Maui Dive Shop = NEVER

[SBP Studios]

Forgot to add this to our last trip report but figured it should have its own thread.

Walked into a Maui Dive Shop in Kehei to ask to check out thier phonebook because we were lost and needed to find the ad for our hotel. Guy said yea hang on. Answered a phone call, stayed on the phone for almost 15 mins! Hung up and said "now you needed a phone book right? were you going to buy something as well?"

uh...no. Just figured we would stop into a Dive shop since we are divers and all and most divers are pretty cool, we had Dive T-shirts on as well as a Padi hat.

Guy looked at me and said "yea i dont think im supposed to lend out our phonebook but you can buy a map". Unreal. we left.

Next I walked into a Maui Dive shop a few days later in Kaanipali and the girl at the counter greeted me, I asked her "Do you have any Safety sausages?" she said "whats that?" I knew we were in trouble.

I explained what it was and the "head guy" came walking out of the back, she called over to him "hey whats a safety sausage and do we have any?"

He replied "i think that is for idiots who cant find their boat or are just stupid". My wife and I's jaws drop as well as the girl who works there.

She says to the guy "dont say that, these people are asking about it". he says "oh sorry, no we dont have those".

Maui Dive Shop= Will never get my business. Only company in Hawaii that I had a negative experience with whether it was dive related or not.

Unreal.

Stick with B&B.

 

[Brandon]

Sounds pretty typical of MDS. Realize most of their employees are hired to work retail sales, and very few have any actual experience diving.

I've had a couple good experiences with their employees - there used to be a heavier set shaggy headed guy who worked at the Cannery Mall store about 3 years ago that was pretty cool (think his name was Mike.) Chatted diving with him for a long while, and he offered advice on several local dive sites that weren't on their map.

Also had decent experiences at the Kahana store, and a couple of the Kihei stores and the Kaanapali shop weren't bad. You definetly get the feeling that they cater more to the snorkeling / beach crowd than divers though...

-Brandon.

 

[SBP Studios]

You definetly get the feeling that they cater more to the snorkeling / beach crowd than divers though...

-Brandon.

DEFINATELY.

 

[ScubaTexan]

Sounds pretty typical of MDS. Realize most of their employees are hired to work retail sales, and very few have any actual experience diving.

Umm -- shouldn't that be a prerequisite for working in a DIVE shop??

 

[Brandon]

Umm -- shouldn't that be a prerequisite for working in a DIVE shop??

Without a doubt.

Of course... if I have to deal with Bozo the Dive Shop Monkey, I rather do it while on vacation. At least I'm not there to make a major purchase, and just need someone to hand me a full tank and maybe point out the mask straps / o-rings.

-B.

 

[Charlie99]

Umm -- shouldn't that be a prerequisite for working in a DIVE shop??

How about "Maui Divers". Don't go in there expecting any help with dive stuff -- it's a jewelry shop, originally specialising in black coral.

MDS does have some competent divers and people knowledgeable in dive equipment. They keep them hidden in the back room of the outlet shop in Kihei.

Particularly in shops like the one in Kaanapali and the Shops at Wailea, it is really a snorkel and mask, t-shirt, snorkel tour and other activity booking company. Scuba is pretty far down on the list.

the "head guy" came walking out of the back, she called over to him "hey whats a safety sausage and do we have any?"

He replied "i think that is for idiots who cant find their boat or are just stupid". My wife and I's jaws drop as well as the girl who works there.

She says to the guy "dont say that, these people are asking about it". he says "oh sorry, no we dont have those".

My wife just wandered into our home office, and I had to explain why I was laughing uncontrollably.

 

[Aloha Mermaid]

I drive by there every day. They do good because of their location, not because of exemplary customer service. They really aren't making diving the Number One priority there, it's a multi use facility more designed for selling tours, renting jeeps and snorkeling stuff. I'd stick with the more local shops like B&B or Pacific Dive. They will be more interested in helping you with your needs.