Lessons for Life - June Issue of Scuba Diving

[RonFrank]

Anyone read this?

To summarize newish diver buys a Reg online. The first stage is defective, has metal shavings in it from manufacture, and blows out.

Diver freeflows, freaks, rockets to the surface and panics at the surface. Diver is OK after a rescue by the Boat Mate (DM).

Lesson - Don't buy your stuff online (in so many words). Actually to be fair they did indicate that some online dealers do check out the equipment before they sell it. However based on the underlying tone, it's very obvious that the message really is.. don't buy online.

But what the Ell??

The manufacture has NO responsibility in making sure that the equipment they sell works, and is NOT defective?

I've never been clear on why it would be an LDS responsibility to ensure that brand new equipment works? When I buy most ANYTHING, it's is NOT the responsibility of the retailer to open the box, and test it before a sale.

 

[Trever]

Some online retailers check out the equipment before they sell it some don't. Some LDS's check out equipment before they sell it some don't. I check it out myself in a near safe enviroment because I trust myself with my life more than I trust a LDS or online dealer. I don't understand how this scenerio is an online dealer problem. Sounds like the diver made a mistake. I hope he was alright. Last year when used my new BC for the very first time, I sat on a training platform at 15' and burned a tank of air playing with it. I purchased the BC online, if that matters. This year after having my Regs serviced by a LDS, I sat on the same platform and burned a tank of air playing with it, it worked great. Bottom line is I check it out myself before I take it to a more unforgiving enviroment.

 

[Boiler_81]

I agree, when I read that article I thought it was written by some kind of B&M dive shop organization.

 

[The Chairman]

Anyone who does their FIRST DIVE on a reg in the ocean is a statistic waiting to happen. All new gear should get a dip in a pool FIRST before it goes into the briney brew.

 

[gangrel441]

Thought the timing of this article was pretty....umm...interesting as well, what with the raging discussions going on here about how some equipment manufacturers have been treating their authorized dealers...

 

[lamont]

Anyone read this?

To summarize newish diver buys a Reg online. The first stage is defective, has metal shavings in it from manufacture, and blows out.

Diver freeflows, freaks, rockets to the surface and panics at the surface. Diver is OK after a rescue by the Boat Mate (DM).

Lesson [...snip...]

uhm... dealing with a free flow without freaking and getting air from your buddy and making a safe ascent?

how in @#$%@$#%'s name does this turn into a lesson to not buy over the internet? i guarantee you that no matter how good your LDS is that they can still make a mistake and sell you a bad reg, or return a reg to you after servicing that fails to work correctly. mistakes happen. test all new or rebuilt regs under conditions where they can fail without turning into a life-threatening situation.

 

[tracker]

Yeah, what NetDoc and lamont said.

 

[Adobo]

uhm... dealing with a free flow without freaking and getting air from your buddy and making a safe ascent?

how in @#$%@$#%'s name does this turn into a lesson to not buy over the internet? i guarantee you that no matter how good your LDS is that they can still make a mistake and sell you a bad reg, or return a reg to you after servicing that fails to work correctly. mistakes happen. test all new or rebuilt regs under conditions where they can fail without turning into a life-threatening situation.

Amen... regardless of where this person buys equipment, if their response to a crisis is to bolt for the surface then the question should be asking is not whether or not to buy from the internet. Their question should probably be, "how expensive is golf?"

Edit: I got some stuff used (which is probably roughly the equivalent of getting stuff from ebay - condition of equipment, unknown). Personally, I would think that anyone who goes this route should be having a qualified technician service the equipment just in case.

 

[Drewpy]

Lamont- I couldnt agree more...this could happen any time?
Where was his training and buddy...nothing to do with buying on the internet?!

 

[DiveMaven]

Isn't Scuba Diving magazine one of those that doesn't accept advertising from on-line dive shops??