Have You Outgrown Your Dive Shop?

[chillyinCanada]

Many years ago, I was with a shop that had a dynamic owner. The owner was quite the marketer/promoter and I had no problem with that.

I went on many trips with them and often shared a room with the owner. Eventually, I started to become somewhat disenchanted as I noticed the practice of some bait and switch and various other irregularities. I started traveling more on my own and less with the shop, though I also still dove with them too. I had believed myself to be a genuine friend of the owner, which was my big mistake. After returning home from a trip that the owner had completely screwed up, whether through incompetence or the propensity to slice off more and more, I received an email telling me that due to a miscalculation on the owner's part, I owed another $20. After buying hundreds of dollars of gear and thousands of dollars on trips and supporting the shop in many other ways, that was it for me. The owner got the $20 and then I left the shop, never to return nor say another good word.

Such a shame that the owner hadn't used those dynamic powers for good but instead, courted each new "revenue stream" as the new good friend, until they twigged or another "new revenue stream" walked into the shop.

In the end, the shop screwed everybody over, leaving in the dark and skipped the country with everyone's goods and money. Both suppliers and purchasers waiting on paid orders were all left holding the proverbial bag.

The owner had skills that could have turned the shop into a huge successful enterprise but apparently, the energy and big ideas weren't adequate for a swindler and a thief.

But I digress.

 

[BoltSnap]

Three months or so ago I spent about three hours in the shop pool trying to get rid of a nagging second stage tug.

I was told that it was from my heavy steel conshelf seconds.

I still appreciate all that they have done for me, but those kinds of cookie cutter comments will eventually run me off if they don't cease. Because, if they don't cease I will take it as a confirmed indicator that there is no relationship and it is all business for them.

You spent three hours in their pool and you still complain about remarks or advice you get for free? Amazing.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Dive shops do want / take control if they can (at least the ones that I have been to in my very limited experience). I feel like the LDS that I started at felt like I owed them after they were gracious enough to provide me with certs (that I paid for). Certs that were bare minimum at best.

Both of my LDS talk s**t about the other. I decided to not go to the one because I heard the guy behind the counter bragging to a co worker that he just sold that girl $400 worth of s**t. And that was on my first day there!!! The girl in question had no idea what she just bought, and never tried anything on???

The shop that I got my certs at scolded me for having my wife show up to her OW class with fins not bought through the shop. I got the "support your shop" speech. Really tried to make me feel bad (and for a little bit it worked, it felt like I was going to get kicked out of "the club").

Listen, I'm grateful that I've been given a license to go jump in the water and kill myself, but no where did I sign up to be obligated to spend my money or gain knowledge at any one certain place. There's an entire world out there, and anyone who thinks that any one place is the end all be all to diving has blinders on...

I have a news flash to any LDS shop out there. Instead of making it about the money, make it about DIVING and the money will come! Make better DIVERS instead of just another paycheck and money will fall from the skies...

Sorry, question was do I think I've outgrown my shop. Yes I do. I think their business model is stuck in the 80's or 90's when you didn't have a choice.

And sorry for the rant, still working on the first cup of coffee.

 

[J-Vo]

Maybe the mods would prefer to move this to the advanced forum or elsewhere?

I think these are questions that basic divers need to know exist. Even if they can't answer them yet.

These concerns are why my LDS is my garage.

 

[boulderjohn]

I think these are questions that basic divers need to know exist. Even if they can't answer them yet.

These concerns are why my LDS is my garage.

Living as he does in Colorado, Josh is experiencing what divers in much of the United States experience. With little to no decent local diving, the overwhelming majority of the diving population dives only on out-of-state vacations. That pretty much means coral reefs. That puts dive shops in something of a bind, a bind that I have experienced all too much myself.

They note that the market for advanced and technical diving is pretty darn small, and they further note that to serve that market, they will have to invest in some infrastructure. They will have to carry an inventory of gear that may not sell much at all. They will have to teach low enrollment classes, and the money they make from teaching comes when they have one instructor teaching a bunch of students. They therefore decide that they aren't going to do it. They aren't going to carry that gear. They aren't going to offer those classes.

If you go into such a shop, the odds are that the employee helping you has no idea about more advanced diving. That employee will try to steer you to the gear they sell, not the gear that they have decided not to sell. You will get misinformation, and not all of it is intentional. They are just passing on myths that they have heard and believed themselves. It's hard to blame them. They are just trying to make a living.

As a technical instructor living in such a world, I have had to make some tough decisions. I have had to invest in the infrastructure to serve that market. I don't sell gear, so I make no money there. I teach low enrollment classes in far off locations, with my expenses often exceeding my income. It is no way to make a living, and I can only do it because I am retired from real work and do not have to feed my family through instruction.

 

[BoltSnap]

So you folks expect when you walk in a Mercedes dealer, they would not sell you a Mercedes but offer a BMW or Kia instead??

 

[sigxbill]

Trace - I definitely relate to this post. I have outgrown many shops, and even some agencies. I have tried hard to continue with one local shop in particular, but their eco system is so closed that it is unethical for me to dive with them ...

 

[EireDiver606]

My shops counter guy as I call him, (not the owner) and I have a small friendship, because I walked in there by myself at age 15 and bought snorkeling gear. He has literally seen me progress through my diving to getting 2.1m hoses etc. When I got my wing and regulators online and not off the shop, he said “ah, why didn’t you get it off us?! You’re getting me out of a job!” in a sort of annoyed slightly but not too serious way. I didn’t mind.

For the people why go in to dive shops and listen to everything the dive shop and then they come out 500€ of gear, I’m sorry but that’s their fault for buying that gear. When I was even 15, I saved up for my gear and research it online to get good quality gear.

I will be moving abroad next year and therefore won’t be employing my dive shop but yes, if I stayed at home, because they don’t offer good Drysuit, double wings or canister lights which I will need in the future.

Overall though I am quite happy with my shop and because I buy their gear they give me small discounts like 10-20% sometimes!

 

[JBFG]

I love the question Trace.
Because of my military job I move a lot and therefore have/had? A lot of shops.

I find that I outgrew most of them really quickly. I classify the shops into categories: amateur and professional.

The amateur shop is the one that will push you to buy new gear as you have something they don’t sell. I do it know how many times I was told that my back plate was junk and that I needed the newest mares jacket as it was far more superior. Additionally the same shop want me to do a lot of courses in my knees and accumulate C cards. They will also not let me try gear before I buy and generally not even let me at a pool session if I’m not on a course. These amateur shops are definilty a hindersnce and i have 1000% outgrown them after my AOW. They are only good, generally, for a fill of air only.

The professional shops are the one that respect your gear and what you do. You can go in the shop and just talk diving (what a concept I know). They also generally have an owner that is interested and will be there. They will organise local dive trips that are free. I often find that they also have a tec program of some sort and will inform you on a path; scratch that, they will work with you! Those are the shops that I want to be in, want to buy stuff in, take courses with, and dive with. Those shops, you can never outgrow them.

Of the 15 shops I ever had as a LDS, only 3 were professional shops.

 

[ajtoady]

Trace, I know you know the area and having the choice between the four shops I know of, can be tricky as you stated. I buy what I buy based on my wants or needs. I do not believe the only way to dive is a BP/Wing. I dive just about every configuration there is, except rebreather. A wise man once told me,,whatever suits for the "mission"! Mr. Doppler, I take that seriously!! To each their own and lets just dive!! I refuse to buy into the, unless it's this brand, you are getting crap! I have a diverse selection of gear, and it all will do what it's made for, quite well. Will it outlast or outperform another manufacturer, who knows. Depends on service quality and use or abuse. Do I really care if it says Mares, Zeagle or Halcyon,or whatever,,,,He11 NO!!!! I am no where near your level of diver or will probably never be, but I do know there is a shop in the area where even I get treated fairly and politely by all the staff and owner when I go there. AND that to me is worth the trip thru customs!!