Whats the most worthless thing an LDS has tried or sold to you?

[ChasingRichard]

What is the most worthless piece of equipment an LDS has tried to sell or sold to you.
When I first got certified they tried to sell me my gear and wanted to sell me a $40 or $50 snorkle. Luckly I have friends that have dived for years and they set me straight on what to spend my money on and a $40 snorkle is not one of them.
Also paddle fins instead of splits since Apollo were the only ones making them at the time and they didn't carry them.

 

[Scubaroo]

Didn't even fit my octopus.

 

[wrongkey]

The snorkel my oldest daughter decided she wanted was one of those dry things that the LDS was at that time charging 80 bucks for, and, of course, I bought it. Every time I go there to get a tank filled, they try to sell me an accessory for the tank, like a boot or a wrap thing, neither of which I want or need.

A buddy of mine is thinking of taking up scuba, and my advice to him is that he can borrow a snorkel. He'll eventually find one somebody's lost at the bottom of the lake, and that's the snorkel he wants.

 

[SPEEDSTER]

where do I start...

scumballs
tank boots
tank wraps
spare air
split fins
"new and improved" snorkels
etc
etc
etc

M

 

[detroit diver]

There's a funny thing about diving DIR or Hogarthian set equipment. I purchased all of my Halcyon gear from my LDS, and they know that there is nothing else that they can sell me! I won't be buying an AIR2, snorkel keepers, retractors, consoles, or most other doo-dads that they stock.

When I do purchase new stuff (new lights, etc), they know that they'll be the place that I come to because their service is great.

 

[Diver0001]

I bought a reel once that was really bad. It jammed (got tangled in the axle) every time I used it. I ended up removing the spool from the housing and building a custom axle for it using things at my local hardware store (includes a door stopper for a handle ). It works ok now but it was truly a piece of crap when I bought it. I told my LDS about it, suggested a different model which uses the same spool but a different housing and showed them my modifications on the bad reel. The better ones now hang in the store. The lesson is, *do* tell your LDS when stuff is crap. They need, and often appreciate, the feedback.

R..

 

[Bishop]

A tank banger - plastic ball that is on some elastic around your tank. What a peice of ****.

 

[Dr. Jay]

A "glow-in-the-dark" slate.

Q: (Me)
"Well, you have to shine your light on it to get it to glow, right?"

A: (Dive shop guy)
"Umm...err....yeah, I guess. But after that it glows."

A: (Me)
"Rrrriiiiiiggght. Maybe next time."



Now, as for the snorkel. I do have one of those nice dry snorkels....BUT.....I use it only for snorkeling, scalloping, and such. Do I regret getting it...well...a little . IMHO, snorkels are for snorkeling.

 

[O-ring]

...tried to tell me that in order to take TDI Advanced Nitrox I needed to have the following PADI specialty certifications: Boat, Deep, Night, and Multilevel.

 

[MikeFerrara]

O-ring once bubbled...
...tried to tell me that in order to take TDI Advanced Nitrox I needed to have the following PADI specialty certifications: Boat, Deep, Night, and Multilevel.

That's a good one, TDI requireing PADI courses.