Laser
Guest
pinhead once bubbled...
i think the best way to go ahead from now is to accept advice and recommendations from my LDS but to go and read some reviews and do my own research before i happily give my money to them, that way every1 will be happy
Check out a few different shops in your area. Think of it this way.....when you go to a Toyota dealer, they want to sell you a Toyota, and will skew their info to that mean. If you were armed with all the info on competing brands, you would be able to separate the good info from the BS. Same with a dive shop. Most only carry a couple brands and want to praise these brands as the best to get the sale. No difference. Walking in educated lets you separate the BS from the real info. There is a plethora of info in these types of groups and the internet in general. Then, see if they will let you try out an item you are interested in, or at least rent a similar item, say a BC, and then you can see for yourself. If they have heavy handed tactics, walk. You need gear that works for you, not what the store wants you to buy. Do the reasearch, and then match that with what the LDS is telling you and see if you smell BS. The uninformed diver pays for it by having a closet full of gear he no longer uses. Trust me on that one.
