What is respectably professional gear for a new DM?

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I second the thoughts of dive what you like type thing - I'd talk with the shop though and see there thoughts on brand.

Also - if doing the IDC and assisting in classes - maybe ask what they'd prefer to see you in and setup wise.

It's great to teach Rescue in different configurations but some think OW students should see on you what they are using - I have an opinion but I'm too new at instructing and some of these old birds got some real good ideas and methods - ask your shop, they seem to be a larger operation.
 
My personal recommendation, don't do the IDC in a backplate and harness. It will be more difficult to do your 24 skills properly. Not impossible, but harder. Certainly don't show up for an IE in a BP/W. If you are the rescue-ee, getting you out of your harness will be a PITA you don't want to wish on anyone. If another student shows up with BP/W don't pair up with them......it sucks! I've seen it a few times now.
 
If a shop has a policy of using only their brand of gear shouldn’t they lend or give you the gear while you are working?
 
@Scuba Scott is pretty much on target.

Students will follow anything. So you put your name/ID on your fins in big yellow letters. It doesn't matter one whit what you are wearing.

It is all about the fins...
 
If a shop has a policy of using only their brand of gear shouldn’t they lend or give you the gear while you are working?
During the 5 years I worked as a DM and Instructor (for Club Vacanze, an Italian organization running a dozen of resorts all round the world) the situation was exactly this: we were given a complete set of equipment, branded Cressi, as they had an agreement with Cressi, and there were good reasons for showing our customers we were using equipment of the same brand as the free-rental equipment which was given to them.
Most of this was truly excellent: wet suits, masks, fins, knife, BCD. To the point that I am still using almost the same tools 30 years later...
But when it came to regulators, I was not really happy with those Cressi cheap copies of Scubapros...
So I did prefer to use my Mark5 and 109 regs (which also I am still using today). The organization was not fully happy of this, but in the end they accepted.
 
DA Aquamaster or Scubapro MK 7. It keeps peoples interest and trust. If you can dive that old gear you must be able to dive anything!
And yes, Get that man a Beanie and a Speedo!!!

Seriously, if you're on an independent boat, use what you want.
If you're working through a shop, they would probably like you to be in the gear they sell. Up side to that is that you can probably get a discount on the gear.
 
During the 5 years I worked as a DM and Instructor (for Club Vacanze, an Italian organization running a dozen of resorts all round the world) the situation was exactly this: we were given a complete set of equipment, branded Cressi, as they had an agreement with Cressi, and there were good reasons for showing our customers we were using equipment of the same brand as the free-rental equipment which was given to them.
Most of this was truly excellent: wet suits, masks, fins, knife, BCD. To the point that I am still using almost the same tools 30 years later...
But when it came to regulators, I was not really happy with those Cressi cheap copies of Scubapros...
So I did prefer to use my Mark5 and 109 regs (which also I am still using today). The organization was not fully happy of this, but in the end they accepted.

That’s pretty good! I know the shop I work with gives their pro’s certain discounts on gear. This in return makes it interesting to purchase gear from them and use what they have. Other than that I haven’t heard of a policy and are free to dive whatever we like.
 
Thanks for all the answers.

The shop does offer a discount to DM’s, but they don’t push one brand. The closest they’ve come to expressing a preference was when I asked about regulators and got an enthusiastic endorsement of Atomic.

The full-time instructors/workers (all part of the family that owns it) use their BPW’s. The part-time contract instructors and DM’s wear what they have. I’ve seen BPW’s, back-inflates, and jackets—all higher end than mine, though mine fits well and looks newer than it is.

Based on your answers, I’m going to keep looking for a new BC that I like and hold off on regulator shopping for a while.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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