc... If not then I think by reading some of the posts that you gained by taking the DM course and maybe mentoring new divers would be more what you are looking for and not helping with OW classes.

 

[Cacia]

I don't believe any student should be using a snorkel in our waters -- it just gets in the way of grabbing the inflator and is otherwise totally useless. We do our surface swimming on our backs

You don't think you'd ever do a survival float? ....people are 50/50 on that.

Nemrod, you are not very subtle. I always love your answers.

Wow 10 pages in one day I guess that shows how heated disscussions like this are.

Well, at least you see why they are married. They give good thread.

Seriously, their threads go for five years. You all need to buy a boat, and call all your own shots. Pick your divers, pick your conditions, your gear--everything. You are perfect candidates to be in total charge of yourselves and your diving. Heck, you can even pick your own dive gurus. So...that is my question. Why haven't ya'll just bought a boat?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I want to know 2 things:
1. How do I get a piece of this invite
2. Do you think my Monterey diving is okay preparation for the Sound?

I gotta go. I've got to get ready for a dive at Pt. Lobos this weekend.

--tom--

1. You buy the ticket, I'll provide the tanks ...
2. Definitely ... although after Monterey you'll probably be disappointed. We don't have anything that I'd say compares to Pt. Lobos ... although Neah Bay and some of the better San Juan Island dives come close on a good day.

Gotta make my way back down there sometime ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

You don't think you'd ever do a survival float? ....people are 50/50 on that.

Not likely in Puget Sound. Peter's right about the snorkel ... conditions here rarely make it a sensible piece of equipment to bring out with you. And if I only had a dollar for every time I've seen a new diver reach for their BCD inflator and end up grabbing their snorkel ... the downsides just aren't worth the upsides ... not in our waters..

Well, at least you see why they are married. They give good thread.

Seriously, their threads go for five years. You all need to buy a boat, and call all your own shots. Pick your divers, pick your conditions, your gear--everything. You are perfect candidates to be in total charge of yourselves and your diving. Heck, you can even pick your own dive gurus. So...that is my question. Why haven't ya'll just bought a boat?

But they HAVE a boat ...

I just got in from a dive with my buddies ... and when we got back in I noticed the Borgmobile in the parking lot ... so they're out taking Nemrod's advice, even as I type this ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[TheHobster]

man I went to bed early last night and missed this!! as a "shop" instructor your professionalism includes wearing what the shop sells when in front of students. So want a BP/W setup??Do what I did and get a Hollis harness with 25lb bladder for pool and rec dives, and wear your BP/W in OW. simple

absent Hollis a DR Transpac etc