White lies told by your LDS when you first started

[ScubaScott]

Aquamaniac once bubbled...
1st Visit.
Apeks? Never heard of them, must be a cheap and nasty copy of something.

2nd Visit.
Oh, about your Apeks, I found out they are zeagles, just a cheaper version, made for the rental market.

I asked the my LDS for prices before I bought online. Same response - "never heard of them - you'll have problems getting them serviced". Half way through the season, at a dive site, she says the Apeks looks just like the old zeagles. What? Looks just like the 50D I have necklaced? What a discovery!!

2003 - she now carries Apeks........ huh, weird.

SS

 

[The Chairman]

will let you learn in your own gear. Heck, it's what you will be using, so you might as well get used to it now. I teach a very specific protocol... the donor's right hand on the hose, and the recipient's right hand on the donor's right wrist. It makes little difference which they donate and let them determine which is best for them. This works for either donating of the safe second or buddy breathing and beats the heck out of grabbing each other's BC. The left hand is always available to signal or operate the BC and the two divers are still "locked" together.

 

[Quest]

SeaJay once bubbled...


Oh my god, how incredibly frustrating! What did you do about it? Did you dive?

...I ain't touchin' that bait up there... Very tempting, but that hook is waaaay too obvious, Doc. ut:

Wasnt the YMCA instructor, it was a PADI LDS.

Well i ended up switching out my longhose with the hose from my deco set which is about the length of an octopus hose.

But, i was all pissed off during the entire trip. Not because i couldnt use my longhose but because everyone on the charter looked at me like i was wrong because god forbid that the dive instructor running the charter was in lack of education.

 

[Quest]

Scubatooth once bubbled...


well they cant be that bad if the UDT , EDU and SEAL teams are using them

Gotta remember that the EDU/UDT etc doenst necessarily select a piece of diving equipment solely on its performance needs.

There are many other factors including. allows divers to wear while inside the SDV. Is cheap enough for seals to ditch when they hit the beach on certain missions. Easy to stow away in their alice packs, its light enough to carry on long ground missions etc.

There are many factors in its selection. But, unlike weaponry its mostly based on compactness and cost.

For example I bought an official seal issued diving mask 3yrs ago. I believe it was an oceanways teardrop style mask. The one you mostly see seals wear in pictures etc.

Well it cost me $12 at a Navy PX. The same mask i saw for sale at a local dive shop for $19.

Its probably as good quality as a mask you buy in kmart. But, the Navy didnt buy them for ultra performance, they bought it because it was cheap and thus desposible.

Now i will admit one thing though. This $12 mask is still my primary dive mask. While i have a $70 dive mask that is far better in quality which i use as a backup mask.

Why? because it is the lowest profile mask i have ever seen. Its comfortable and the teardrop design is awesome.

Teardrop design:
The top portion is like those old style round faceplate masks while the bottom is teardropped shaped much like bomber sunglasses.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Genesis once bubbled...
especially the view that "everyone who represents us should be wearing our chit."

If it doesn't come with the rest of the usual BS on pushing hardware, then its not that big a deal.... my experience though is that it usually does - which is unfortunate.

An eternal debate. Whether we like it or not divers show a strong tendancy to buy the equipment used by the teaching staff. Keep in mind that 99% of the equipment we sell is to students or former students. A dive shop around here isn't like a grocery store or a department store where you have a diverse group comming through all the time. Students and former students make up the bulk of the traffic period. Of course we like the teaching staff to use equipment we sell. However, I don't force staff members to use anything. I do, however seek staff that agree with what we teach because it's hard to teach anything if the teaching staff isn't on the same page. Also, it's a two way street. If I were to realize that the staff didn't want to use the equipment I sell I would need to think about selling something else. the point is we use what we sell because we like it and we sell it because we use it and like it. I do have some things available in the shop that I don't like but I don't use it, I don't hide the fact that I don't like it and I don't seem the sell much of it. This is the point where teaching and selling can be a real conflict. Certainly if a diver walks in and wants a pair of split fins, I just take the money. OTOH, if they ask for my experience and opinions on fins things go differently. Most don't seem to mind especially since the fins I tend to like and recommend are far less expensive than the splits. I don't forbid staff to use splits but I do require that they are able to demonstrate the finning techniques I teach. To date, none have decided that splits are an asset.

 

[Lead_carrier]

SeaJay once bubbled...
The other day I walked into an LDS, and the manager, knowing that I was heading into some pretty hardcore wrecking (and looking for a new BC) immediately brought out this BEAST... The SeaQuest Raider... For me to check out. "You need this," is what I heard.

You do realize that buy even mentioning the fact that you were looking at a BC and not a BP can get you branded as a traitor until you go to decompression and say 20 Hail Jarrods.

:wacko:

 

[Lead_carrier]

Genesis once bubbled...


If you're an instructor or divemaster, then you're not a salesman.

If you're a salesman, then you are asking students to choose HARDWARE along with INSTRUCTORS.

If you want to do that, don't be surprised if the hardware the students choose comes from LP, and they don't choose your shop either!

This is an extremely short-sighted practice - although a very common one.

I have to agree with Genesis for one. Please some one shoot me.. QUICK.

We should tell every one that comes in, buy your gear from LP. They sell it cheaper, you can get it serviced anytime, they have great personal service. Their instructors are a lot better than ours. They can have you certified in 2, 3 days tops if you're willing to ship FedEx.


especially the view that "everyone who represents us should be wearing our chit."

Recommend to everyone to get all advice on proper equipment buying, price bargining and care from Genesis Dive Shop. Wait, he's not there. He's floating off shore doing air and Nitrox fills at half price isn't he.

 

[SeaJay]

Lead_carrier once bubbled...


You do realize that buy even mentioning the fact that you were looking at a BC and not a BP can get you branded as a traitor until you go to decompression and say 20 Hail Jarrods.

:wacko:

LOL!!!

Actually, I made the decision months ago that it was going to be a bp/wings for this situation.

Perhaps I should have said that the manager "knew I was looking for a compensating device, and tried to get me to buy something that was big and bulky..."

Funny.

 

[Scubatooth]

Quest once bubbled...


Gotta remember that the EDU/UDT etc doenst necessarily select a piece of diving equipment solely on its performance needs.

There are many other factors including. allows divers to wear while inside the SDV. Is cheap enough for seals to ditch when they hit the beach on certain missions. Easy to stow away in their alice packs, its light enough to carry on long ground missions etc.

There are many factors in its selection. But, unlike weaponry its mostly based on compactness and cost.

For example I bought an official seal issued diving mask 3yrs ago. I believe it was an oceanways teardrop style mask. The one you mostly see seals wear in pictures etc.

Well it cost me $12 at a Navy PX. The same mask i saw for sale at a local dive shop for $19.

Its probably as good quality as a mask you buy in kmart. But, the Navy didnt buy them for ultra performance, they bought it because it was cheap and thus desposible.

Now i will admit one thing though. This $12 mask is still my primary dive mask. While i have a $70 dive mask that is far better in quality which i use as a backup mask.

Why? because it is the lowest profile mask i have ever seen. Its comfortable and the teardrop design is awesome.

Teardrop design:
The top portion is like those old style round faceplate masks while the bottom is teardropped shaped much like bomber sunglasses.

well you might think tha but if you read the test report the reason the force fins were touched is because that the divers could go longer distance/times without tiring or getting cramps. thats why they are used, along with the reaon of compactablity and use. it also allows for the seals to walk/divers to walk out of the water and the ability to wear combat boots espically with the foot oneo f the seal team commanders has of a size 16 boot (that was a custom pair that was made for him (5XL i think)

FWIW

 

[raviepoo]

Force fins do not give you cramps because you don't have to point your toes. They're also small, lightwieght, and easy to travel with. And the bungie cords make them easy to get into and out of quickly.

There may be more powerful or efficient fins out there, but there are other factors involved in my fin choice. And I don't care who calls me names or laughs at me.

I just can't use them in OW pool sessions anymore.

Scubatooth once bubbled...


well you might think tha but if you read the test report the reason the force fins were touched is because that the divers could go longer distance/times without tiring or getting cramps. thats why they are used, along with the reaon of compactablity and use. it also allows for the seals to walk/divers to walk out of the water and the ability to wear combat boots espically with the foot oneo f the seal team commanders has of a size 16 boot (that was a custom pair that was made for him (5XL i think)

FWIW