Divemasters: Beware the West LA Sport Chalet!!

[merxlin]

You need to call PADI as well. Remember they are providing PADI certifications and are under the same rules and guidelines as any other PADI shop.

 

[merxlin]

..................I'm just waiting for the Costco Scuba department to open!...............

Too late. Our local Costco has IST masks, fins, snorkels, wetsuits and BCDs (not snorkel vests- real BCDs). No fill station though.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Could some one post the phone number of this store. I'd like to call and make sure my CMAS instructor card is recognized or if I have to show one of my PADI cards. If enough people call and ask to speak to the dummy in charge of fills they'll get the message pretty damn quick!

 

[scjoe]

It's easy to jump on people and perhaps satisfying, but c'mon -- this ain't the end of the world. All you need to do is:

a. Show them your OW card (AOW or rescue or whatever);

I agree. Why show a card that might create confusion when you have ones that won't.

Glad to see people were willing to jump all over the store employees. Given the number of times I screw things up or just have it plain wrong, I am a little hesitant to do so.

 

[D_B]

Employee ..OK

Manager .. No
He should know better ... what does he "Manage" and how can he if he doesn't know?
I would hope that he takes this opportunity to find out

 

[fdog]

Too late. Our local Costco has IST masks, fins, snorkels, wetsuits and BCDs (not snorkel vests- real BCDs). No fill station though.

Hmmmm. At our shop, we just ran a married couple (nice folks) through OW. They had purchased new gear from a "SoCal" Costco the week prior. Same gear, IST regs.

The hose routing was kinda wonky, so as a favor, the shop owner up here reconfigured the regs to something reasonable. That's when he noticed it...corrosion. The corrosion looked just like one of the regs had been used in the ocean for a while, never rinsed...

New.

No word yet if Costco will make it good.


All the best, James

 

[Oside Jimc]

I couldn't believe it! I don't think I'm going to back to that store again, but does anybody have any suggestions on a better explanation if (god forbid) this sort of confusion should happen again?

Find a local, independent shop (like Hollywood Divers) run by actual SCUBA divers and give them you business.

I would love to show them my 1971 YMCA basic open water card.

I had an OP on Maui refuse to take me when I showed my 1972 PADI Scuba Cert.

 

[shoupart]

Yeah, I'm going to Eco Dive Center and Malibu
divers from now on.

I don't mean to seem unreasonably mean to Sport Chalet, but I used to work there and recall the level of customer service they wanted from us. The employee wasnt the tennis guy; he's been the dive point person on occasions before and says he is certified. Also, I hold some stock with SC, so I'm doubly displeased.

The manager- definitely has no excuse.

I agree with showing less confusing cards. I've used the DM one before many times without problems.

This has been the last straw with Sport Chalet- over the past month I've had to page people over and over for fills, several occasions in the past month, and sometimes they still don't have people showing up.

 

[shoupart]

Oh- and yes, I will Contact SC HQ, too.

Talking to PADI is a good last resort, too. But I hope speaking to the SC heads will set things right.

 

[ItsBruce]

Regardless of what we say here on SB about taking personal responsibility for yourself, the reality of the world is that if something goes afoul on your dive and you are unable to accept personal responsibility, your heirs are likely to sue the dive shop. (Recall the incident at the Avalon dive park.) Who wants to be the employee who is identified as the one who gave you an air fill with what appears to be an expired card? The same goes for the manager. I'm sorry, but if I were SC corporate management, I'd educate both the manager and the employee about certs being for life and then commend them for at least having the common sense to be concerned over the expiration date.

BTW: For all those reading this thread, assume you are doing air fills and someone with a c-card comes in and asks for a fill and your assessment is that the person is not safe to dive (i.e. the person asks to have his oxygen tank filled and then asks about new flippers) -- would you do the fill?