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#81
More questions
ScubaDivaLaura - 3/28/2010 5:55 PM
Category: New Diver Q&A
Replies: 7



Collecting information on Scuba Diving for research purposes. The only time Scuba is pleasant for me is actually under the water. Many things happen in and around the diving industry and community that I do not like or care for.


Would you be willing to take the time to answer two questions?


1. What is it that bugs you about the diving community?


2.What bugs you about walking into a scuba diving shop?


3. Is there any aspect of scuba diving that really bugs you or you hate?


Many of you commented on this and I appreciate all of your comments, thank you.
I know there are more than 15 people on this board. Many people don’t get past the first few forum topics due to distraction or disinterest. Please let me hear from the rest of you the answers to the above questions. There is NO wrong or right answer just your answer.I need to hear from the rest of you.


Since many of you know I never answered my own questions so let me tell you my pet peeves about the industry.


I hate, loath and despise the fact that ANY Scuba agency thinks they are the best. I find that attitude arrogant, haughty, absolutely NON-FACTUAL and distasteful. The one-up-manship mentality behind that stupid attitude is childish and competitive. Why cant we all go diving and have a good time?


In addition, I hate the competitors that have never taken a class with me, nor have even spoken to me personally but have critisms about how I operate my diving business. They bad mouth me to potential clients because they have no other selling power to gain clients other than dogging the competition.


Lastly, I find it distastful for anybody to vomit on me their list of ALL the places they have ever done diving, how many dives they have under their belt and unsolisited voluteering of information as if they were an instructor. I guess there are KNOW-it-ALLS in every industry but it seems as if all the assholes are in this one.


Thank you kindly for your time and attention to answering these questions.
#4553
scubaman - 3/28/2010 8:28 PM





I feel when you get started. Everyone at the dive shop wants to sell you something. After you buy most of your equiptment and need service, you can’t get anyone to help you!


Most of the diver’s I’ve talked to feel this way and there is always something new or better that just came out. Also when your new, they get rid of anything they can’t sell to an experienced diver. One example is when I started doing night dives, I was told that a certain light was the best for the money. When it failed on me after my secound dive the OWNER of the shop told me it was only meant to be used as a backup light and couldn’t be on as much as I was using it, and that is why it failed..........after some more quesioning other diver’s and not the dive shop. I was able to know enough about lights, that I was able to get what I was wanting.


Diving gear is way too expensive to buy it by trial and error..........I just took my regulator & dive computer in for service, I asked for a ball park figure on cost. I was told that it wold cost no more than $150,by the store manager, unless they had to fix something that they normally don’t. When I picked it up it cost $200 and that was for normal service????


This is a few of the things that dive shops lose their loyal customers over!!!!


Dudley


Scubaman 
#3062
Indiana - 3/28/2010 9:23 PM


The only thing that bugs me a little about the dive community is there is a lot of people who think everybody is a idiot and you know nothing.People get away with this because of the nature of risk in the sport.


Most dive shops are pretty good.Just think there prices are a high .but the manufactures control these prices.But I am sure the shops can always discount them.


I can’t say I hate anything about diving. Oh yeah there is one thing,When i can’t dive.
#1001
h2ofria - 3/28/2010 9:25 PM
From ScubaDivaLaura:

Collecting information on Scuba Diving for research purposes. The only time Scuba is pleasant for me is actually under the water. Many things happen in and around the diving industry and community that I do not like or care for.

Would you be willing to take the time to answer two questions?

1. What is it that bugs you about the diving community?

2.What bugs you about walking into a scuba diving shop?

3. Is there any aspect of scuba diving that really bugs you or you hate?

Many of you commented on this and I appreciate all of your comments, thank you.
I know there are more than 15 people on this board. Many people don’t get past the first few forum topics due to distraction or disinterest. Please let me hear from the rest of you the answers to the above questions. There is NO wrong or right answer just your answer.I need to hear from the rest of you.

Since many of you know I never answered my own questions so let me tell you my pet peeves about the industry.

I hate, loath and despise the fact that ANY Scuba agency thinks they are the best. I find that attitude arrogant, haughty, absolutely NON-FACTUAL and distasteful. The one-up-manship mentality behind that stupid attitude is childish and competitive. Why cant we all go diving and have a good time?

In addition, I hate the competitors that have never taken a class with me, nor have even spoken to me personally but have critisms about how I operate my diving business. They bad mouth me to potential clients because they have no other selling power to gain clients other than dogging the competition.

Lastly, I find it distastful for anybody to vomit on me their list of ALL the places they have ever done diving, how many dives they have under their belt and unsolisited voluteering of information as if they were an instructor. I guess there are KNOW-it-ALLS in every industry but it seems as if all the assholes are in this one.

Thank you kindly for your time and attention to answering these questions.



1. Know it all’s. It seems like there is one on every trip. Most have only been diving for a few years but go out of their way to give advice (usually wrong) or correct another diver (often one with much more experience than themselves). Most of them come off as loud mouth louts that the other divers make jokes about over a beer after the dive.

2. The dive shops I frequent are top notch and professional. I have never had a bad experience, been over charged or been hard sold in my LDS here and in Virginia. I do have a problem with the Dive Agencies nickle and dimeing me to death for every class I take. I have been tempted to sell my instructions books and videos on eBay just to provide some of these agencies with a little competition.

3. I have three pet peeves about diving in general: A. Macho divers - people who try to shame other divers into making dives they are not comfortable with. They also seem to be the same people who don’t carry essential safety equipment apparantly because they don’t think anything bad will ever happen to them. I see it all the time. It is often a disaster waiting to happen; B. Divers who take up underwater photography before they really know how to dive. They are a danger to the environment, other divers and themselves; C. Divers who don’t grasp the concept of dive buddy - see the comment on photgraphers above. I feel like a babysitter whenever I have an inexperienced photgrapher as a dive buddy.
#1523
knightddiver - 3/29/2010 12:37 AM


1. If I had to pick the one thing about the dive community that bugs me it would have to be the Brand loyal people. You know who you are, the ones that claim if you are not diving with a (fill in the blank) anything than you do not know what you are doing. These people really annoy me. But as far as people go I have to say I have not met anyone, diving, that was a really bad apple, YET! and hopefully never will.



2.Most of the LDS I go to do not bother me at all but, If there is any one thing, it is the following around that gets me, the ones that act like they are on commision and have not had a sale in a week and think you have a credit card with no limit on it in your wallet.


3. Yes the cost, and not the equipment, no. I mean the organazations with the certification for everything!! I mean we know its all about the dollar but come on. would it hurt to combine a few things into one course. For me to dive enhanced air the cost of the class and materials was over 200, then there is the check out dives [ at ] ! Ok your breathing under water, Oh wait you already know how to do that because you took the open water course!! so you get the cost of the dives plus the cost of the new card, all to dive with a gas mixture that costs more to boot! you really have to think, Is this worth it! I am surprised there is not a split fin cert card or even a streamlined gear setup cert card I mean think of all the new courses that could be taught.


I know I got on a bit of a tantram there but I could go on but won’t.


For the most part I have to say this has always been one of my favorite hobbys, I enjoy everything about the sport. and the things above that I griped about do not even make a dent in an argument for me not to dive. Far to many things that I love about diving to let the little things bother me.
#506
steelheadfish - 3/29/2010 12:43 PM


Would you be willing to take the time to answer two questions?


1. What is it that bugs you about the diving community? I suppose it is the training course offered by padi and naui, like drysuit, deep diving and even the adv open water trainng was just not worth the money, i had a instructor who was great and did make it a learning exp, but the material in the books really was a joke, the basic scuba, nitrox and rescue level diver course were the only courses worth the time and money, everything else offered was really not worth the time, the course are all about money I dont know how many times I have heard ooo he is a master diver and he barely has a 100 dives and has passed the course but hasnt reall y done [ at ] #$ for diving. Besides take a few test and drop some big bucks down. The standards are way to low, Dont get me wrong DAN has some great courses and im involved in tdi adv nitrox right now and seems to be top notch. I dont want to say ALL master divers are worthless It not true because, some have hundereds and hundreds of dives and are great divers, but those divers probally would be great dives without that title.


2.What bugs you about walking into a scuba diving shop? The thing that bugs me is the turnover rate, I hate to see good people move on and a new face show up, and it is mostly because diveshops want to pay 12 or 14 dollars a hour and no medical!!! it isnt a livable wage, I understand the Biz is tough, but the price shouldnt be paid by the employees. Most people who own a any type a operation want the most work for the least amount of pay, so they can increase their profits. But a employee in this industry should not have to live on food stamps to eat.


 3. Is there any aspect of scuba diving that really bugs you or you hate? The lecture one gets as a solo driver from other divers, about what they feel is safe. I take responsibility for myself (and onlymyself) in the water and I expect no one to bail me out when i am not prepared or did not plan ahead. For me every dive is a solo dive with or without dive buddys
#3240
daz88 - 3/29/2010 11:40 PM


1. What is it that bugs you about the diving community?
The community as a whole….nothing. I have made some really good friends and always have a great time while diving or hanging out in-between dives. There are a few individuals that have bugged me, but hey, people are people. You’re not going to get along with everybody, and I don’t try to. The people I don’t care for… I don’t with talk with them. Pretty simple. Why worry about the drama of who doesn’t like who or somebody doesn’t like it that way? If you don’t like it… find something else to do.
2. What bugs you about walking into a scuba diving shop?
Nothing! Why would something bug me about walking into a shop full of “toys”? If somebody in the shop that did something that bugged me… I won’t go back. They won’t get my business. Simple.
3. Is there any aspect of scuba diving that really bugs you or you hate?
I hate the drive home, (or the flight home) there is nothing to look forward to other than cleaning my equipment and editing a lot of photos.
Life is too short to sit around thinking about things that bug me or I don’t like about something. Why? I would rather think about the things I LIKE . There will always be people that think they know it all, people that think that there is only 1 way to do something, people that don’t care about anybody else but themselves. And just plain & simple……there are STUPID people out there! That’s the way or the world, why would scuba be any different? I’m not going to worry about it. The people I don’t care for or don’t like, I don’t hang out with and I don’t dive with! I dive because I love diving. Enjoy the ride……if not, why bother? ;)



#1207
Div4fun - 4/01/2010 8:14 AM
Great questions.
1. I do not care for the inordinate amount of back biting that goes on between us as instructors. Every person (instructor) brings different experiences and training to the table. If we bad mouth each other, what does that do for the attitudes of new divers.
2. I have noticed that many (by no means all) shops are very slow to respond to questions or orders that are not readily available at the shop. Then many get quite indignant if you go elsewhere when you find someone willing to help.
3. I have a real problem with "been there done that" types. I am 6’5", 275lbs, and a 17 yr police veteran. I am a former SWAT member and have been involved in gun play. That being said, if I am not comfortable with a dive I DO NOT MAKE THE DIVE. People who feel the need to "prove" themselves to impress others drive me insane.