24 replies to this topic

[normblitch]

Cappy Steve,

Just WHEN does your Charter season END??

Norm

my LDS mostly does charters and has a very small range of items availiable....there are very few people to sell anything to, and the charters are more aow due to the depth and usual current. if i didnt live so far from ginnie, i would be back there just to try out gear......thanks norm!
alright....gotta get back to work so i can afford this bad habit.....

[6Gill]

Something else to add about LDSs exposing new divers to whats avalible out there....
There is also a certin amount of ignorance or lack of knowlage in some of those that hold themselves up as dive profesionals.Some who will spout all sorts of wrong info rather than addmit they don't know
When I first came to Vancouver 12 years ago nitrox wasn't avalible and the few shops that had heard of some addmitted not knowing while others told me that noone dives that deep gas stuff.
I still hear things at local dive sites and on the boat that lets me know that there is still a level of ignorance and a lack of desire to actually learn.and this is from instuctors,divemasters and store owners.Now this is not to say these people might be good or bad recreational dive instuctors but they have found their groove and have no desire to go beyond that.
On the plus side things like the internet and the acceptance of tecnical diving by the mainstream recreational dive community,we are seeing more in dive magazines.

Eric

[captsteve]

Cappy Steve,

Just WHEN does your Charter season END??

Norm

my LDS mostly does charters and has a very small range of items availiable....there are very few people to sell anything to, and the charters are more aow due to the depth and usual current. if i didnt live so far from ginnie, i would be back there just to try out gear......thanks norm!
alright....gotta get back to work so i can afford this bad habit.....

well.....it usually starts around easter, and takes amonth or 6weeks to get ready for......it ends sept1 or somtimes a little later depending on hurricanes. then i commercial flounder fish real hard till mid nov.......i can usually take a break whenever i want after that...........

[normblitch]

So....

I'll put you down for a room at the Alamo the week before Thanksgiving??



Norm

well.....it usually starts around easter, and takes amonth or 6weeks to get ready for......it ends sept1 or somtimes a little later depending on hurricanes. then i commercial flounder fish real hard till mid nov.......i can usually take a break whenever i want after that...........

[captsteve]

So....

I'll put you down for a room at the Alamo the week before Thanksgiving??



Norm

well.....it usually starts around easter, and takes amonth or 6weeks to get ready for......it ends sept1 or somtimes a little later depending on hurricanes. then i commercial flounder fish real hard till mid nov.......i can usually take a break whenever i want after that...........

sounds good norm....i'll plan on doing somthing like that if the offer is still open.....thanks!

[normblitch]

Oh, the offer WILL remain open...unless Larry gets too possessive...

Might be a good time for you to sked a Cavern or Cavern/Intro as well...!!

nhb

So....

I'll put you down for a room at the Alamo the week before Thanksgiving??



Norm

well.....it usually starts around easter, and takes amonth or 6weeks to get ready for......it ends sept1 or somtimes a little later depending on hurricanes. then i commercial flounder fish real hard till mid nov.......i can usually take a break whenever i want after that...........

sounds good norm....i'll plan on doing somthing like that if the offer is still open.....thanks!

[Trimix2dive]

else.

Was most of it all my fault for not barreling though lots of questions I didn't know to ask and demanding that I be exposed to all gear available at the time, yes probably. I'll bear the bulk of that load, but not all. It lost future referrals, rentals, future sales, airfills, students, etc.

Just expose the student and then let them come to you, the dive shop, instructor, whatever. If you don't open the door, no one can walk through it.

Allow me to chime in here with an observation:

Boards like SD (as well as local dive groups in your area) provide the novice and experienced diver with the ability to ask such questions like the ones we see in topics like this. It's one of the reasons that I like to encourage the non- and dive-curious to attend our Happy Hour events--it gives them the chance to speak with folks who actually dive and get their questions answered, their curiousity aroused and find out where they can obtain instruction for themselves.

Good topic, Steve!

Platypusman
..now showing with TWO PlatyCams in tow...

Thanks Platty, but -

Let me personally be honest for a minute, if this thread is going to spin this direction lets run with it without fluff or BS. How much is lost once the student walks out the door for maybe the last time after getting his c-card? I fear their are far more of me than less of me. And from another thread, in the current market more shops seem to be closing than opening. Survival of the fitest maybe, but the word survival is most important. If you don't promote from within in this industry, you have a for sale sign on your door.

[captsteve]

Oh, the offer WILL remain open...unless Larry gets too possessive...

Might be a good time for you to sked a Cavern or Cavern/Intro as well...!!

nhb

So....

I'll put you down for a room at the Alamo the week before Thanksgiving??



Norm

well.....it usually starts around easter, and takes amonth or 6weeks to get ready for......it ends sept1 or somtimes a little later depending on hurricanes. then i commercial flounder fish real hard till mid nov.......i can usually take a break whenever i want after that...........

sounds good norm....i'll plan on doing somthing like that if the offer is still open.....thanks!

actually, that sounds like a great idea........

[ereediver]

trimix, Being new myself, I think I know how you feel. During OW class I thought this is the best thats out there. Then I come in this board, and WOW they never even mentioned BP/W and doubles and a miriad of other things. In their defense though, you have to teach to the lowest common demoninater. Many in my class, probably me included, would have been lost forever had they added gas blends and deco stops in the mix. Did I wish I had more to go one before I bought some equipment. Yes and No. I really got bit by the bug so I was eager to do whatever would increase my chances to dive. What equipment I have should do me well until I can sink with little effort and rise without shooting to the top, and swim level . Right now I can work my way out of the problems I think one can expect diving to 60 feet. Having too much in your head before the basics become instinctive can lead to an overload. Then your dead. This is that type of sport. For my own good, I'm glad they started slow.