"Missing" regulator

[WarEagle]

So I went to Bonaire, and I had a great trip except for one little glitch - my brand new regulator walked away from the dive dock at the resort. It was out of my sight for about 20 minutes, and the only folks on the dock were other divers and the staff of the resort. This was at the end of the trip when most of our group had become complacent about the dock - wetsuits had been left in rinse tanks overnight; bags, booties, etc., had been misplaced and recovered; and even another regulator had been left out overnight and was still there the next morning. I had all my gear stacked together preparing for a night dive at town pier, but I left it on the dock while I went to the room for about 20 minutes. I went back down, grabbed my bag, loaded the gear into the back of my truck, and drove over to town pier. When I started gearing up... no reg.

I don't have much hope of recovering the reg (if it was picked up accidentally, it would already have been returned), but does anyone have any suggestions? I've already alerted the manufacturer about the serial number, but like I said, it's brand new, so it shouldn't even need service for a year. Any other ideas?

thanks.

 

[mike_s]

There are several "stolen gear site" on the internet you could register it on, but I'm guessing it's "gone".

Not to turn this into a "Bonaire theft thread", but there are several other threads on here about petty theft issues in Bonaire.

 

[TheRedHead]

Well, that's a bummer. I know it is very easy to get complacent in the Bonaire resorts like Buddy Dive. You leave your gear in the storage room at night and everyone at the resort can access it with the common key. I didn't have any problems with theft at a resort, but I will confess that I accidentally came home with a pair of black shorts that looked exactly like mine. I accidentally pulled an identical pair of fins out of the rinse tank and almost put them in the truck. It is easy to mistake equipment, but at some point, the person would have realized that they had the wrong gear and turned it in.

 

[miketsp]

__________________
Yield to temptation; it may not pass your way again.

.

Most (in)appropriate signature line on a thread about picking up other people's gear.

 

[midwayman]

Wonder if you could register it with the maker? If people call in serial numbers when warrenty service is performed it would help track it down?

 

[miketsp]

Wonder if you could register it with the maker? If people call in serial numbers when warrenty service is performed it would help track it down?

Probably the only time a serial number would be called in would be the case of a lifetime warranty with free parts.
In the case of a diver paying for parts and service out of warranty I doubt very much if any repair shop is going to bother checking.
Remember that this could now be in the hands of a diver anywhere in the world.
Bonaire gets tourists from everywhere.

 

[WarEagle]

Oh yeah. I was really venting more than anything else. The serial number has been reported and is on-file with the manufacturer, but I doubt it will turn up.

The worst part is the location - at the resort. We were shore diving all week, leaving sandals, hats, sunglasses, etc., in our trucks, with the windows down and doors unlocked, with no problem.

Regardless, it was an excellent trip. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[J75]

Just returned from Buddy Dive about a month ago. A woman in our group had her Suunto Mosquito stolen. She took off her gear and walked about 10 feet away to return her tank, and it was gone. Made me glad that I'm a bit paranoid. All my gear stayed with me until I could dump it on the balcony. It's too easy to steal from the resorts. Especially if it's your last day and you're flying away to another country within hours.

 

[H2Andy]

i tend to get complacent with my gear around divers too ... i guess i need to remind
myself that divers are people too, and there are going to be dishonest people among them...

however, the only thing i've ever had "stolen" (not counting my mask that some
TSA bassird stole from my luggage) was a camera at Ginnie Springs. there were
divers and non-divers around, so my money is on the non-divers.

 

[robway034]

Did you have you gear insured? I got signed up for the DAN theft stuff and I am anxious to hear how the actual claim process (if any) actually went. Oh yeah, I shuold mention that I am truly sorry to hear about your gear! I know how bad I have felt, after my own personal experiences, of being the victim of a thief. It can really be frustrating. Your post has reminded me to be more vigilant in the future. THANKS!

Robway