What type of diving are you using it for?

[MaxPower]

Any time I ask a dive shop merchant if a particular product is any good, they inevitably ask me "what type of diving are you doing?" and I always respond "cold water diving".

But then they ask "what kind of cold water diving?" I usually respond "cold water wreck diving". What I don't understand is; why would a particular enviorment have a bearing on the performance or suitability of a regulator or a drysuit? (outside of tempeture)

 

[Luis H]

Basically they are just learning more about you.
They are basically trying to make a full evaluation… this helps them determine how easily they can “pull the wool over your eyes” and much junk they can sell you.

 

[muddiver]

Sometimes the location, entry mode or type of diving will make a difference in what equipment you want to buy. I would not use a DUI 50/50 suit to do a wreck penitration because you will rip the shell. A DUI 350 or a Viking suit would be more appropreate because the shell material is made to take the abuse of swimming near jagged metal.

Regulators, same story. Don't get the smallest light weight regulator that is tailered for shallow warm water diving if you are going to do a 130' wreck penitration in 50 to 40 deg. water. Get a good sturdy regulator like a Sherwood Brut that is designed to maintain warm air intake.

 

[Scuba.com]

Maybe in your local store that might be the case, but in my case I ask those questions along with a couple more to determine what regulator or piece of gear best matches your use. It would be wonderful and easy for me to say a Poseidon regulator, Transpac BCD, Delta P computer and of course some balanced adjustable octo are the way for every single diver in the water to go with but that just is not the case.

In my case you may be looking at a brand new Zeagle Flathead IV because your instructor or neighbor said it was the best. When you ask them why, they'll usually tell you because so-and-so said it was the best. Further delving into it finds out that the rep happened to be in the store the week before and convinced everybody it was the best. Most of these guys (many of whom are close friends of mine) could sell you your own car if you let them, and make you happy to pay double for it.

If you are just doing a couple Caribbean vacations a year and making a few dives during the week, a regulator like that is over kill for your needs. Will it work? Of course. Do you need to spend all that extra $$$? Not unless you really feel the need to. Cold water, wreck diving? There are regs I'd rather not use in those conditions. In that case I do want one built for more demading diving than some others.

We do that with all forms of gear we sell. Dive computers are a great example as well. If you REALLY want the Oceanic Atom, I'll sell it to you. But I'll also tell you that for the money the Veo250 console is a better value based on what you are going to do with it if that is the case.

Nothing is worse than buying a Zeagle LTD bcd to keep on your sailboat to be used once in a great while only to find that the Oceanic Islander bcd was the proper choice for your 1 or 2 dives a year in Aruba. Is it a good bcd? Sure! Does it stow well on a boat? Not bad. The right choice for that person? Probably not.

It is very helpful for the honest sales person to know what they are dealing with when we are making offerings of gear. Most of us are dive instructors and are active in the water and none of us really want to have to perform a rescue (in the extreme case) because we didn't do our best to match each customer with the correct pieces of gear for their uses.