Hi Everyone, new here. Introduction and some newbie questions.

[Traveling nomad]

Hi Everyone

First I would like to thank you for a great forum, I have read a lot (been lurking for some time) and I really appreciate all the good info here.
Anyway, I figured it was time to introduce myself.

I'm a Swedish expat living in Thailand.
Did my first try dive little over a month ago, and I really did want to enjoy it. Unfortunately I did not.
The mask kept flooding, I kept clearing it (sucessfully) but 15s later it would be flooded again. Extremely annoying.
So I gave up after only a few minutes and returned to the boat. Only to find that the rental mask I had been using had a hole in the skirt.
Changed the mask for the afternoon dive, and this one held up much better. But then the regulator started breathing very wet. It was like breathing a salt water mist, not very pleasant and I started coughing and aborted again after only a few minutes. Why this was I have no idea, I can only assume that there was a hole in the mouthpiece?

I still want to enjoy diving, but this experience has at the very least put me off using rental gear as I assume that it was down to bad equipment, or maybe this is the way it's supposed to be to breath under water and it's just something i have to get used to?

Anyhow, I have now signed up for an SSI OW course, but already before I started the course I am getting a bit annoyed with the school. I signed up a week ago, and still the school has not gotten me access to the theory course on SSI homepage (last three sections, the first three anyone can access).
I would expect them to get me access to it within a day or two after the course fee was paid.
For those that know, is it a long and difficult process for them to grant me access? Or are my expectations set to high?

Another thing that bothers me, due to my previous bad experience with rental gear. I would be more comfortable just getting my own gear from the start and learn with that. But the school refused saying I had to use their gear during the course. Mask and wetsuit was ok with them that I got myself, but the rest I had to use theirs. They reluctantly agreed that I could bring my own mouthpiece after I pointed out the drycracks in theirs on the rental gear.
Does anyone have any idea why they would refuse me to use my own stuff?

//Newbie that want to enjoy diving, but getting more and more put off the whole thing.

 

[SNS-Mike]

I'm a newly certified diver and love it. Having gone through the NAUI course, I can't answer your question about SSI.

A properly fitting mask won't leak. I rarely have to clear mine, and when I do, it's usually my fault - I bump it, or didn't get all of my hair out of the way, for example. Also, you shouldn't be breathing a "salt water mist". I'll taste salt sometimes as the reg will hit the water, but I don't breathe it.

The shop should have properly functioning gear you can rent, but I am very glad to have my own gear now. The only thing I rent is the tank.

 

[Damselfish]

Is this the same shop both times? If so I would find someplace else, there are too many red flags already. Even if this was 2 separate shops I'd find a third. (If you're by any chance picking the shop by the lowest price, maybe not a good idea.)

Some places have better rental gear than others and sometimes even at a reliable shop with decent gear they can miss something. Something could have nibbled a hole in the mask skirt overnight- silicone is tasty to some critters. So like a faded and well used BC might look ratty but function fine. But everything should work properly. Holes in masks and a cracked mouthpiece are things easy to spot. I don't know why they would be reluctant to allow your own mouthpiece anyway, some people bring their own for fit or sanitary reasons. And if the mouthpiece is like that, they should replace it themselves on the spot. It's simple and cheap and if they won't do that I'd be skeptical how well they maintain the rest of the reg. If things obvious to an untrained diver are wrong, what else is wrong that you can't see? Will they be as sloppy about instruction?

There are pros and cons to getting your own gear before class. It solves the problem of crappy rental gear. But you might not like diving, you might have ear problems and not be able to, and since you haven't dove yet you have no idea what kind of gear you will prefer. But they shouldn't object especially if theirs is crappy.

 

[Traveling nomad]

Hi

This is two different shops, first one was a spur of the moment walk in while I was on an island holiday.
The second one was chosen as it's the closest one to my home.

So it's not only me that see problems with this, good. Then it's not just me being paranoid, I'll leave the deposit and walk from this second shop. See if I can find some other shop at the dive expo in BKK this weekend.

While I realize getting my own gear before even starting would cost a fair bit of money and will be a bit of a gamble as to what to buy. I can't really put a price tag on keeping safe and from what I have seen so far, granted only two shops, rental gear isn't being kept up to std and trusting my air source to something with dry cracks in it doesn't feel right. But maybe I just been unlucky so far. Third time the charm...

 

[Scott Porter]

Hi Nomad,

I'm new here too ☺.

Your Mask issued are almost certainly due to an I'll fitting Mask. If possible, try as many different ones as you can before you buy one. We all have different shaped faces and so each Mask will fit better/worse.

At a guess, I'd say your regulator could need a service. Sometimes Dive operators don get the opportunity to service them as oftenas they should due to the amount they're used. I could be way out on this though.

Just curious on how you ended up in Thailand?

Cheers

Scott

 

[Traveling nomad]

Hi Scott

I came to Thailand the first time in 2009 for a work assignment in Rayong. I liked the place so I decided to stay, on my first rotation back home to Sweden I sold everything I owned that would sell. Packed what I needed in a bag and left. Nowadays I live in Bangkok, but work mostly overseas on short time engineering contracts. I usually end up working 5-6 months out of the year, thats enough time working for me.

 

[Scott Porter]

I cannot even begin to express my jealousy toward you lol (Jokes obviously). Sounds like you have got things set up perfectly ☺.

 

[Dogbowl]

@Traveling nomad , what a life!

 

[Seaweed Doc]

You might consider reporting the shop to SSI. Any one issue seems reasonable, but when you had a mask with a skirt hole, a questionable regulator second stage, and then noticing cracking, and lastly they can't get you electronic access to learning modules quickly it makes me very suspicious. It seems like their business may be in trouble and they're trying to save money wherever they can.

I don't know SSI, but I think their instructors have to be tied to a shop. That means the shop should be known to SSI. PADI and NAUI have mechanisms to report problems, I'd suspect SSI does as well.

 

[Traveling nomad]

@Dogbowl @Scott Porter

There's drawbacks also. Not always contracts available when I need them, sometimes I can go a year without work and income. So it's not really a stable situation... lol