Who's your LDS and Why??

[Geek]

I have been thinking the last couple days why I go to the dive shop I do, since it was my Bday and I dropped a lot of money over the weekend on scuba gear, I wanted to know why I dropped my scuba cred where I did. I know there must be a thread around here somewhere similar to this...

I thought it would be a good way for us all to pump our LDS of choice and let others know there experiences with them, I don't know seems like we have all been put off at one time or another walking into a strange Dive shop and didn't get the service we were expecting . Maybe they were having a bad day, who knows? But since we all move up and down the sound it would be nice to know of shops that others on the board use so we can make an informed choice when we are out of our normal stomping grounds.

I go to Tacoma Scuba, when I was going through AOW I bought some reg's and wanted them serviced before I used them, they were recomended and I was blown away by how helpful Wally and Josh were to such a new diver, Later I talked a very special someone to me into getting her OW cert, she happens to be a savy shopper, knows what she wants and REALLY knows when she's not getting the service she expects or someone is not listening to her , Josh talked to her for over an hour on what she might need, showed her examples and looked stuff up for her, talked to her not to me, and didn't try to SELL her anything. She wasn't even takeing the OW class from them... very cool . Along with onsite drysuit repair, great deals and the usual BS I like it there..

So now NWDC lets hear about the other shops up and down the sound... Why do we all go to the LDS we do and why?

[Johnbhutch]

Mine is Tacoma Scuba as well. I just moved here from FL and started looking to buy a Drysuit. Wally and Josh were the only guys who wanted to educate me instead of sell me something. On top of great service they have great prices.

[Norris]

Mine is Smokey Point Diving. I know the entire family at this point and even played some shows with Aaron and Steves band. They are nice people and very helpful in terms of questions. I had a couple short fills there but after talking to them about it they got much better. There has been a couple occasions where they helped me out with some gear problems and so far have been a decent place to go.
I get my fills at the Everett UWS now (due to convenience) and they are very thorough and fill tanks well. The people I have meet there are not smug in the least, and that is important to me.


My 2 psi

[Mattleycrue76]

I'll put up another hand for Smokey Point Diving. They sold me decent gear when I didn't know any better and they've been very good about taking care of me. When my neckseal blew out and was being repaired they let me use a loaner drysuit and didn't even charge me. Plus they have the best deal on air and nitrox fills around.

[LCF]

Mine is Northwest Sports Divers. What got me there in the first place was the Aquaholics membership deal. One price, all the Nitrox you can use in a year . . . Matt loses lots of money on me. I subsequently learned that the discounts on Argon and Helium are really substantial for members, too.

But what has really kept me a customer there, and sending other people there, is the service. I love walking in and getting a 32% fill while I wait. I love the fact that Matt has gone WAY out of his way to help support some special events we have had, including coming in outside of normal hours to fill tanks for out of town guests. I like the fact that he's honest and doesn't push bad gear because it's got high profit margins. I think he has some very good instructors working through the shop as well.

I love the fact that he has never given me any grief whatsoever about stuff I haven't bought from him. And we can have a good conversation if I'm looking for something and take some prices I've found (online or elsewhere) to him to see if he can match them. And often, he can.

Three years plus as a customer, and no complaints whatsoever.

Plus it's nice to be able to pick up boltsnaps and DIN caps and the like

[airsix]

For me it's Northwest Sports Divers. Even though i live a few hundred miles away the owner, Matt, knows me and treats me like a friend even though he only sees me 4-5 times a year. I appreciate that. I feel like more than a number when I go there. Also, last time I was in the shop I saw Lurch, Fishtiq, PEZ, Burntchef, Romer, Pants, NWBrewer, Bdub, Edge, Rjack... It was like Cheers.

[dwashbur]

That's easy, A2Z Scuba in Puyallup. We got to know Amy a couple of years ago when my wife did an assignment at the hospital there. We like the atmosphere that says "this isn't just a shop, it's a family." Amy always takes good care of us, knows what we need, sometimes even before we do, and is just plain pleasant to be around. They let us bring the dog in an everybody pets him and plays with him. The weekly shop dives are as much social events as dives, which makes them even more fun. And they go that little extra for you. Just one example: recently there was a problem with my wife's regulator that required the first stage to be returned to the company. So my wife wouldn't have to be out of the water at all, Amy loaned us her own regulator for as long as we needed it. I've never heard of a shop person doing that before.

So, counting all of us, 3 votes for A2Z.

[Paulicarp]

Mine is Northwest Sports Divers. What got me there in the first place was the Aquaholics membership deal. One price, all the Nitrox you can use in a year . . . Matt loses lots of money on me. I subsequently learned that the discounts on Argon and Helium are really substantial for members, too.

But what has really kept me a customer there, and sending other people there, is the service. I love walking in and getting a 32% fill while I wait. I love the fact that Matt has gone WAY out of his way to help support some special events we have had, including coming in outside of normal hours to fill tanks for out of town guests. I like the fact that he's honest and doesn't push bad gear because it's got high profit margins. I think he has some very good instructors working through the shop as well.

I love the fact that he has never given me any grief whatsoever about stuff I haven't bought from him. And we can have a good conversation if I'm looking for something and take some prices I've found (online or elsewhere) to him to see if he can match them. And often, he can.

Three years plus as a customer, and no complaints whatsoever.

Plus it's nice to be able to pick up boltsnaps and DIN caps and the like

I couldn't agree more. I did my OW thru Matt, and there's no place I'd rather buy gear and get fills, all else being equal. And as a loyal customer, the normal prices are so reasonable, you've got no reason to run across town to get something that might be thrity cents cheaper somewhere else.

[Geek]

....if I'm looking for something and take some prices I've found (online or elsewhere) to him to see if he can match them. And often, he can....

Exactly!! I always give the Guys at Tacoma Scuba a chance to get at least within 20% of stuff I can buy online or somewhere else and they always do! I'm willing to pay the little bit more to support them...

[mz53480]

Capital Divers.
Waynne & Craig are just sooooooooo cool.

[nwscubamom]

Well, you wanted opinions about shops all around the area, so if for some odd reason you're heading through Vancouver, WA - I put in my vote for Seven Seas Scuba.

They run a very professional shop. Customers are treated courteously, the shop front and classroom space is very organized (you're not tripping over anyone's dog), it doesn't smell like stinky neoprene, and these guys run fun dives and trips on a regular basis and have an excellent reputation. Shop manager Jon Daane is as friendly and professional as they come. And talk about a clean and organized service area!

You know how it is - sometimes you go into strange shops, and unless you're one of their regular customers, you're not really given the time of day. Not so at Seven Seas!

So there's my plug for Seven Seas Scuba in Vancouver, WA. Hats off to Billy Snook (owner), Nicolle Pratt (super woman manager of instruction or some title like that), Jon Daane (shop manager and smily guy) and the rest of the staff and instructors!

- Janna

[Tropic Thunder]

I have a criticism of a shop: AQUATIC SPORTS, Portland, Oregon

1) All the gear is priced with a huge mark-up
2) Can't trust the owner: he is just trying to make the most money off you as humanly possible (e.g. pointless accessories, etc.)
3) The head instructor and one of his dive assistants were TOTAL JERKS on the Channel Islands dive trip I went on!!!



Needless to say, I'm DONE with Aquatic Sports in Portland. DON'T GIVE AQUATIC SPORTS YOUR BUSINESS!!

[Mattleycrue76]

I have a criticism of a shop: AQUATIC SPORTS, Portland, Oregon

1) All the gear is priced with a huge mark-up
2) Can't trust the owner: he is just trying to make the most money off you as humanly possible (e.g. pointless accessories, etc.)
3) The head instructor and one of his dive assistants were TOTAL JERKS on the Channel Islands dive trip I went on!!!



Needless to say, I'm DONE with Aquatic Sports in Portland. DON'T GIVE AQUATIC SPORTS YOUR BUSINESS!!

I don't think this is the right thread to be flaming a given shop. The thread is about why we like certain shops. Maybe you just misread the title of the thread.

[Sounder]

I have a criticism of a shop: AQUATIC SPORTS, Portland, Oregon

1) All the gear is priced with a huge mark-up
2) Can't trust the owner: he is just trying to make the most money off you as humanly possible (e.g. pointless accessories, etc.)
3) The head instructor and one of his dive assistants were TOTAL JERKS on the Channel Islands dive trip I went on!!!



Needless to say, I'm DONE with Aquatic Sports in Portland. DON'T GIVE AQUATIC SPORTS YOUR BUSINESS!!

I don't think this is the right thread to be flaming a given shop. The thread is about why we like certain shops. Maybe you just misread the title of the thread.

Mattley is absolutely correct. I know there are several folks here who have poor opinions of various shops, but this isn't the thread for them.

So where DO you like to spend your money TT?

I have a few favorite shops. NWSD and Tacoma Scuba top my list though as they've always treated me well and have become friends. They know what I'm looking for and why better than some of the other shops in the area that focus on more traditional recreational diving. I also have a few friends with compressors and enjoy the convenience of being able to fill at their houses. Getting fills at weird hours has become a big necessity for me with the baby and school. As far as purchases go, however, NWSD and Tacoma Scuba are where I spend my money and where I refer people to.

[nwscubamom]

You know, I'm just curious - why don't we want to hear the bad as well as the good? Aren't we painting a lopsided picture if we only sing praises of shops? I'd sure want to get the heads-up regarding customer service, professionalism, friendliness and price from other divers.

I suspect that since many of the shop owners are also our friends, we're afraid to hear anything bad about them. However, if the poor experience is related here in a non-flaming manner, what's the objection to hearing it?

And FWIW, I've consistently had poor experiences at Aquatic Sports in Portland as well.

- Janna

[Sounder]

You know, I'm just curious - why don't we want to hear the bad as well as the good? Aren't we painting a lopsided picture if we only sing praises of shops? I'd sure want to get the heads-up regarding customer service, professionalism, friendliness and price from other divers.

I suspect that since many of the shop owners are also our friends, we're afraid to hear anything bad about them. However, if the poor experience is related here in a non-flaming manner, what's the objection to hearing it?

And FWIW, I've consistently had poor experiences at Aquatic Sports in Portland as well.

- Janna

I agree, but I think we probably ought to wait until the mod-team is back at full strength. There isn't enough Jameson's in Seattle for Nailer to handle it alone.

[Nwbrewer]

I suspect that since many of the shop owners are also our friends, we're afraid to hear anything bad about them.

Exactly. It quickly devolves into "sticking up for my buddy" instead of a useful discussion. Many negative experiences evolve from personal, rather than professional conflicts. one persons favorite shop is one that another absolutely cannot stand. I have that situation with one shop close to me. The owner and I simply do not get along. As a result my experiences there have been terrible. Others get along fine with the owner, and sing the praises of the shop. If I started bashing that shop publicly, I'm going to hear about it from those defenders, and the discourse quickly devolves and becomes unproductive. This thread will be far more useful if the tone is kept positive.

[Grateful Diver]

There are a few shops I think very highly of, and some I don't think much of at all.

The shops that have been (positively) mentioned so far are all shops I've had great experiences with.

The shop I regularly go to these days is Tacoma Scuba. Why? Well, first off it's just a few minutes drive from where I work. Convenience was what brought me there in the first place. What's kept me there is Wally and Josh. These guys are fantastic ... completely what you want in a dive shop. Always friendly, always helpful, and they carry the stuff I want to buy (mostly).

I think we're fortunate to have a lot of good choices here. There's only two shops in the Puget Sound area that I will make an effort to stay away from. I won't mention them here ... and neither one has been mentioned here (yet) ... but anyone who knows me will know which shops I'm referring to ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[lizard0924]

NWSD for all the reasons mentioned above. When I moved to the Seattle area last year, I visited MANY dive shops as I got into the whole cold-water dive scene. Hands down, Matthew is - BY FAR - the best. I have never once felt like he was trying to sell me something for the sake of selling me something. Nor did he ever make me feel stupid for asking any of my newbie questions. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about some of the other LDS I've been to that shall remain unnamed (for now).

Sometimes, for convenience's sake, I get air fills at a shop that is a few miles from my house, but for anything else it is always NWSD.

[nwscubamom]

You know what would be cool? To have a ratemydiveshop.com - sorta like ratemyprofessor.com

Stars would be given for various things:
Price
Course offerings
Staff knowledge
Friendly
Courtesy
Airfills
what else?

And people could rate (anonymously) and make comments about their experiences.

Dunno how to set that up...but it would be cool and would be a flame-retardant way to get the information out there to the diving public. Whaddya think?

- Janna

[Geek]

You know what would be cool? To have a ratemydiveshop.com - sorta like ratemyprofessor.com

Stars would be given for various things:
Price
Course offerings
Staff knowledge
Friendly
Courtesy
Airfills
what else?

And people could rate (anonymously) and make comments about their experiences.

Dunno how to set that up...but it would be cool and would be a flame-retardant way to get the information out there to the diving public. Whaddya think?

- Janna

Couldn't we do a poll with sub catagories in it for each LDS? mods??

Seems like it would help the NWDC members make a choice AND help LDS improve there service...

[lizard0924]

You know what would be cool? To have a ratemydiveshop.com - sorta like ratemyprofessor.com

Stars would be given for various things:
Price
Course offerings
Staff knowledge
Friendly
Courtesy
Airfills
what else?

And people could rate (anonymously) and make comments about their experiences.

Dunno how to set that up...but it would be cool and would be a flame-retardant way to get the information out there to the diving public. Whaddya think?

- Janna

Couldn't we do a poll with sub catagories in it for each LDS? mods??

Seems like it would help the NWDC members make a choice AND help LDS improve there service...

In lieu of any sort of rating system or negative thread, what if people just read between the lines in this thread and take note of the shops that AREN'T listed by anyone?

Wouldn't that tell a discerning potential customer just as much as a negative thread (or rating system) would?

[nwscubamom]

Not necessarily. With easily over 50 shops in the Washington/Oregon area, just because a shop isn't mentioned, doesn't mean it's bad.

For instance - I praised the virtues of Seven Seas Scuba in my town, but I have nothing against the other 7 shops in the Portland/Vancouver area (except Aquatic Sports). Quite the opposite, I like our area shops very much - and have high opinions of them as well. But Seven Seas is the one closest to my home and the one I have the most experience with.

Secondly, a rating system could help break down exactly where a shop excels or falls short. If they constantly give short fills, but you are only interested in purchasing equipment and don't buy airfills from them, a rating system could show that. Maybe a shop excels in their instructional staff, but comes up on the short end of the stick when it comes to stocking needed items.

Realistically, most shops have areas they excel in, and other areas that might need improvement. A rating system of those different facets could help the diving consumer.

Hmmm...maybe I'll have to look into this for my pnwscuba website.

- Janna

[scottsax]

You know what would be cool? To have a ratemydiveshop.com - sorta like ratemyprofessor.com

Stars would be given for various things:
Price
Course offerings
Staff knowledge
Friendly
Courtesy
Airfills
what else?

And people could rate (anonymously) and make comments about their experiences.

Dunno how to set that up...but it would be cool and would be a flame-retardant way to get the information out there to the diving public. Whaddya think?

- Janna

Couldn't we do a poll with sub catagories in it for each LDS? mods??

Seems like it would help the NWDC members make a choice AND help LDS improve there service...

Something like this?

[Kalatin]

Tacoma Scuba was my shop of choice - a quick story will illustrate why. In the middle of a class, a buddy's drysuit started to leak BAD. She was going to miss the next day of class unless we figured something out. Grateful Diver called Wally to see about a loaner suit and I offered to run the suit in so Wally could take a look at it. Wally offered me a drink, diagnosed the leak, showed me how to find drysuit leaks that hide well, and showed me how to properly fix a nasty leaky drysuit. Then he filled my tanks with 32% while I waited and showed me what he looked for when he VIPs a tank (I ask a lot of questions). When I asked him what I owed him it turned out to be exactly $0.00.
Before I left, I told him I wanted to buy a HP119. He gave me a price that was substantially below what I had found anywhere else and called his supplier to get it to me as quickly as possible.
It seems like friendly, efficient and honest should be the standard in the dive industry. Wally and Josh add fun and a whole lot of foul language into that mix and make it work.