Is mixing different brands okay to do?

[kelemvor]

I am pretty sure that every instructor who works for a dive shop has some sort of understanding about using the gear that the dive shop sells, and I am sure that every one of them gets a discount on such purchases. Some shops go well beyond that, though.

Just before the shop where I first worked decided to switch agencies, they had an on-site week-long workshop conducted by the President and owner of the agency to which they soon switched. I attended it. It was all about how to sell equipment. One of his key points is that all instructors had to understand that they were primarily there to sell equipment. One aspect of that was requiring them to own and use their "instructor uniform" whenever they were in contact with customers. He likened it to the uniform worn by employees at fast food restaurants. The shop was to determine which specific pieces of equipment they wanted customers to buy the most, and they would require their instructors to purchase (at a good discount) and use those specific items. They were to tell their students that they selected those items for their personal use because as instructors, they knew what the best equipment was and that is what they wanted to use. With the exception of the wet suit, I would not have purchased and used a single item that the shop eventually required instructors to purchase, but I left the shop before I had to buy that gear and lie to my students about having purchased it of my own free will. (BTW, the shop sold all the gear I really did own and use, but it was not the gear they wanted the students to buy most, the ones that provided the best profit margins.)

One of the more distasteful industry sales tactics. I think having instructors use certain gear is okay. Requiring them to lie to students about the gear is something else.

 

[divad]

One of his key points is that all instructors had to understand that they were primarily there to sell equipment. One aspect of that was requiring them to own and use their "instructor uniform" whenever they were in contact with customers. He likened it to the uniform worn by employees at fast food restaurants.

How'd that make you feel, as an instructor?

 

[boulderjohn]

How'd that make you feel, as an instructor?

Like a POS. It is one of a couple changes at that time that led me to leave the shop. A friend of mine who stayed on was later let go because his students stood out from the students of the other instructors in the amount of gear they didn't buy.

 

[kelemvor]

I didn't even pick up on that when I read it. Yeah, that's not cool at all.

 

[divad]

Like a POS. It is one of a couple changes at that time that led me to leave the shop. A friend of mine who stayed on was later let go because his students stood out from the students of the other instructors in the amount of gear they didn't buy.

Bummer.

 

[Caveeagle]

Customer abuse is disturbing. And is at least partially to blame for the industry shift to online sales. Its not hard to sucker a new student on the initial purchase. Holding onto a loyal customer is not as easy.

 

[AlexL]

Bummer.

not an instructor, but this is a primary reason when asked if I’m interested in pursuing the DM/Instructor courses with the local dive shops, the answer is a flat 'no.'

as for OP, myself and my wife dive and really like our SP regs (s600 primary, r195 octo, MK25 first stage) and DCs (Lunas, but get an SPG as well, the AI is spotty at times). Any regset with a CE cert is going to be perfectly fine for recreational diving.

OTOH, recently sold off the SP BCDs and fins after a year of non use. our BCDs were equipped with AIR2s, but those were removed and replaced with bungied octo R195s and bog standard power inflators after our stress/rescue class showed how worthless those AIR2s are when things go sideways. still have the SP boots, but they are starting to fall apart after ~200 dives.

also replaced all the SB proprietary fitting equipped hoses with standard hex nut equipped hoses pretty much right out of the gate. not being able to properly tighten a loose hose fitting is a terrible reason to scrub a dive... especially when you're already a half an hour out to sea on a chartered boat.

so yeah, we spent the money up front on the 'superior' SP gear with the parts for life... and took a $1200 hit offloading half of it three years later.

 

[100days-a-year]

May wanna reconsider that reg choice,Scubalab has that as one of SP's worst breathing regs with even some Cressi and Mares being better.Hard to weed out good reviews for a the Koolaid on the net,fortunately breathing machines rarely have brand loyalty.

 

[redacted]

May wanna reconsider that reg choice,Scubalab has that as one of SP's worst breathing regs with even some Cressi and Mares being better.Hard to weed out good reviews for a the Koolaid on the net,fortunately breathing machines rarely have brand loyalty.

I don't believe scuba lab does anything to control the state of tuning in their testing, among other test design faults. I would not trust their results.

 

[CuzzA]

My shop, although the owner is a salesman, which I understand he has to be if he wants to survive, does a pretty damn good job in my book.

It's a very small shop, but you wouldn't know it based on what you could buy. Anything from a jacket BC to a customized BP/W setup. Simple OC to CCR. Quality spearfishing gear to full cave equipment from canister lights to scooters.

What I appreciate the most though is they're selling the right gear to the right person for the right type of diving. No brand pushing. When I asked why they sell the particular brand of wetsuit, he pulls out his wetsuit he's been diving twice a week for 5 years and says, "look at it, these suits just last."

And then to put the icing on the cake. He will match any competitors price including any online retailer and if they don't have the product, they'll try an get it for you. It's hard for me to shop anywhere else.

Although as always, sometimes you have to find those companies that sell their specialty products that only they have access to.