Was I ripped off?

[nyresq]

If you told the LDS manager you were going to do your OW dives at a vacation resort in the caribbian or florida, then OK, the suit is good to go. A few dollars over an online shop is OK. You got a suit that fits, very hard to do if you can't try it on, so the extra dollars makes the fit worth it.
BUT, if you're going to dive in the north east, even in quarrys, then you got hosed. The 3mm will be good for the pool and maybe body surfing at the jersey shore, but thats about it. Anything less than a 5 or 6.5 two piece in the north east is a waste of money. if thats the case, then go get your money back and put it towards a two piece. You can wear just the top in the pool if you cold, and then go with both pieces in the OW dives.
As far as the bag? Yea, you got hosed on that too. you can get a mesh bag from Sports Authority or a laundry supply for half the price of a "DIR" approved-super-doop-official-scuba-store bag. you'll find many things made for "scuba" are also made for other things that don't have a dive flag on them for twice the price.
Go back and trade in the wetsuit for a thicker one, and find out if they are going to charge you for a "DIR" approved-super-doop-official-scuba-store speedo cause the pool rules require it...

sorry, was venting on that last part...

go nekid under the suit, you'll be very popular with the other students...

 

[learn-scuba]

MikeFerrara once bubbled...


<snip> You will be rewqrded for telling people what they want to hear even if it isn't true.

Mike has it exactly right. Period.

It's the exact same reason we get the BS that passes for "advertising" on TV. The quickest way to get your head beat into the pavement in marketing is to assume that having a quality product at a fair price with an honest sales pitch will work.

 

[learn-scuba]

5615mike once bubbled...
I don't think the fair price of the suit is really the issue here. So what it was a fair price. It was incorrect gear. <snip>

Do we really know this? Do we know the entire conversation that took place here? Just out of curiositiy... to the original poster... did you talk with the shop owner before the purchase? Did he ask you about your future diving plans? Did you indicate that you planned to travel and dive warmer waters?

I'm not saying this happened... but if I were helping a student of mine pick out gear, I would ask those sorts of questions and suggest gear that would be appropriate to the type of diving the student indicated they intended to do.

i.e. Two of the five in the class I'm teaching right now are heading to Belize soon. Should I sell them a 5mil because the east coast waters are cold?

 

[5615mike]

learn-scuba

I based my comment on the statement that this person said they were told they had to purchase a wetsuit. Now, your talking to an uneducated (regarding scuba) individual, newbie, who is just starting their new hobby. They believe you are the expert and more than likely will take your advise. It sounds to me like the shop exploited the situation. Your right, we don't know the entire converstation but how is this new student really to know if they are going to be doing tropical diving or not unless they are planning a trip in the near future? LDS just can't make the assumption that MOST do so you'll need it in the near future.
If this was the case, I don't think this post would have ever happened as they would know they needed the gear and would not have had to ask the question----------"Was I ripped off?

 

[kpleynes]

In response to a previous post, the dive shop manager asked me if we were going with them to the check out dive and we said yes -- I wanted to be certified before we went diving in a resort. We're planning to go to Cozumel in Jan/Feb. Anyway, so, do you all think that 3MM would not do in Dutch Springs, PA? That is where we are taking our check out dives.

 

[5615mike]

kpleynes once bubbled...
In response to a previous post, the dive shop manager asked me if we were going with them to the check out dive and we said yes -- I wanted to be certified before we went diving in a resort. We're planning to go to Cozumel in Jan/Feb. Anyway, so, do you all think that 3MM would not do in Dutch Springs, PA? That is where we are taking our check out dives.

kpleynes

See, you should really share the entire story

I take back everything I said about you not needing the 3mm. If you told them you were going to Cozumel then learn-scuba is correct. They sold you a suit you can use on your trip to Coz. It just won't do you much if any good on your local dives......if you leave the surface that is......

 

[cdiver2]

Do's he need a w/s I dive Coz in Dec and took mine of to warm

 

[nyresq]

the 3 mm will be ok as long as you stay shallow in dutch springs. In fresh water the thermoclines are pretty wicked. at dutch springs you'll hit one about 30-40 feet then another at about 60 feet. each on will drop about 10 degrees in about 5 feet. the surface down to 30 feet should be ok in the 3mm. but below that for any amount of time you'll hit the thermocline like a brick wall and won't want to go deeper. the last weekend in july the temp at 60 feet was only 47 degrees... I know this because I'm looking at my computer right now with the max depth and temp on one dive there, my next dive was to 80 feet and the temp was 45 degrees. the second dive was over by the pump stattion which always seems to be colder than the rest of the quarry.

go deep, get cold... stay shallow, stay warm!

its that simple

 

[nitroxbabe]

Man, I think you got ripped. Selling you stuff before you even take the class?

What if you got under the water and found that you were really uncomfortable and hated it? What if you didn't pass? (Nothing personal, but it does happen...)

Personally I bought nothing before I took the class. The shop rented me equipment. After I PASSED and realized that I really did want to dive, I began buying some stuff.

Actually, I later wished I would not have bought certain items, as when I used them a few times I found I didn't like them. Examples: very buoyant farmer john 6mm that required LOTS of weight, a mesh gear bag that proved hard to carry (which I replaced with a back-pack style bag), a regulator which was not suited to colder water diving.... a computer which could not do nitrox...

I've definately blown some bucks replacing stuff that was not right, that I bought when I didn't know any better... hope that doesn't happen to you...

IMHO, you got a bad deal.

 

[ScubaFishee]

Were you cold in the pool during your first session wearing only your swimsuit?