Thats why I opened my own shop. Now I am on the other end. The way I have solved the problem is to have staff who's equipment and diving philosophy is compatable with mine. That means that I trained them. Our first year we had a DM who had worked many years for the shop that used to be in town. We dive all year. We are cold water divers. People who dive with us on a regular basis must move into a dry suit early on. This DM has plenty of money and time and dives mostly Caribbean. I found out he was advising people against diving local and dry. I tolorated him usung old obsolete equipment of brands I didn't sell but... I was compensating him to sabatage my buisiness. The DM may work cheap but I invested my life savings to work for free. Being part of the staff means being part of the team. The alternative is to simply find another team.
Question for the DM's and Instructors
- Thread starter KC_Scubabunny
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Vinga
Registered
I asked a gathering of five instructors what kind of gear to buy, and got five answers, and one heated argument between two of them. I was newly certified, and on Grand Cayman, where there was no gear for sale (1980). Since then, becoming an instructor, I've had quite a self education in gear, amongst other dive things.
Students and newly certified divers are overwhelmed by choices in gear. They will almost invariably buy what their All Knowing instructor uses.
Yes, a shop does the sane thing requiring employees (paid or not) to use the shop's brand. The competition is fierce, and if a shop wants to remain viable, retail gear sales keep them afloat. Instruction, diving, trips, boats, do not maintain a shop. I'm sad that folks will gleefully pay a 1000% markup on gold jewelry, but don't want to pay the standard, normal American 100% markup on life support systems.
From the outside, diving is expensive. From the inside, you can only scratch a very poor subsistance existance from it.
Regards,
Melissa
Students and newly certified divers are overwhelmed by choices in gear. They will almost invariably buy what their All Knowing instructor uses.
Yes, a shop does the sane thing requiring employees (paid or not) to use the shop's brand. The competition is fierce, and if a shop wants to remain viable, retail gear sales keep them afloat. Instruction, diving, trips, boats, do not maintain a shop. I'm sad that folks will gleefully pay a 1000% markup on gold jewelry, but don't want to pay the standard, normal American 100% markup on life support systems.
From the outside, diving is expensive. From the inside, you can only scratch a very poor subsistance existance from it.
Regards,
Melissa
SaltyWhale
Contributor
Hi KC_Scubabunny
It's part of the dive business. One thing your hubby can do is to buy another set for his assisting the LDS but make sure he gets it at a very discounted rate. There's no harm of having 2 sets of gears. One for personal and one for work.
Funny how it may sound but a dive instructor friend of mine who owns a LDS, does not use the gears he sells. Weird.
It's part of the dive business. One thing your hubby can do is to buy another set for his assisting the LDS but make sure he gets it at a very discounted rate. There's no harm of having 2 sets of gears. One for personal and one for work.
Funny how it may sound but a dive instructor friend of mine who owns a LDS, does not use the gears he sells. Weird.
The shop I am currently doing my DM training with couldn't care less what brand of gear I use as long as it is in good working order and meets the requirments of the training agency. Most shops in my area don't require new gear to match what the store sells. I would move on if it were required of me to purchase new gear unless the shop was going to give it me at cost and it was better than what I alread have.
Scott
Scott
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