To BC or Not to BC

[benrachor]

Hello everyone,

I recently have been doing more commercial diving than recreational diving. Most of my commercial dives are for a sailboat charter company here in Fort Lauderdale Florida at their marina docks. I mostly do hull inspections after charters, scrape bottoms, change zinc's and change props. I don't make a lot of money, but I think it's kind of fun working on the boats.

During the summer months I don't wear a wet suit (just board shorts and a rash shirt), I use a XS scuba pony tank backpack (No BC), a single regulator (No Octo), and just a single pressure gauge. No computers, no compass, no fancy equipment; tank backpack, mask and fins, no snorkel. I get my weight just right so I'm neutral in the water, if I want to go down I swim down, if I want to go up I swim up, very simple. My dives are less than an hour and my maximum depth is around 8 feet, yes I said 8 feet.

Every time a go to the local dive shop to get air, they try and sell me stuff. Oh you need a new $600 BC, oh you need a dive computer, oh you need a new snorkel. Oh you need a $300 wetsuit. You have to have a compass, how do you know where your going? I tell them every time, "I dive in 8 feet of water, what?" I also tell them, "sell me the equipment that I need and I'll buy from you, if not I'll go somewhere else."

The funny thing is, I pull into the dive shop parking lot in my work truck and it's full of BMW's and Escalades. This is Fort Lauderdale. But, I walk into the dive shop wearing my wet board shorts, and a old pull-over sweat shirt with stains on it.

What's the deal man, I guess they think I'm loaded like all the other customers? I'm just a rough neck...

 

[BoltSnap]

It is the great American entrepreneurship that made this country great. If you don't try your best, you won't know if you can succeed.

From my experience, the best customers are not the "loaded" type. In fact, they are a pain in the ass. The best customers are the blue collar types who are the hunters, fishermen and the general outdoor type.

I know that you may, at times, feel that they are pestering you but they need to make a living in this tough economy. You may try to counter act their enthusiasm by trying to sell them your services as a trade for that expensive BC.

Maybe you can get free air fills or free scuba equipment if you trade with them and send them referrals from the the rich clients you service their boats??

 

[Doc]

I also tell them, "sell me the equipment that I need and I'll buy from you, if not I'll go somewhere else."

So- what were they refusing to sell you? Sounds like you got everything you need.

A little overkill on the SPG, though. Don't really need one at 8fsw. I mean- either you're minimalist or you aint.

But hey- let's look at your two other lifetime posts here on BubbaScored... a bit contradictory?

I have a spare air (3cu/ft) I started carrying recently mainly because I dive alone. Most of my dives are shallow, under 30', but I still like the added security. I actually used it once just for practice, as practice makes perfect, I got about 10 minutes out of it. Worst case is I figure I'll use it on an safety stop if I run low on my main supply or if I just plain run out period.

These items are new, must sell!!!

Sea Quest Black Diamond BC $550
Sunnto Vyper Dive Computer $500
Also have...
Sherwood Brut Regulator Assembly
& Octo. $Offer
BC and computer are new, the sherwood gear has been rebuilt.
All in excellent condition!

Is you or aint you?

Either way, I like your boat cleaning gear. Makes perfect sense.

 

[corvettejoe]

I found that if I like a dive shop, I just try to steer as much business their way that I can since I can't always afford more gear, or sometimes just don't need anything except fills.

The shop I frequent, the owner's always trying to get me to buy something (and many times I do bite LOL)... but many times I just came for fills. Now, I got hooked on this shop because of my instructor buddy.. not only am I a regular now, but so are the other two buddies that I took my training with. Since then, I've gotten two more buddies going there on top of that. All of them have spent $1000's over the last year. Do I feel bad I can't afford everything they try to sell me? No... I sent him new customers to make money off of