Chris,<br>They never got the chance to call you because you kept calling them LOL ;D
Oh yeah, good point... Just got back from there w/my shiny new tank! Woo-hoo! Also signed up for my OW dives at Wazee in May.<br><br>Can't Wait!!!<br> ;D
Only problem I ever had with FantaSea was with my first instructor there. I am far from a fit and dainty person, but I am physically healthy. I had a fear of water to over come. I had no appreciation for this instructor telling me that as a fat broad I had no business scuba diving. The second instructor I used did much better by me and I finally finished the class. But with a bitter taste in my mouth I never did opt to go diving with this group and bought most of my equipment elsewhere.
That's too bad about the rude instructor. When were you certified? Fanta Sea was bought by new owners 3 - 5 years ago (?). Maybe you had one of the previous instructors.<br><br>Derrick<br>
I just wanted to take a moment to thank all those at FantaSea for a great experience. From my first trip to the store I knew I chose the right place to fulfill my 20 year long goal of being a SCUBA diver.<br><br>The first person I met was Pat, who did a great job explaining the gear without trying to sell me anything. After spending about 3 hours in the store I had purchased a scuba class, mask, fins, snorkel, and regulator. The following day I went back and purchased the BCD, and about 2 weeks later I purchased my wetsuit. Then finally I made a tank purchase and look forward to using every one of my 30 free fills this Summer! Throughout the whole process I felt respected, comfortable, informed and well taken care of. Not once did I feel pressured into buying anything. (Yes, I did buy a lot of gear in a short time, but did not feel pressured to do so.)<br><br>Next was Jerry, who was my classroom and confined water instructor. Jerry is an interesting individual with a lot of great stories and experiences to share. He made the learning process fun and enjoyable. He clearly enjoys what he does and really put me at ease throughout the first step of my education.<br><br>Finally, my Open Water certification dives! Big thanks to Mark, Tom, Gary, Nick and Chris (Dive Master candidate and my dive buddy for dives 1 and 2)... I canât express how pleased I was with how well things went. From the time we met at Wazee I knew this was going to be a great and rewarding experience. This is where all of my knowledge and interactions with FantaSea would be tested... My gear that Pat recommended worked flawlessly. My body stayed warm, my mask fit like a glove, my regulator breathed smooth as glass and my fins glided me through the water almost effortlessly. The Instructors and Dive Masters were true professionals and made every one of the 4 dives a unique and enjoyable experience. The education I received was top-notch, and really got put to the test. By education, I mean much more than the classroom alone. I feel I got a complete package with you, and by that I mean a friendly and knowledgeable staff who took care of me before, during and after the sale. I know if I ever have any problems that you will be there to help me.<br><br>Above and beyond? <br>You bet. From the first time I walked into FantaSea SCUBA and began talking about my plans it was clear that your main goal was education, fun and safety. The professional attitude went hand-in-hand with a great bunch of people. It was refreshing to be viewed as a valued customer, and treated like a friend. The knowledge I received from visiting your store and talking with you time and time again really was a huge part of my comfort level once I got in the water. Most importantly, I never once felt as though I had asked a âstupidâ question (and as you know, I asked a LOT of questions!)<br><br>Anyway, thanks to everyone on the team. I know I probably forgot to mention some names but I will not forget what youâve helped me accomplish. I look forward to continuing my education and hope youâll be there to guide me along the way.
Fantasea has the RIGHT mind set, scuba is fun and not all about money, like MOST dive stores in this state. The crew at Fantasea is there cause they want to be and they enjoy it. I bet they have the lowest burnout rate also.<br><br>Internal and external politics, ego, and money seem to be the main motivations in other stores.
I went to FantaSea to rent a couple of tanks for a dive the next day. I got them, but the guy at the register was more worried about me returning them at least an hour before close or I would be charged another days rent. As I was filling out the forms, he told me 3 or 4 time when they needed to be back. (I got it the first time, and the second. The rest were unnecessary and annoying.)
After the paper work was done, we were chatting about where we were going and what the conditions were like. While we were talking, I noticed the store hours on the receipt were different than on their web site so I mentioned it to him. Instead of telling me they changed or something like that, he went into another rant about when I had to have the tanks back or it would cost me.
Given that there are at least 2 shops (Scuba Center and Scuba Daddy's) I can safely say, I have no need to go to FantaSea and never plan on going there again.
I like Scuba Daddy's. Glad you do too. Bill is much more laid back than most owners and always gives me a fair deal.
FantaSea gave me a load of BS about regulators once and after I got more reliable facts I never went back there.
Dan
Steven,
I had a similar situation when I tried to rent a tank. The attitude of the staff was arrogant and rude towards me when I tried to rent stuff there. I personally do not recommend that kind of shop, and I agree with Dan when he describes Scuba Daddy's. Essentially, you can get better deals from the other shops in the cities. The type of shop Steve and Dan describe is only good for the diver if he or she is willing to spend generously (a significant portion of the average American salary) in over-priced equipment. They remind me church groups or cults that demand followers to contribute 10 percent of their salaries every month. Shops with the attitude described above need two things in order to survive the difficult inland-dive-shop battle: a) to improve their interaction skills with potential customers if they want to stay in business b) hope that the fertility rates of young professionals with compulsive buying behaviours increase dramatically so a new generation of Yuppie Diving fans support them
cheers,
JJ ;D :o
Sorry to hear you had a bad experience Steven. Every shop has a different personality. Some of the shops monitor this forum and hopefully your feedback will be constructive.
BTW, welcome to the forum!