Local dive shop in Venice CA, refuses to fill tanks

[Boatlawyer]

There are technically two real shops in Venice, CA (the REAL Venice, for you Florida-dites...not far from the REAL Hollywood.)
K

I really don't think either Venice, Ca or Venice, FL is the "real" Venice. Really, I don't. Really.

 

[Mo2vation]

I think this is a related and appropriate question with a positive spin. If not, let me know because I'm not trying to hijack this thread.

For those of you that live in and around the Venice area, who do you like to use or recommend as the LDS?

I'm specifically thinking about someone I know of, who lives in Venice and has expressed an interest in taking lessons. I'd like to pass along the recommendation. I'd like to send the money to the "good guys".

Thanks.

Christian

I get 99.9% of my gear from eBay. Now that I've stopped gear awapping and settled on my rig, its been awhile since I purchased anything significant. Next real purchase will be dry gloves for my DUI next week - which BTW I sourced from a guy on ebay.

Evil empire (hee hee) or not, almost all of my fills come from SC in the Marina these days. Close, cheap, fast, fat fills (used to be fatter until they started doing dry fills recently), and best of all - long hours. There is also one a block from my HB office. I got no problem with SC. None.

Got my E8-130 from Dive & Surf last year because they had it in stock.

Get my training from SSA and Malibu Divers.

Get my regs serviced by an independent service technician who is authorized by the manufacturers I own. Cheap, fast, and he picks up and delivers from my home.

Get my trips from SSA and Ocean Adventures - but most I just call on my own.

Now that I think about it, I don't have a strong affiliation with any single dive store, really. Nobody I can stroll into and get free fills, shoot the breeze with for half a day and hang out with. None of that shop bonding and affiliation so many divers find comforting and "cool".

Whatever....

I don't need to hang with a shop to make me feel like a diver. I feel like a diver because I dive.

I don't talk about diving, I don't think about diving, I don't frequent diver chat rooms and wear dive flag stuff to make me feel like a diver. I dive.

I don't meet with a club once a week and dive once a month to make me feel like a diver. I dive.

Shops sell me stuff and give me training. I don't get my diver validation from them. My experience is if you treat a shop with respect, you'll generally get it back.

K

 

[amradron]

I think this is a related and appropriate question with a positive spin. If not, let me know because I'm not trying to hijack this thread.

For those of you that live in and around the Venice area, who do you like to use or recommend as the LDS?

I'm specifically thinking about someone I know of, who lives in Venice and has expressed an interest in taking lessons. I'd like to pass along the recommendation. I'd like to send the money to the "good guys".

Thanks.

Christian

From Venice, I would go to Malibu Divers for training. Not quite in town, but not far away and they have among the most knowledgable instructors I have met.

<Disclaimer: After getting training from a few different LDS's I am currently getting my Divemaster through Malibu Divers>

Justin

 

[Mo2vation]

I really don't think either Venice, Ca or Venice, FL is the "real" Venice. Really, I don't. Really.

true.

 

[CABear]

Why don't you publish their phone number? Maybe a few phone calls from members would assist them in re-evaluating their position.

 

[headhunter]

And Malibu Divers is in the lead by "2" for training!

Thanks guys. I'll pass that along.

Christian

 

[dazedone]

Yeowch. I get my fills from this shop all the time. The owner has always treated me very well. I wouldn't classify him as a nutjob. Are you sure it was the owner who gave you attitude?

 

[HammerNoMore]

Yeowch. I get my fills from this shop all the time. The owner has always treated me very well. I wouldn't classify him as a nutjob. Are you sure it was the owner who gave you attitude?

Just to be clear. I am talking about a totally separate incident that is not even in CA. I merely offered it as an example of similar treatment to that of the original poster.

James

 

[pasley]

Sport Chalet is $4.50 if you by the air card of 10 fills for $45.00. Just 3 years ago when I first dared to cross the to the other side and started sniffing compressed air it was $25.00 for a card of 10 fills. My habit just gets more expensive and like all habits, a single fix no longer last me as long so now I am using more an getting a fix 2 or even 3 times a week. Currently my habit is running about $50.00 a month.

 

[Seabear70]

I really don't think either Venice, Ca or Venice, FL is the "real" Venice. Really, I don't. Really.

Now the real Venice would be one seriously wicked dive! Not sure how safe, but definately one to brag about.