Worries about Rental Equipment

[osanties]

Hey I have a situation and I definitely need insight from those of you who have been diving for some time. Recently I signed up to get certified for Open Water. We have done pool sessions already and have the springs and beach to go. My concern is with the rental equipment that has been provided to me and my buddy. From the first day we got our equipment my buddy's tank was leaking (It was a yoke configuration), One of the clips on his bc's strap broke, and my octupus was leaking air....I didn't put any mind to it because I thought the shop would take care of it and provide us with different rental equipment. But the next pool session we got stuck with the same crapy equipment, the broken bc, the leaking tank, the leaking octupus....I feel that this shouldn't be proper protocol for a scuba shop and am worried about going deeper with this faulty equipment....Any advice on what I should do about my situation?

Thanks for reading.

 

[gypsyjim]

Maintenance of gear is a significant safety issue. What do you know about the agency offering the training? Not all are the same quality, and there are a few bad apples, more interested in quick bucks, than in safe diving and divers.
Did you check out their reputation with local divers? Just a thought.

 

[rstofer]

Talk to the shop owner or even the instructor. I don't think I would be inclined to do the open water portion with equipment that was defective.

It's not unusual for shops to have a couple of layers of gear: stuff for the pool and stuff for open water. Ask about it.

Remember, you are paying for the course and one way or the other, you are paying for using the gear.

And that's why many divers will tell you to get your own gear as soon as possible. Not every shop rents crappy gear but enough do that it is a known problem.

To that end, I would get the reg first and the BC next. First I worry about breathing, then I worry about floating.

Good luck with your open water sessions!

Richard

 

[gypsyjim]

Nothing is wrong with using rental gear, but, it all depends on how the gear has been used and maintained. Do not hesitate to ask the shop about the bad equipment, as suggested above, because they may easily be able to remedy the issue when you move to open water.

Rentals can be a very good way to start, because new gear is a significant expense. You may not know at first what gear configuration or brands you will want to own in the long run, until you have dived a bit.

When my kids were doing their OW I was very satisfied with the lds we were using, and ended up actually purchasing some of their rental gear to get the kids up and running. I did have a tech that I trusted go over the gear and service it, but after @ 6 years some of that gear (especially the regs) is still in occasional service today.

 

[osanties]

The agency that we are using is SSI, I would rather not disclose the name of the store.

Thank you rstofer I definitely agree with your point of view...when we commented on the faulty equipment to the instructor and shop owner they just kinda joked it away and said it wasn't something to bring up BIG concerns but as a new diver I feel I should not have to worry about my equipment as well as the typical stuff that a new diver worries about.

 

[rstofer]

A leak at the valve is usually just an o-ring problem. Ten cents and it's solved. As to the leaking octo, it could be freeflowing and it takes just a minute or two to detune it or swap it out.

Seems to me the shop just doesn't give a crap. So, after the course is over, post back and NAME the shop. The only way to get the shops to raise their standards is to hold them up to scrutiny.

I would be reluctant to rock the boat before your class is over. In the end, you are only going to make four 20 minute dives at a fairly shallow depth. A small leak isn't going to make much difference. True, it's not a good situation but I guess I would just suck it up and watch the SPG like a hawk.

But, as an absolute fact, I wouldn't take additional courses there and I certainly wouldn't be buying any gear from them. I expect a certain level of professionalism in the shops I do business with.

Richard

 

[Killer&Griller]

If you are concerned about your health or well being, don't be afraid to speak up. You are correct that the equipment should be maintained and working properly prior to being given or rented out to anyone.

This can adversely affect your ability to pay attention because of a distraction about the gear you are using. It may also heighten a anxiety level or keep you from relaxing as much as you should. Only you can assess to what degree this it going to affect you.

Take the gear in question to the instructor and state your concern. If an offer for a replacement is not immediately suggested, request it. If the instructor sighs or gives you the " it will be fine for now" tone, offer to exchange with the instructor for the gear they are using themselves.... this will usually get your point across......

They may not realize there is an issue with it or for some reason it wasn't separated from the rest of the gear in the previous lesson to be addressed.

Glad to see that you are using a bit of common sense when evaluating the condition of the gear you are using.......

Good luck with the class.......

 

[rockjock3]

The agency that we are using is SSI, I would rather not disclose the name of the store.

Thank you rstofer I definitely agree with your point of view...when we commented on the faulty equipment to the instructor and shop owner they just kinda joked it away and said it wasn't something to bring up BIG concerns but as a new diver I feel I should not have to worry about my equipment as well as the typical stuff that a new diver worries about.

The agency has nothing to do with as far as the gear goes. That is all on the instructor and/or the shop. As far as the name of the store. I would agree not to rock the boat until you get finished with the class and have your card. Then, game on. It is up to you, but do you want other people going in there and possibly renting faulty equipment that "could" kill them or put them in a panic situation when you could have warned people?

 

[Coldwater_Canuck]

Edit: Wrong thread

 

[Supershark]

I think the OP is dead right. Having properly maintained scuba gear is part of the service that the dive shop SHOULD give.
I am very concerned that when you pointed out the problems you were given a very poor response.
Our dive shop has approx 40 sets of rental gear, we stay on top of servicing and problems that occur. We need our customers to tell us if there is a problem so that we can rectify it, sometimes a newly serviced set of regs can go wrong. We have had many times where a set of regs works perfectly one day only to find that the next day there is a problem. Our solution: a comprenhensive set of spares equipment on every boat that we send out.
The agency does not matter, the quality of the instructor and the dive shop are the most important things. Personally, I would have asked for my money back and gone to a rival shop. There is no excuse for the lassiez faire attitude offered by the instructor and the shop.


My 2 bahts worth

Dive safe