Rolling Eyes at LDS

[Dive Right In Scuba]

So if a student is taking a Nitrox class, and the instructor wants the students tank filled, you wont give it to them?

 

[Zieg]

So how about the dive shop that wanted to keep, in their possesion, my c card while I was out on their boat. I didn't need to rent anything from them, didn't even need air. In fact, when they found out I was diving nitrox, they had me sign another release form that the only difference was it said "nitrox" diver instead of "scuba" diver and was printed in green, AND they would have to hold my nitrox card.

 

[divad]

Rolling my eyes trying to figure out why you volunteered information about the tanks ownership.

 

[deadly_risk]

For the poster who had eyes rolled at him because they wanted to buy a bp/wing - I'd ask the same question - why so you want this? Is it cos a guy on the internet said it was the way to go or do you really undertand the pros and cons of owning that equipment. It's not difficult to establish the reasoning behind a customer's request and I see it as our responsibility to ensure the customer is getting what is right for them.

I don't want to buy, I want to try. And yes, I want to try it because of what I have read on the internet.

It seems like a bad idea to me to take a salesman's word on what is right for me when they have a extremely vested interest in selling that product. Getting huffy with a customer because they pose the idea that maybe you're word isn't gold dose not seem like a great practice to me. Just like not making informed equipment choices.

 

[piikki]

So how about the dive shop that wanted to keep, in their possesion, my c card while I was out on their boat. I didn't need to rent anything from them, didn't even need air. In fact, when they found out I was diving nitrox, they had me sign another release form that the only difference was it said "nitrox" diver instead of "scuba" diver and was printed in green, AND they would have to hold my nitrox card.

As a pawn?
Maybe they'd downgrade your card if reports came in that you really sucked

 

[piikki]

Rolling my eyes trying to figure out why you volunteered information about the tanks ownership.

Hehe, the shop knows my friggen tanks, nosy squirrels!
But any shop that refuses spouses to pick up the whole family's tanks are having some serious control issues methinks.

 

[Crowley]

So if a student is taking a Nitrox class, and the instructor wants the students tank filled, you wont give it to them?

Redundant question in a way because an instructor teaching a class has standards to follow and therefore responsibility to ensure the nitrox is checked falls to them, not me. However, as I have done before, I would still insist the tanks are analysed by the students with appropriate supervision from the instructor, before the tanks left the shop. Any instructor with whom I entered into such an agreedment would be happy to comply, I'm sure.

and to deadly_risk - I'd be quite happy to let you try a bp/wing setup assuming I had a spare item for use. I'd still try and talk to you to determine why you were interested etc. Two different issues here.

Of course - any shop that sells anything wants to make the best margin possible (hello this is a business!) but I wholeheartedly disagree with pushing sales to increase margins to the detriment of the diver. If a novice diver asks me about buying a computer I'll try to sell them something basic. If they really want a D9 I will explain the pros and cons and if they still want to spend the money (some do) then that's great, but I'm not going to try and sell a D9 to somebody who doesn't need it.

Cheers,

Crowley

 

[Jupiter31]

I got the rolling eyes after explaining to my LDS that I wanted to try out a bp/w setup before buying anything from them or anyone else.

I was told it would be like test driving a car without knowing how to drive, I would not know any better and suck equally at both, so I should take their word that the zeagle gulf they sell is exactly what I want and need.

Get a new LDS -

This is not one of those items you can buy "out of the box" w/out trying it; frankly, you should be able to try 'most any product with the right of return; perhaps w/ a small restocking fee - But thats another thread

 

[robint]

back to your original post........ the nitrox tank issue is purely going by the standards laid out in the nitrox course. Rule #1: You don't dive a tank that you personally haven't analyzed. For liability reasons, the dive shops follow this so if a person dies from going too deep on the % that was logged in the book, they have no resposibility. If you really want to pick up your buddy's nitrox tank, then go ahead and rent both tanks for yourself, analyze them, pay for both, and it is all on you if something goes wrong. Simple and less drama.

Having worked at a dive shop for awhile, I can tell you that employees are sometimes overly cautious because they are getting pounded into them daily about "what if" situations. Job security means you act on the side of caution (like the store owner tells you that if someone sues and he loses everything then you will be held accountable, too). I always followed the rules and sometimes people would get irrate and yell at me, at which point the Dive Shop Manager would come out and give the person what they wanted and make me look like an idiot. That's one of the reasons I don't work there anymore.

robin

 

[ptyx]

I wouldn't give out nitrox fills on behalf of somebody else either. I need to see their card and have them analyse and sign for the tank.

I thought the whole idea of shops asking people for their card was to ensure they were trained, and therefore were aware of the dangers and procedures. PADI Nitrox training includes the importance of having each diver check their tanks. So shouldn't the responsibility of ensuring that it is the case be transferred to the loaner (analyzers aren't that rare)? Or do you use the same procedure for air and don't want to rent more than one tank to a diver?

Plus every time I rent a tank I have to sign a disclaimer telling me that I'll die and it will be my fault - so why not just add that to that disclaimer if the only reason is for legal protection?

IANAL, but I don't see the point of that practice. It is not business friendly (I know I wouldn't think twice about changing shop for that) - and honestly, quite insulting to both dive training and the trust buddies should have in each other.