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

[wilbo]

Good service to us, the punters, should be rewarded with a mention.. As we all know diving is not cheap, so we strive for the best service at the best price.. Some people prefer to suport their local dive shop - who, while they may be a little more expensive than the cheapest shops, offer a friendly face, good service and convenience. Other people do not have such a shop - the closest shop may be 50 odd miles away, so prefer to deal mail order and save some pennies..

Have you had a bad experience with a dive shop that you would like to share, and therefore maybe save others the same experience? If they are named and shamed, then maybe they will be forced to 'pull their socks up' and look at their customer service.

I have already hinted at my displeasure at a dive shop recently.. (Go dive for those who missed the thread - money, money, money - but then it does depend on who you talk to there..) On the flip side, I have to say that Denney Diving were superb when I enquired at the last LIDS about some blanking plugs for my regs.. Chris said give him a ring at the shop the following week. I did and he remembered me from all those people. 6 plugs of varying sizes arrived two days later completely FOC.. Other shops sell them for £4 a pop!

I also like Lumb Bros. Very friendly, down to earth, hilarious on the phone and you leave the conversation feeling like you are friends rather than a customer.. Good advice at a good price..

[tom]

There are two shops local to me that I like - Dive 69 in Ewell; who've given us really good service in the past; and Amphibian in West Norwood who I've only just started using but like a lot and has cheaper nitrox. That gives me a dilemma - which LDS to support? I'll probably alternate between the two.

Incidentally, I think there are quite a few YDers using these two shops - 69 I know a few people use, and when I was signing the nitrox book at Amphibian the other day I recognised a couple of names!

Least favourite? There are a few I wouldn't go back to out of choice, but none that have been horrendously bad. Even go-dive, who I've always been relatively happy with - never had a problem that requires customer service though.

[Say_Ten]

I've always felt I've had good service at Scuba And Outdoor Pursuits in Solihull. But then they're also my school and club ;p

However, I can't compare on prices so much as I'm fresh to the sport but they've always had time to chat and advise. Friendly too

[KimH]

Originally Posted by wilbo

I have to say that Denney Diving were superb ..

I am pleased to be able to second this. Recently I had an issue with a Ralf Tech bag that I hadn't bought from them but as the UK agent for RT they dealt with the problem for me, and quickly.
I still prefer my LDS which like Tom is Amphibian as I get exceptional service from them and don't really need to go anywhere else.

[Simon A]

Matt is that you? I wondered how long it'd take you to get here! I'm assuming you're still diving a wetsuit? do you fancy a dip in Stoney the weekend before I21?

As to dive shops, the best I have dealt with for mail order are Denny Diving, SDS and Kent Diving. My local Mikes (Reading) is not bad, good air and nitrox fills and do reasonable prices on some kit if asked (although their stock is not as varied as the mail order places).

Simon A

[Say_Ten]

Aye, tis me. Been idling away on the forums for some time now. Yeah, diving in a wet suit still, waiting on the Birmingham dive show to grab a dry suit as that's when the deals at the shop hit me

Yeah, should be free that weekend, kinda convinced Craig to do weekday builds these days Anyway, don't want to hijack this thread any further ;p

[Helen F H]

Denney Diving.

[Fiona]

I have a few that I visit, distance is no problem I would much rather go and pick stuff up than get kit on line.

Dive and Marine, Urmston. Good service and prices as long as you don't mention the "D" word (that's discount if you don't know John). Impartial advise, I have spent hours in there some days, you can rummage about unlike other shops where everything is behind the counter.

Divers Warehouse. 70 odd mile round trip. Nice new shop and a nice ladies loo, yes these things are important , excellent service for suits and kit, staff aren't bad either.

The worst service I have received or rather not received is from that online scuba store, you have to leave you contact details and they are supposed to phone you back, they didn't and when eventually I got to speak to someone they had part of what I needed but not the other part, considering it was a CD valve guard I was after, thought that was pretty poor.

Fiona

[AirHog]

I can second Tom's view of Amphibian, in Norwood. James always has time and opinions, not always good ones but frank and honest. If he likes or dislikes something he normally has a reason, and I have not known him to rave about something just because he has it on the shelf. His prices are also amongst the keenest I have come across, for example he quoted me his standard price for a Buddy Commando TD before the dive show and I couldn't beat it at LIDS!

Can also add to the ravings about Denny as I have spoken to Chris a few times for advice and equipment ordered has always been delivered in a timely fashion.

As for my 'localist' of LDSs, they were pretty ropey anyway but I stopped using them completely after the guy there was adamant the drysuit I was trying on fitted perfectly and was how it was supposed to be - not withstanding the fact that I could have sang soprano if I had been trying to reach the valves for a shutdown.

Regards

Mark

[Jay]

B&Q - divers' best friend