Problem with Dive shops in San Diego

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ChrisMSD - 28 May 2005 03:27 GMT

Is it me or am I not supposed to go scuba diving this year?

First, I take my tanks into a dive shop (that deals alot with the military) for 5 yr Hydro test.
Their hydro machine breaks down and I'm out of tanks for a month while they wait for parts.

Second, while waiting for my tanks from hydro, I go to another dive shop
who overhaul my dive computer and regulators. The first time I use the computer underwater, it floods.
I take the computer back and upgrade to Oceanic's Veo 200 and Navcon.
Guess what, it's been on back order for two and a half months now and they still have my regulator as well.
Also the Veo 200 is not made anymore so I'll be getting a refurb. ( I don't want the Veo 250).
They tried to pull a fast one last week and ordered me the Veo 250 with a different console to placate me.
I called them every name in the book and told them their employees need training on the features of Dive computers.

Third, while waiting for my new dive computer, I order a 5mm wetsuit from a different diveshop (in Southbay)
The wetsuit company, ScubaPro, is cross-town so the suit comes next day. Guess what, shop ordered wrong suit thickness
(7mm) and now I have to wait until after Memorial Day to get wetsuit. (7mm is to restrictive for me and being a big guy
I prefer not to sweat so much in a 7mm)

I can not believe the luck I'm having with these shops.

ChrisMSD

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Rudy Benner - 28 May 2005 03:55 GMT

Is it me or am I not supposed to go scuba diving this year?

First, I take my tanks into a dive shop (that deals alot with the military)
for 5 yr Hydro test.
Their hydro machine breaks down and I'm out of tanks for a month while they
wait for parts.

Second, while waiting for my tanks from hydro, I go to another dive shop
who overhaul my dive computer and regulators. The first time I use the
computer underwater, it floods.
I take the computer back and upgrade to Oceanic's Veo 200 and Navcon.
Guess what, it's been on back order for two and a half months now and they
still have my regulator as well.
Also the Veo 200 is not made anymore so I'll be getting a refurb. ( I don't
want the Veo 250).
They tried to pull a fast one last week and ordered me the Veo 250 with a
different console to placate me.
I called them every name in the book and told them their employees need
training on the features of Dive computers.

Third, while waiting for my new dive computer, I order a 5mm wetsuit from a
different diveshop (in Southbay)
The wetsuit company, ScubaPro, is cross-town so the suit comes next day.
Guess what, shop ordered wrong suit thickness
(7mm) and now I have to wait until after Memorial Day to get wetsuit. (7mm
is to restrictive for me and being a big guy
I prefer not to sweat so much in a 7mm)

I can not believe the luck I'm having with these shops.

ChrisMSD
-----------------------------------------------------

Your story has touched my heart. It must be hell living in such an isolated
place, where there are so few dive shops.

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Rich Lockyer - 28 May 2005 20:25 GMT

>Your story has touched my heart. It must be hell living in such an isolated
>place, where there are so few dive shops.

Actually, there's Sport Chalet, and then maybe only 6 or 7 shops
within 100 miles of San Diego.
I think there's only 2 hydro facilities... Sport Chalet has their own
(gotta truck the tanks to San Bernardino), and I think the
independents all use the same facility.

--- Rich
http://richlockyer.tripod.com/

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Rudy Benner - 29 May 2005 00:12 GMT

>>Your story has touched my heart. It must be hell living in such an
>>isolated
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> --- Rich
> http://richlockyer.tripod.com/

Nearest dive shop is close to 300 km away for me.

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Rich Lockyer - 01 Jun 2005 04:46 GMT

>Nearest dive shop is close to 300 km away for me.

In many ways, you're lucky.
You can go to a welding shop and treat your tanks like the compressed
gas cylinders that they are.

I was chatting with a guy in Bishop who frequently dives the high
altitude lakes in the Eastern Sierra and asked where he had his tanks
"serviced" and filled.

The Bishop Fire Department.

--- Rich
http://richlockyer.tripod.com/

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Alan Street - 01 Jun 2005 05:15 GMT

> >Nearest dive shop is close to 300 km away for me.
>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> The Bishop Fire Department.

Why is this bad?

No, the Bishop FD isn't DIR, and they can't fill his tanks with EAN32,
but why do you think the air they pump into their own SCBA tanks (and
by extension, his scuba tanks) is unsafe?

> --- Rich
> http://richlockyer.tripod.com/

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Rich Lockyer - 01 Jun 2005 05:38 GMT

>> In many ways, you're lucky.
>> You can go to a welding shop and treat your tanks like the compressed
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>but why do you think the air they pump into their own SCBA tanks (and
>by extension, his scuba tanks) is unsafe?

It's not bad. That's what I was saying. Without a shop within 300km
to cause problems and enforce stupid rules, he can have fun diving and
focus on that.

If I were in that area, I'd do exactly what he is doing, but I would
also set up a dba diveshop to make it easier to get parts.

--- Rich
http://richlockyer.tripod.com/

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Alan Street - 28 May 2005 18:00 GMT

> Is it me or am I not supposed to go scuba diving this year?

Maybe it's you ;-)

e-mail me off-line and I can recommend some good resources.

Alan

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