Hollow Advice - Try It Out in the Pool

[The Kraken]

So often I read the advice given to a new diver/member - "Try both of them out in the pool then decide which one to buy."

In the real world, how many LDS's will allow a perspective customer to take two brand new B/C's, regulators, fins, 5mm full suit, 7mm farmer john/jacket, what have you to the pool, swim it about for a bit and then return it.

It is good advice and would be of immense benefit to the new diver, but come on, how probable is it that this would actually be an option?

 

[Sideband]

My LDS does. That's one for one.

Joe

 

[The Kraken]

Have to admit, that this is one arena in which I LOVE to be wrong.

 

[minnediver]

My LDS does that as well.

 

[simbrooks]

I have yet to have an LDS that does that, must be either a special place or one that has a large range of rental gear in a full selection of what they carry. The places i have been that i asked about this, said that they wouldnt just let me have it, i had to pay for it, if it didnt fit or feel right i had to charge a restocking fee as they couldnt sell the stuff as new and had to put it in with their rental gear. Thankfully i havent needed to swap around too much

 

[mossym]

my lds will do it, when my girlfriend was guying her wetsuit they asked if she wanted to jump in the pool with it on to see how it felt wet, they have a full return as long as it hasn't hit saltwater,

a friend of mine just bought fins for his open water class, for his confined dives he used them and didn't like them so he used mine for the open water dives and preferred them so returned his and bought the same as mine, even after wearing his in the pool for 2 days...

 

[cal2632]

My dive shop did for the stuff we bought for class. People were changing masks week by week.

 

[nwdiver2]

Several shops I know put one of everything they sell (even drysuits and wet suits in all sizes) in rentals and let prospective buyers try them even in salt water not just the pool, at the end of the season they become sale items and they recoup their money; plus they may have made several sales that they would not have.

 

[H2Andy]

not around here. the most they will do is rent you old stuff and let you try it,
but no go on new stuff.

 

[gchapman]

In the real world, how many LDS's will allow a perspective customer to take two brand new B/C's, regulators, fins, 5mm full suit, 7mm farmer john/jacket, what have you to the pool, swim it about for a bit and then return it.

The dive shop I've been doing business with has almost everything in their stock available in their rental pool (they may only have one of the high end stuff, but you *can* reserve it.)

It seems insane to me that a company that would depend on so much on repeat customers wouldn't find a way to allow their customers to feel confident that they're making the proper purchase for their needs.