mstevens
Toadfish. Splendid is implied but not guaranteed.
In a now-locked thread, the observation was made that "shoestring is as shoestring does". I think this bears thinking about.
It seems certain that the most expensive dive shops in a given location are not necessarily the best, nor that the least expensive are necessarily the worst. However, many of the things that should be important to us as divers cost money. These include equipment, including boats, rental gear, oxygen and other safety equipment, and so on. They also include operating costs such as maintenance, permits, and supplies. Of course there's also staff. This means not only their training, but their experience, their focus on the job at hand, not having to work when sick because there's nobody to cover, and so on.
I select my dive shop on the basis of observation. In the case of the one I use, we followed a DM we came to know and trust to a new shop. That shop has impressed me with their interest in building a good team, attention to details, and not cutting corners. It seems there are at least a few other shops on the island that fit this mold, and I don't think any are particularly inexpensive.
Obviously, many people stick with a dive shop due to charm. They like the owner or DM and keep going back, possibly even after they've raised an eyebrow over some issue but decided to overlook it. My view is that this is a mistake, too. The medical analogy is the superb surgeon who's so obnoxious that anesthesia is the only thing that allows you to stay in the same room as him. Sure, great skills and great personality are a winning combo, but I'll take the skills any day. One DM that I'm always happy to dive with isn't someone I really like very much - his personality on the boat grates on me, possibly since he appears to feel a need to entertain. His dive skills, situational awareness, and preparedness are indisputable, though, so underwater I like him. In addition to shoestring budgets we shouldn't forget about shoestring skills.
Each time someone comes into this section and starts asking about the cheapest dive shop, I cringe. I likewise cringe when a recommendation is made primarily on the basis of someone's being nice or fun. I certainly understand that money is tight everywhere and that people want to dive without going bankrupt. We also want and deserve to have a good time when diving, otherwise why do it? It's a sport with risks, though, and we need to minimize those risks. Price and personality can't be the most important determinants here - dive shops are definitely not fungible.
If it comes down to it, I'd rather dive one day less on a trip, scrimp on accommodations, or delay a trip for a while so I can save, but I'm not going to pick a dive shop based on price. I quite like the team at my favorite dive shop, but if they start cutting corners, I'm outta there. If they need to raise their fees to stay in business and remain safe, that's regrettable but acceptable.
Am I the only one?
It seems certain that the most expensive dive shops in a given location are not necessarily the best, nor that the least expensive are necessarily the worst. However, many of the things that should be important to us as divers cost money. These include equipment, including boats, rental gear, oxygen and other safety equipment, and so on. They also include operating costs such as maintenance, permits, and supplies. Of course there's also staff. This means not only their training, but their experience, their focus on the job at hand, not having to work when sick because there's nobody to cover, and so on.
I select my dive shop on the basis of observation. In the case of the one I use, we followed a DM we came to know and trust to a new shop. That shop has impressed me with their interest in building a good team, attention to details, and not cutting corners. It seems there are at least a few other shops on the island that fit this mold, and I don't think any are particularly inexpensive.
Obviously, many people stick with a dive shop due to charm. They like the owner or DM and keep going back, possibly even after they've raised an eyebrow over some issue but decided to overlook it. My view is that this is a mistake, too. The medical analogy is the superb surgeon who's so obnoxious that anesthesia is the only thing that allows you to stay in the same room as him. Sure, great skills and great personality are a winning combo, but I'll take the skills any day. One DM that I'm always happy to dive with isn't someone I really like very much - his personality on the boat grates on me, possibly since he appears to feel a need to entertain. His dive skills, situational awareness, and preparedness are indisputable, though, so underwater I like him. In addition to shoestring budgets we shouldn't forget about shoestring skills.
Each time someone comes into this section and starts asking about the cheapest dive shop, I cringe. I likewise cringe when a recommendation is made primarily on the basis of someone's being nice or fun. I certainly understand that money is tight everywhere and that people want to dive without going bankrupt. We also want and deserve to have a good time when diving, otherwise why do it? It's a sport with risks, though, and we need to minimize those risks. Price and personality can't be the most important determinants here - dive shops are definitely not fungible.
If it comes down to it, I'd rather dive one day less on a trip, scrimp on accommodations, or delay a trip for a while so I can save, but I'm not going to pick a dive shop based on price. I quite like the team at my favorite dive shop, but if they start cutting corners, I'm outta there. If they need to raise their fees to stay in business and remain safe, that's regrettable but acceptable.
Am I the only one?
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