Rolling Eyes at LDS

[mikemath]

I generally haven't had too many eye rolls, but there is one that sticks in my brain. I know just about every LDS is paranoid about "Teh Intarwebs", but the LDS I frequent has really competitive prices and I've purchased virtually all my equipment through them. When I was talking to the owner about buying a dry suit, he was steering me towards a particular model he liked and used himself. I told him I wanted to check online to see product reviews for it, and he blew a gasket. "Why do you need to look at reviews, I just gave you mine!" Commence eye rolling.

 

[MissBubblyDiver]

I got a good story for you guys!
Four years ago as a new diver I bought my first regulator set up--Sherwood. A few dives in someone told me I had a leak from the first stage. I took it into the dive shop where I bought it. They put a rubber stopper-like thing in a dent-looking thing (I was new, this is how I perceived it lol) where the leak was from. No help. I took it to a difference dive shop, (the one where I know work sales and as a dive master). The owner and future instructor looked at me blankly and could not believe his eyes. Sherwood rgulators are supposed to have a small leak at the top. This is how Sherwood regulators prevent water from entering. He couldn't believe the other dive shop where I got it from not only failed to inform my of this ahead of time. but didn't know themselves and dangerously put a rubber stopper on top of it! I went in the next day to complain. As I was leaving I heard the man whom I complained to call me a "stupid b**tch"! That's what I roll my eyes at. . . I never returned there again. I now work for their largest regional competitor!

 

[mkutyna]

My only personal experience that I can remember was down in the Keys a few years ago. We stopped in a LDS to browse their stuff and I noticed a sign saying something to the effect of "Due to blah blah blah, LDS will not fill any tank over 15 years old." I asked the lady behind the counter about it and she confirmed that they do not fill any tank over 15 years old. I asked if that policy included steel tanks and she said it did.

Oh, deadly_risk, I definitely wouldn't give you the third degree about why you want to try out a BP/W. It's just another type of BC and I would encourage you to try out all types (okay, maybe not a horse collar unless you specifically asked about it) before actually purchasing something.

 

[mkutyna]

I got a good story for you guys!
Four years ago as a new diver I bought my first regulator set up--Sherwood. !

If it doesn't leak, it ain't a Sherwood!

 

[Matt S.]

I roll my eyes at our one shop's adamant insistence that my "tech s*&%" (DIR setup) is inappropriate for local recreational diving. They don't quite come out and say that I am going to die, but they're thinking it . . .

Is it by any chance a large regional chain?

 

[*dave*]

I recently attempted to dump my BCD and Twin Jets at the LDS I instruct for. The mgr starts grilling me on why I want to dump them.
"Because I haven't dived either in over three years" He rolls his eyes and makes a comment to the effect of "No wonder none of your students buy gear from us.... Our gear isn't good enough for you."

This causes me to roll my eyes, because he's never sat in on one of my classes. "The gear I dive works for all the types of diving I do now and will do in the future. Why would I keep a set of gear that would only work in about half the diving I do? How many of my students have come in asking for BP/W or Jets?"

He rolls his eyes, I roll my eyes and shake my head. Sometimes, they just don't get it.

 

[imnewjack]

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.

hey, i can feel your pain.
i purchased a prime aladin from this lds in the Chicago western suburbs, just west of lombard. i had problems with it, the dive shop owner didn't want to service it. it took him calling scuba pro direct for him to do anything about it. what a jerk...i will never go there again and i hope everyone does the same.

 

[offthewall1]

As a store owner I try really hard not to roll my eyes... at least not in front of the customers... but sometimes it's damn near impossible not to go cross-eyed.

Here is a recent story that made my eyes roll and steam come out of my ears...

So I've got a brand new diver, literally just certified who reads everything he can on his new found sport. He is literally in my store on a weekly basis, sometimes 2 or 3 days a week and sometimes even 2 or 3 times a day.

He asks for advice on everything... and I mean everything. So I try my best to help him out and answer every last question with my honest opinion... always prefacing what I say with "this is how I do it... but others may do it differently. There is no wrong or right in gear configuration... it's mostly personal preference."

So he comes in and asks for advice on how to mount (carry) a pony bottle. I tell him it's a personal preference whether to tank mount it or sling it.... but he keeps pushing me wanting to know what I do and what is best... so I tell him exactly what I do. I mount it upside down on my primary tank and I pressurize it and then turn it off before entering the water.

The next day (I was off,) he comes into my store and tells my employee that I gave him bad advice and that I was trying to kill him. He had been to Scubaboard (I had told him about the site when he took his OW class) and read somewhere on here that turning your tank off was an absolute no no and placed you in great danger.

My employee called me to tell me that he did this in the store in front of other customers and he was visibly upset and shaking and ranting and raving. I rolled my eyes... blew steam out of my ears... and the next time he came in my store I let him have it.

I then started a thread that same day on Scubaboard asking for opinions on how people mount their ponies. Somewhere between 70-80% did things pretty much the same as I do... so I emailed him the link to the page... he read it, came in the next day and apologized.

Through all of this, he has remained a customer... why? Because he discovered I was right... figured out I cared enough to take the time to point him in the right direction, accepted his apology and forgave his actions... and because I give him great deals on everything he needs. He now understands that opinions in diving vary greatly... and that just because 70-80% do it my way... there are still 20-30% out there that do it their way... and each of the ways works just fine... some maybe better than others... but that's what makes us unique... we can all be different... but still dive the same...

 

[imukdiver]

Here is one that always makes me roll my eyes. I work in a LDS part-time and have come to regard EBAY as slightly pure evil. Once or twice a week it never fails. Somebody comes in with a "super-deal" they just got from EBAY. I'ts almost always ancient and usually dry-rotted as well. Then here is the eye rolling part. They get all uptight when they hear, that by the time you take the time to clean it and service it ( assumming the parts are even available) they could have bought a new and better regulator from you. Hey if it's to good to be true it probably is !!!!!
As far as the nitorx debate. We have whoever is picking up said tanks analyze them and then sign our logbook. If they were getting more than 6 tanks we would require some other divers to come and pick up their own tanks.

 

[tomboyy]

So he comes in and asks for advice on how to mount (carry) a pony bottle.

I then started a thread that same day on Scubaboard asking for opinions on how people mount their ponies. Somewhere between 70-80% did things pretty much the same as I do... so I emailed him the link to the page... he read it, came in the next day and apologized.

Wheres is this thread.. I couldn't find it. I find it hard to believe that 70 to 80 percent of diver mount their ponys on their tank. If I'm wrong, I'm sorry.