DiveMaster/LDS conflict

[5615mike]

Don't blame you a bit for taking that stance. Sounds like a rather rediculous request for me. When those divers go out in the "real world" the shop can't dictate what they are going to see now are they.

 

[learn-scuba]

Mind you... I'm not taking sides on this issue, but there is a reason why some shops want their instructors (and DMs) in gear the shop sells. There's a considerable body of evidence that students want to emulate the "professionals" they see in their classes. When the instructors (and DMs) are wearing gerar the store doesn'tsell the odds are better than 50/50 that the students will seek out a store that sells what they saw in class. Given that most stores offer training as a means to bring new customers into the store, it's counter productive when the instructor is losing business for them.

I try to view it as a symbiotic relationship between the instructor and the store. I ask the store respect my preferences for who, how and when I train students and in return I respect the store's wishes at a minimum. It's only fair.

jmho

 

[Falcon99]

A diving friend of mine had the same problem with his LDS. He has probably 500 dives and was "instructed" to buy Scubapro because that was what their shop sells.


I think it is MAJOR BS.

James

 

[Diver0001]

Falcon99 once bubbled...
A diving friend of mine had the same problem with his LDS. He has probably 500 dives and was "instructed" to buy Scubapro because that was what their shop sells.


I think it is MAJOR BS.

James

This is a whole other issue. I can understand a shop wanting their instructors to wear things they sell when they're teaching. And if an instructor doesn't have that kind of stuff then the shop should provide it for them, as they do in my case.

But a shop that requires instructors to buy only from them is desperate and playing with fire. Before they know it instructors will abandon them because of this policy and Darwin and economics will finish them.

R..

 

[Genesis]

IMHO They can provide the gear, for free.

 

[Arnaud]

I wear the store's gear in the pool. And my b/p in the ocean. I guess I picked that up from one of O-ring's posts (thank you )

So far, it's worked fine and no one has complained. Besides, the chlorine doesn't have the best effect on the wing...

 

[netmage]

jepuskar once bubbled...
I want to help out my instructor and the LDS this weekend with OW/AOW students, but my instructor has insisted I wear my jacket style BC with a 'normal' hose configuration.

He says he wants the students to see me in products they would be selling them. I own a Halcyon BP/Wing, which my LDS does not sell and I have a long/short hose configuration. They sell Dive Rite products, not Halcyon.
.....
I can't argue their point, so I am just not going to help out. Part of being a DM is promoting the practices of your instructor, reinforcing them for the students, setting a good example, and I guess sales. ....
Ohh well, any comments from the gallery?

Jason

My question back: Are you there as an employee/co-op'd education of the Dive Shop or are you there as a paying DiveMaster Candidate...?

Hypothetical response tying back into my above question: What if you walked off the street having never been in the shop and were looking to take your DM - and had alreayd purchased gear that they did not resell....? Would they expect you to re-outfit yourself all over again...? Would they extend keyman pricing to you if they did...?

This BS and all the other crap is why I have a hard time finding an LDS to support and I'm in the same town your in....!

 

[Laser]

jepuskar once bubbled...
I want to help out my instructor and the LDS this weekend with OW/AOW students, but my instructor has insisted I wear my jacket style BC with a 'normal' hose configuration.

He says he wants the students to see me in products they would be selling them. I own a Halcyon BP/Wing, which my LDS does not sell and I have a long/short hose configuration. They sell Dive Rite products, not Halcyon.

I have a REALLY BIG PROBLEM with this. From the dive shops perspective, I understand their point. Students observe DM's, AI's, and Instructors and it makes sense to wear stuff they sell. But more importantly, MY perspective is I love my new setup, want to dive it more, really don't want to touch my jacket BC because that does no good with me improving my new setup. I feel more comfortable in the wing, blah blah blah.

I can't argue their point, so I am just not going to help out. Part of being a DM is promoting the practices of your instructor, reinforcing them for the students, setting a good example, and I guess sales. I guess I would not make a very good DM for my LDS, because I will refuse to let anyone tell me what I should dive with for the sake of the store. It really is a shame because I think how I look and manuever in the water sets a good example for the students.

Ohh well, any comments from the gallery?

Jason

Just curious. What shop is it?

 

[ZoCrowes255]

A divemaster candidate that I am working with is in the same situation that you were. He uses a Halcyon BP/Wing and Apeks regulators (took his DIRF and all that fun stuff) and we do not sell either one of them. The competition across town sells Apeks. He has been asked to stop using the long hose configuration and the Apeks regs but he is not expected to buy anything new. Right now he is borrowing my extra Scubapro MK16/G250 and still using his BP/Wings. Fortunately we are all big fans of the SP Jet at our store so he can keep using those.

Once he gets his DM Cert if he wants to continue to help with class he must purchase his own. So far he has been happy to oblige (he likes our shop and the way we do things.) He is an excellent diver and a great guy to be around and I hope he sticks with it and continues on to Instructor.

It sounds like you have made the right decision for yourself.

 

[O-ring]

In order to DM for your store, which is an unpaid position, you are going to require some guy to buy new gear that is consistent with the store's inventory even though the guy is already a solid diver and has his own kit?