My own equipment not allowed for Open Water class?

[Barefoot_Lawyer]

It's at a dedicated dive quarry about an hour South of the shop. We're responsible for paying the fee to enter the park ($30/day), and the airfill fees as well ($15 per tank). I don't know if that's standard expectation or not, just saying that there is a lot of fine print for this course.

Maybe have your cake and eat it too - do the course as an open water referral with the shop that offers your preferred agency for classroom and pool, and then travel someplace more interesting for doing the open water dives with your own equipment?

 

[NorCalDM]

It's at a dedicated dive quarry about an hour South of the shop. We're responsible for paying the fee to enter the park ($30/day), and the airfill fees as well ($15 per tank). I don't know if that's standard expectation or not, just saying that there is a lot of fine print for this course.

This is common . We do our check out dives at the ocean and you are expected to pay for parking, after the first day you need to get your cylinders filled at a local shop which there are several and pay for those fills $6-7 per fill. You return the cylinders to the shop after the second day or final day unfilled.

 

[stretchthepenn]

It's at a dedicated dive quarry about an hour South of the shop. We're responsible for paying the fee to enter the park ($30/day), and the airfill fees as well ($15 per tank). I don't know if that's standard expectation or not, just saying that there is a lot of fine print for this course.

I think asking students to pay incidental fees is pretty common. For example, some of my OW and AOW checkout dives were on Catalina, and I had to pay for both legs of the LA-to-Catalina ferry ride. And IIRC, I had to pay for my air fills while on the island.

But about the location... You're talking about Blue Water Park? That's a nice site. Getting to the water from the parking lot is a pain, and their tank fill prices are steep (and they stick closely to LP pressure limits...booooo!), but there's lots of good stuff underwater. You'll likely enjoy your dives there. Pick up a stamp-card at the front desk; go four times, and your fifth entry is free.

 

[Belzelbub]

It's at a dedicated dive quarry about an hour South of the shop. We're responsible for paying the fee to enter the park ($30/day), and the airfill fees as well ($15 per tank). I don't know if that's standard expectation or not, just saying that there is a lot of fine print for this course.

I don’t know if it’s different where you are, but that is somewhat different from my experience.

With my daughters, the course fee included everything except for the dive site fees. Dive site fees vary depending on which one. This is purchased through the shop, and it was discounted from the regular price of the site/charter. Equipment rental was included for the rest of the students, no discount for using their own. I did use the shop’s tanks and wetsuits, and that was no charge. We bright two tanks, each day and did not pay extra to get them filled.

 

[Bob DBF]

I was told anything through Blue Steel is expensive and it was. It would have been $399 for each. I got them for $250ish each from DGX. Instructor thanked me for giving her shop a shot at the business, but told me some things are just more expensive through a small shop.

They could have quoted you $300, and if you said yes, bought it from DGX and turned it for a profit. I used to do this for my customers when I worked retail, not in the dive industry, as a service.

 

[SlugLife]

I'm going to tell you a story. When I eventually decided to upgrade from my very nice jacket-style BCD, the next logical option was to go with a backplate/wing, because it's very configurable, and you can swap parts, it's more reliable, etc. It's generally what tech-divers use, but is perfectly good for any recreational diver.

However, about 3 weeks later I discovered "sidemount" diving, and soon after acquired some equipment and training, and haven't back to backmount since. Sidemount uses a completely different equipment setup and configuration. My rather nice dual-bladder backplate setup, with a fantastic harness, etc has sat in a box since. I don't regret my purchase because I was able to build the setup fairly inexpensively, and I still have it as a loaner, or if my sidemount rig has a problem.

I agree about buying quality, but also keep in mind that your preferences are very likely to change. With your complete lack of experience, buying equipment now seems silly, and very likely you'll end up in a buy-twice cry-twice scenario. That said ,people here can probalby guide you towards equipment that will generally be good from an initial recreational-level up to early-to-mid technical diving. For example, you should probably go for a backplate+wing setup. Regulator-sets can also be reconfigured, and some are better-or-worse for certain environments like salt-water or cold-water diving.

I also believe in the "buy once, cry once" principle, as well as not having to re-learn stuff (muscle memory).

If you do go far into scuba, I strongly suspect you're not going to know which kinds of gear is the right gear to buy once. You can ask around here on SB to get some great advice, but for the moment, I STRONGLY recommend you just use the dive-shop gear, especially if the rental gear is provided at no additional charge (it often is). Consider it a free tryout of the rental-gear. There may be times, when you're traveling and don't have your gear with you, but want to do a scuba-dive, and you'll have to be able to deal with the rental-gear anyway.

Swapping between various backplate setups isn't really that challenging. As far as muscle-memory, that's somewhat valid, but not that big of a deal. Namely, I like to have my backup-regulator ("octo") always in the same place. I also enjoy customizing my setup to better suit me. You sound like you may enjoy that customization as well. Some of that is learning what kinds of setups you do like, and others is learning what kinds of setups you don't like.

 

[SlugLife]

However, the SSI shop then told me that for the Open Water class I have to use their equipment, either rented or bought from them.

As mentioned in my other comment, buying equipment before you pass your open-water class is probably a bad idea, regardless of who you buy it from.

I'm not a scuba-instructor, however one of the things you have to consider is that an initial beginner "Open Water" class is like herding cats that are trying to kill themselves. If everyone in the class has different equipment, which none of them know how to use, and perhaps which the instructor themselves might not be familiar with, it's really hard to teach skills.

It gets pretty complex teaching basic skills, when even the instructor doesn't know where the student's weights are, inflator hose is, how their regs are setup, etc. It's also dangerous from the perspective of the instructor's perspective who might need to quickly do something with your equipment, such as inflate or deflate your BCD, but then they cant find your inflator hose, weights, or some other piece of equipment.

If a student's equipment has a problem, you either have to leave that student behind, or pause the class for everyone. Every minute "wasted" for one student, is 6 minutes of student-time wasted, which quickly adds up. Even if it's a quick fix, you might have to fix equipment problems for several students, and it can be stressful since you're there to teach students, not manage weird equipment configurations.

Generally after this open-water class, it doesn't matter, because they can generally assume you know how to use whatever equipment you have, and have taken it out into the water to familiarize yourself with it.

 

[Horgh]

As mentioned in my other comment, buying equipment before you pass your open-water class is probably a bad idea, regardless of who you buy it from.

I'm not a scuba-instructor, however one of the things you have to consider is that an initial beginner "Open Water" class is like herding cats that are trying to kill themselves. If everyone in the class has different equipment, which none of them know how to use, and perhaps which the instructor themselves might not be familiar with, it's really hard to teach skills.

It gets pretty complex teaching basic skills, when even the instructor doesn't know where the student's weights are, inflator hose is, how their regs are setup, etc. It's also dangerous from the perspective of the instructor's perspective who might need to quickly do something with your equipment, such as inflate or deflate your BCD, but then they cant find your inflator hose, weights, or some other piece of equipment.

If a student's equipment has a problem, you either have to leave that student behind, or pause the class for everyone. Every minute "wasted" for one student, is 6 minutes of student-time wasted, which quickly adds up. Even if it's a quick fix, you might have to fix equipment problems for several students, and it can be stressful since you're there to teach students, not manage weird equipment configurations.

Generally after this open-water class, it doesn't matter, because they can generally assume you know how to use whatever equipment you have, and have taken it out into the water to familiarize yourself with it.

I totally get the logic behind your statement and you're not wrong. However, let me counter it with the specific stuff the SSI shop told me when I was trying to ask about brining my own BP/W. When I was in the store, the assistant instructor told me that he has something I would love, and took me to show the brand new Apeks Exotec they just received. In case you don't know, that's a $1000 vest-style BC. When I called a few days later to schedule the Try SCUBA with them and asked the owner/main instructor about my own BP/W, he pointed me towards the same product. How much experience do you think they have with that BC, which they literally just received late last week? How many students have worn it who had an emergency that needed the instructor's help? Is it similar to their other BCs? Of course. Is it different in some ways (weight distribution, proprietary buckles, chest strap, etc.)? Yes. I would argue that a Hogarthian harness with a steel backplate is much simpler and should be something the (technical-certified) instructor understands well, and maybe better than a brand new, fancy product.

Maybe I'm wrong about that, I'm not even a diver, so who am I to say anything on this board? But I've been around a while and participate in other hobbies and activities where very similar situations come up.

 

[MichaelMc]

If everyone in the class has different equipment, which none of them know how to use, and perhaps which the instructor themselves might not be familiar with, it's really hard to teach skills.

Hmm. When is the best time for the student to learn how to use their gear? In class with an instructor or on their own with no help?

Pushing to an extreme of all students in the same gear so the instructor doesn't get confused, seems to be missing a point. Are these instructors that confused by their AOW students gear?

They are inflators, dump valves, weight pockets and belts. It is not that complicated assuming they are in good order.

 

[formernuke]

A lot of old style people consider bpw to be tech only. I was flat out told that by a shop owner.