7 Expectations of a Dive Shop

I was reading a post not too long ago on Scuba Board by a diver named Joe from Ontario, Canada. It was done somewhat tongue in cheek, but it was so on target with what I see at many dive shops that I felt that I needed to pass it along. In fact, my own experience as an independent instructor has seen anything but enthusiasm on the part of many dive shops to my presence. Anyway, Joe spoke to the heart of what I wish I could communicate to dive shops across the country and I thought I would pass it along. scubaboard.com post # 6098819

A few weeks after reading Joe's post, I realized that I have my own set of rules about what I expect from a dive shop & how I expect to be treated. Here's that simple list:

1. I expect to be treated like I am important to the shop. After a few years of dealing with a whole host of shops, I have come to the conclusion that many really don't want me there. I remember in the weeks leading up to my first dives, one shop acknowledged me with a simple but and not so polite greeting “what do you want?” I left without spending a dime. If you feel unwelcome, leave. I am sure that another shop would be happy to have you spend money with them.

2. I expect to be treated fairly & non-judgmentally. Let me go back to one of my early experiences at another shop. I had picked up a set of regulators through Craigslist. They were like brand new & I got a really great price on them. When I took them to this shop to have them serviced, I was told that since I didn't have the decency to buy new from them, they didn't feel the need to service my gear. Not a problem, another shop in the area was happy to service the reg set for me. Maybe I don't get it or maybe I'm not that bright but I've not seen too many computer repair shops, car repair shops, air conditioning repair shops, garage door repair shops, etc that get upset because I made my original purchase elsewhere. I'm there to get a service provided & if they don't like it, too bad.

3. I don't expect to have to fight that hard to get a good price for the equipment I'm going to buy. Let me be clear in what I'm saying. I know that dive shops have to make money in order to stay in business. I also know that bigger ticket items have a mark up that allows for some discretion on the part of the shop. Dive shops that insist on MSRP on things like BCD's & Reg sets are asking for people to shop the online stores. As Dave Ramsey reminds his adherents all of the time, ask & expect to get discounts when you pay in cash. My dad always said that aApercentage of something is better than 100% of nothing.

4. I expect to make friends when I shop regularly at a dive business. I mean, I can not imagine going into a business on a regular basis & not getting to know those who run the store. I would hope they would eventually know me by name & be happy to see me when I come in. On a personal level, I sometimes just stop in for no reason other than to stop in. When you like the staff or owners, it's easy to want to spend time hanging out.

5. I expect that when I drop off my stuff to get it serviced, the tech will treat my gear with care. In fact, I want to know that this person is as concerned about my life as I am. The first time I suspect sloppy or shoddy workmanship in a repair, it's the last time I give them my repair business.

6. I expect that I will get fair & timely fills when I drop off my tanks. It has not happened often, but when a shop shorts a fill, they really are cheating me in the service & in my dive time. If a tank is supposed to be filled to 3000 psi or 3450 psi, then I expect it will be filled to that standard. Short me once & I will write that off to a mistake. Do it more than a couple of times & I will take my business elsewhere.

Lastly, my final take on this whole thing is comes from the golden rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I would like to think that I will treat a business, be it a dive business or otherwise, the way I would want to be treated. At the same time, I don't think that I have to put up with bad service. I consider my time & money to be precious things & I have a responsibility to take care of both. 

3 Reasons To Take More Advanced Diving Courses

Most of us have been on a boat or a dive with someone who seems to have no clue about what they are doing. They may talk a good game, but they have no idea about how much weight to put on; how their gear goes together or how to set up their dive computer. A while back I watched a young man get in the water off a boat without his mask or fins. (The funny thing is the entire crew just let him as he was one of those guys who told everyone what a great diver he was & how he didn't need anyone's help.)

There may have been a time when someone could take a diving course & when it was all said & done, be a fully trained diver. But things have changed quite a bit since the days when it might take 5-6 weeks to get certified. Today, many instructors do an entire Open Water class over a 3 day weekend not counting the academics. However, these divers may be certified but they are hardly prepared for every diving situation or circumstance. In fact, if you read the manuals, these divers are clearly told that they should limit themselves until they get more training.

This is why it makes sense to me that anyone who has learned to dive recently would just go out & get more training. Sadly, it doesn't always work that way and I've been thinking about this with my own students in mind. And I came up with a list of 3 really good reasons to consider getting more training:

1. It Gives You A Reason To Go Diving More

I love to dive, but sometimes just going for the sake of going is hard to justify. After all, there is a cost to dive. With travel & meal costs, boat fees, tips & air fills, it just makes sense to have a reason to dive and learning new skills can be a great way to give a trip meaning. It could be as simple as getting in on an Advanced Open Water course which includes 5 specific dives or a Rescue class that teaches you as much about being safe in the water as it does how to help a buddy in trouble. One of the biggest reasons I decided to go the Instructor route was to give my dives a purpose (by teaching I figure I get to dive for less cost and that may give you a reason to consider the professional diver route as well.

2. It Gives You A Reason To Buy More Gear

I don't know about you but I love to buy new gear yet I am frugal enough (read that cheap) that I have a hard time buying gear just for the sake of buying new gear. After all I don't buy junk in the first place & I can't afford to buy new stuff for the sake of buying new stuff. But all sorts of training has led me to purchase new gear. For example, when I was embarking on that first night dive I took the opportunity to buy a nice dive light; my first boat dive helped me to see the need for a safety sausage; teaching has led me to pick up extra stuff for the “just in case” box. What I'm saying is taking that photography class might just be a great excuse reason to buy a new underwater camera or housing.

3. It Gives You A Reason To Expand Your Experience

I have always been a firm believer in expanding my knowledge base when it comes to whatever it is that I'm interested in. That was true when I played golf, rode my motorcycle & now when it comes to scuba diving. From the very outset, I understood that if I wanted to be a better diver, then I needed to better understood my gear, my environment & myself. That led me down the path of the Advanced Course, then Rescue Diver & then onto the Pro side of diving. I think if I had not decided to teach, I am sure I would have quickly completed the Master Diver, Cavern & Cave courses, not necessarily in that order.

The more I dive & the more I teach, my own skills improve. My buoyancy has improved significantly as has my air usage. I consider myself a much more self-reliant diver because I have learned to be prepared for emergencies & use redundancy as the norm not the exception. The key is to grow in your understanding so that you are the best diver you can be. If you want to grow some, give me a call. If I can't help, I will put you in touch with someone who can.