Which is your favourite/least favourite dive shop and why?

[Bantam]

Originally Posted by John Hart

The late Comdean (RIP) was in some respects both the best and worst. They had bugger all stock, and what they did have was overpriced, but it was the only place I could 'pop' into on a Saturday afternoon and loose 3 hours of my life. Ho hum, have to wait untill the ex staf open their own place.

Hehehe. Know what you mean!

I once wanted one of those tiny depth gauges and they didn't have any in stock, but then the guy (Can't remember his name - about 27-ish with glasses and short hair and dives a YBOD) remembered he had one in his spares kit, so I personally bought his off him (for a tenner) instead!

When it comes to when I know what I want, I use Dive-Inn (www.diveinn.com) who are based in Spain but their prices are very very very very good plus customer service is excellent (had a broken computer and they paid for courier to pick up and re-deliver a new one).

If I want to fondle (like when I bought my OMS with backplate), I drive across the country (80 miles) to Divers Warehouse.

Worst? Probably Diver Training College in York - never open (ever!).

Worst for Parking - Overland Underwater in York (parking? what parking.)

Mark.

[colinpjenkins2]

I have just dropped into a shop to pick up some spare O rings as going on a liveaboard and the shop assistant was trying to sell a bucket load of kit to a girl. He was talking a load of boll*x I almost stepped in but felt I couldn't. He then gave me my chance when he said was my request simple. I said yes can I have some O spare O rings for my DIN reg's. His response was we dont sell those's they are for American regs. I only hope the girl was listening when I put him right, talk about a plonker.

[Fathoms Down]

Ok, I've got a new one to add to me favorites list - Kit Fondle

I ordered some NAS bits of Woz the other day and they arrived with the minumum of fuss and almost instantly. Very impressive, have a gold
Looks like the online retailers are going to have a good run for their money if my order was anything to go by!

[Dominic]

Nah, KitFondle is a really aggravating place. Woz waited until I'd just spent £50 on some spring straps and only THEN did he start selling his own at half the price

Runneymede Dive gets my vote - they might not be the cheapest, but at least you feel you're getting your money's worth. I recently wrote off two Saturdays to drop off & collect my twinset for O2 cleaning from them (they're 50 miles away from me) cos I refuse to take them to my LDS (who I drive past every other weekend)

It's not that I've had bad service from them (Well, not TOO bad). It's the way they say they'd ban Nitrox if they could, and threaten to refuse to fill any Nitrox cylinders from our club if we get a clean air whip installed on our own compressor...

[Juz]

Dom,

Name and shame - who are they?

Juz

[Robert]

Runnymede - expensive, rude (Bob), will never go there again (and I know a friend of mine who wants to win the lottery, open a shop opposite them and drive them out of business!).

Croxley Divers, helpful, good and accurate gas fills, and always used to come up with goodies for our club raffles.

Robert

[wannadivenotwork]

tricky one.

Dive69 are very knowledgable, and if you give them genuine prices from the net, they will match/better it - especially if you go with a kit list. they will also get non-stock items in fairly quickly and give VERY good air fills.

The problem is that they don't have much in stock (looks like a charity shop!) and are well, lacking in social and sales skills. Although i have spent £2,500 in there, I felt like they were doing me favour taking my money.

Runneymede in egham? Seem to know what they are talking about and have a lot in stock but are VERY expensive. Found them fairly friendly.

Although not a LDS as per se, the best place for spending your money is fathom and Blues. A great bunch of people, Dale is very friendly and will bend over backwards to help you and keep you happy (no ruden comments!). With that approach, if they had a full shop, they would make a fortune!

[Duncan Price]

First Stage Diving in Ruddington, Notts are tops. Free tea or coffee if I make it for the staff as well. Mike even offered me one of his fags yesterday in addition to doing a dodgy deal where I got two good quality 2nd hand hoses (I was going to cut them up anyway) for less than the price of a new one. They fill my cylinders properly - letting them cool in a tank of water before topping off - and actually opened on a Wednesday for fills. They even put up with me testing my rebreather during their pool sessions. Pity they don't sell most of the stuff I would buy if they sold it (apart from Weezles) and they send their tanks to Stoney Cove* for testing but will send them to Tony Dean's in Brum if they look a bit ropey. Mike keeps trying to get me to go in the sea to look at a heap of scrap metal for some reason which is a minus. I give Tess a hug ever time I see her (as long as Mike's not watching).

Tony Dean in Brum is fab too - I'd even drive their from Coventry for fills. 340 bar if you distract Mark while he's doing your tanks. Mark services my Poseidons just as I like them. Not a big stock again, but Doddgy Dean (as we affectionately call him) is a jolly fine chap.

* Stoney Cove are OK if you know the staff. Fluff even offered me a scrubber for my rebreather project. I wouldn't use them for fills 'cause they are so busy.

I will reserve judgement on Go Dive until I get my 5's back from testing. Went I there yesterday expecting to be able to buy some new hoses for my Cyclons# (as advertised on the website) - for Chr*st's sake they didn't have any standard hoses only Apeks sh*te! I did get free air - three tanks went back in my car red hot and the other was mysteriously as cold as it was when I took it in. Didn't have chance to check the fills last night but I think I'll be getting my pump out of the shed.

# Fluff then sold me some secondhand hose's for a fiver each which "would fit". If anyone knows of a dive shop selling Cyclon hoses that actually has some of the f*****rs in stock then I'd be your mate for ever.

Bottom of my list is kitfondle.co.uk - I took pains to visit their premises personally the other week. The owner is an arrogant git who obviously has too much money judging by his house and the area in which he lives. The stuff he sells looks like it has been knocked up after hours in some garage. The rest of the proprietor's household look OK and Mrs. Kitfondle was very polite - God knows how she puts up with that man! Furthermore, I suspect that the owner uses hypnotism to dupe his customers - on getting home I found my wallet empty and a bit of roadsign in the back of my car. Strangely I feel a compulsive urge to buy more tat from Mr. Woz such are his mysterious powers...

Duncan

[Duncan Price]

Originally Posted by Duncan Price

I did get free air - three tanks went back in my car red hot and the other was mysteriously as cold as it was when I took it in. Didn't have chance to check the fills last night but I think I'll be getting my pump out of the shed.

Checked the tanks - 225 bar in three and 50 in the cold one. This is despite querying the sales drone who took it back into the compressor room and "checked" it on the bank.

Despite being outnumbered by staff 8 to 1 service was shite. Pity I've got to go back to collect my tanks from test.

Grr.

Duncan

[Deep Thought]

Worst without doubt Adventure in Diving , Chelmsford. Put my twinset in to be O2 cleaned.Ended up taking about 6 weeks.Was due to pick them up on a Saturday so phoned on the preceding Thursday to check they were done.Having been told they were ready I turned up Saturday to find a bloke in the middle of the shop who seemed to have little idea of what he was doing trying to reassemble it.2 hours I stood there watching , gave up in the end , went home and went back the following week.And yes my mate and I did express our displeasure.
On the plus side we stumbled across Aqualand in Baddow.The shop doesn't have the greatest range of stock, but more than adequate.Service for me has always been top notch and the guys really do know their stuff.If you go in there don't be put off by the disorganised look of the work room these lads are spot on.Always give good fills as well.