DiveMaster/LDS conflict

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

I agree with your decision.

-Klaus

Ohh well, any comments from the gallery?

Click to expand...

Some DMs and instructors are idiots and are only interested in selling gear and churning out mediocre divers. Quit doing your DM as soon as possible and go diving. (That took many years of tutelage under Mike Ferrara to boil that down to that short of a statement ).

Burn the place down and piss on the ashes.....or just calmly walk away...whatever

if you are being paid / and or being provided with equipment the I guess the shop had the right to require you to wear what it likes

Otherwise ... I think not


Thankfully my store has no equipment requirements even for the instructors

For DM stuff? ROFL... That's almost funnier than the first post. I would wager my tank boot collection that this is costing him money...

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

Click to expand...

I'm in the same situation as you are and I wear rental gear during training.

[edit: I should have said that I wear rental gear in the pool. IN OW I wear my own gear and answer a lot of questions.....]

R..

OMG....paid??? For DMing??? Yeah, his quarry entrance might be covered, and his air fills might be compd, but that's probably it.

I can't gripe though, I love helping out with the university classes, so to me, when things like entrance fees are picked up, I feel that's fair.....of course I'm alos a beer guzzling race fan, so I'm pretty easy to please.

jepuskar once bubbled...
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.

Click to expand...

You know, no one is telling you not to go to the quarry and dive in the pond, and be not affiliated with the class....you can still go dive right beside them....if you want to make a point....

I didn`t say I thought he was getting paid - I said that ( and making gear avaible for use ) are the only circumstances that a shop really could dictate what you wear


Some stores / instructors have requirements - others don`t

Personally - I like it when my assistants have differant gear - it reinforces the buddy check = where`s your buddy`s octopus ?? ... where is the inflate for the BC ... the deflate ... the purge on the reg ... what units does the pressure guage measure in