Using own gear?

[Sn1per9000]

Ok guys. I'm new to the forum soon to be diving.

I signed my wife and myself up for class today. I'm a bit frustrated though. I called the shop to get everything going. Books class and so on. While we were talking on the phone he told me we had to come in to get fitted for gear. So I mentioned at this point that I had most of the required stuff mask, fins, snorkel boots, and so on.... He told me that there is a policy that you cannot use outside gear in the class.

Is this weird? To me it's a bit strange. It seems like a way to have a captive audience.


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[tbone1004]

sounds like you need to find a new shop.... never heard of that policy before.... where are you located? might be some shops in your area that people on here have had good experiences with

 

[divad]

Do they charge you to use "inside gear"?

 

[knotical]

Yes, it is unusual. Did they explain why?

I’m familiar with aquariums not allowing use of outside gear because it might bring external poisons or parasites into their ecosystem. However, unless there is some other extenuating circumstance, I think you’d be better off using the equipment you are likely to use after your certification.

I’d call back and ask why. My concern is that it might be part of a strategy to get you to buy new, possibly unneeded equipment from them. The shop for which I worked always allowed outside equipment as long as it was safe (e.g. tempered glass lenses).

 

[Dr. Lecter]

It's always nice when shady operations disclose their shadiness far enough in advance you can simply go elsewhere. Call back, thank them for being up-front about their pathetic business practices, and explain you'll be going elsewhere because of them.

 

[TSandM]

I used to think that shops who said things like that were just being inexcusably greedy, and forcing the students to buy new stuff -- and I think a blanket policy like the one you heard still falls into that category. But we have had a few students show up with "their own" gear, which is usually hand-me-down stuff from somebody else, and we have seen people struggle HORRIBLY in gear that doesn't fit or doesn't work very well. After our last experience with this, I have a LOT more sympathy for a shop that simply says NO to unseen and unknown stuff.

At best, they should require you to bring in the stuff you want to use and let them look at it, and provide information on when it was last serviced. Remember that the liability for an accident lies with the shop, and they are not absolved of it just because it was your gear. A runaway inflator or a failed exhaust diaphragm on a reg could result in a serious accident.

If the shop has a rigid policy that you can't use ANYTHING you didn't buy from them, find another shop to do your class.

 

[WarrenZ]

It sounds like you have the snorkel gear but do you also have the wet suit regulators BC that you are going to train in or did we all make an assumption? Around here you are required to have your snorkel gear but every thing else is generally provided. What of your gear are you having to rent at the shop?

 

[freewillie]

It depends on the gear you are using. If you have snorkel mask and fins then they are not suitable for diving. The shop should give you the option of having your instructor evaluate the gear to see if it is suitable for diving. A dive mask in general should have a lower volume and better quality glass. Snorkel fins are also not appropriate for diving and you would need to have proper dive fins.

On the other hand, if you have proper mask and fins and the shop won't let you use proper dive gear then it's time to find a new shop. Any good LDS should work with a customer and accommodations to help minimize the gear costs.

 

[DKL]

The shop I got certified through just wanted to make sure that the gear being used was dive rated and not some K-mart $5.00 kiddy kit, I am sure it is simply a liability issue. I would ask them if they would take a look at my gear and give it the ok or not. If this policy is just an income maker and not justified as a safety policy, I would change shops. In other words if you know your gear is dive rated and works properly and the shop just off handedly refuses to let you use it.....run!!!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Liability is a BS reason to deny someone the opportunity to use their own gear if it's safe and works. A competent shop can tell in a few minutes if that's the case. I have had a student show up with a K Mart mask that while not having as soft a skirt did have a tempered glass lens and it fit them. So it was suitable for training. In the pool full foot snorkeling fins can also work just fine. I would take the opportunity to allow the student the use of boots and scuba fins before we went to open water. I'm pretty confident that they'd switch. But if they did not want to I do not have the right to tell them no.

As for showing up with great Uncle Bob's double hose and Fenzy? Why not? If it works fine. If I can put an octo on it and it has an SPG since standards require that, Ok, good to go. If that's what they are sure they will be using I have an obligation to train them in it. I may want to take it for a spin in the pool to be sure it works and familiarize myself with it.

If you read the post from the OP it said "I signed my wife and myself up for class today. I'm a bit frustrated though. I called the shop to get everything going. Books class and so on. While we were talking on the phone he told me we had to come in to get fitted for gear. So I mentioned at this point that I had most of the required stuff mask, fins, snorkel boots, and so on.... He told me that there is a policy that you cannot use outside gear in the class."

I would walk away. Get my money back, and find a another operation to use. It's horsecrap.