Recreational Diving Poll - Gear Set-up

[billt4sf]

A friend and I are having a debate about RECREATIONAL divers.


Please respond as best you can, not with what YOU do, but based on what you see OTHERS do on a RECREATIONAL dive LOBs or day-boats.


On the Recreational LOB or day-boat trips I have been on, I have observed that OTHER divers:

 

[rb9228]

On the many boat dives I’ve done here, everyone puts their gear together.

 

[CWK]

Depends on the boat. On one LOB that I use, I set up my equipment on the tank and remove my reg after every dive. The crew refill the tank with my BC in place and I reattach the reg after the gas is analysed immediately prior to the next dive.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

I think it varies depending on location.

While my diving experience is limited to the Carribbean or solo muck diving in a Oklahoma, I think it is location specific. I don't believe the "valet" diving concept has caught on in the US like it has in the Carribbean. The vacation dive ops we have used in Cozumel and Roatan all put your gear together, and even store it for you on multiple dive day trips. The American dive ops I have looked at in Florida and California seem to be more of a "water taxi" that give you a ride to the dive site and maybe put a DM in the water.

Jay

 

[chillyinCanada]

It is location specific and even then comes down to diver preference.

I check my gear setup before every dive regardless. (I know you'r asking about what we observe others do but it's dependent on so many variables)

 

[Bubblesong]

Plus one to what Jay said. I only see Divers take care of their own gear because I Dive USA mostly. I can’t imagine trusting anyone to set up my gear, but I have yet to try a genuine Liveaboard. I don’t count the honeymoon trip to Belize on the converted shrimp-boat which gave us sleeping bags and a section of open deck for our sleeping arrangements. They weren’t doing our gear for us either.

 

[Hoag]

I think it depends on the situation as well as the location. It will also depend on what you are paying for.

As an example, I was diving in TCI, and the shop we were using offered "concierge service". When we got on the boat in the morning, our gear was all set up and waiting for us. While we were relaxing on the surface interval between dives, the crew would switch our gear to the new tanks. If you had anything specific about how you wanted your gear set up, then just mention it and they would do it the way you wanted from that point forward.

If, on the other hand, we aren't paying for that service, then I tend to see people put their own gear together asking for help only when it is needed.

 

[scubadada]

I use boats that cover the entire spectrum, from doing nothing at all to doing absolutely everything for you. In some cases you barely have a choice. Reef Divers Little Cayman, Cayman Brac, I assume Cobalt Coast, have you sit on the end of the boat and help you don your BC before diving. At the end of the dive, they take your BC off at same seat, and by the time you get back to your spot, your BC is on a new cylinder.

There is one common thread to all these wildly different procedures, I always check my own gear personally before every dive. I rarely find anything I need to change, occasionally the position of the BC on the cylinder. Knowing that I checked my own gear gives me confidence that it is OK. Forever, the last thing I do before jumping to to take several breaths while watching my SPG, this way nobody can surprise me with a last minute change

 

[MichaelMc]

Varied by boat/setup: I voted #2

Maui: Crew put gear together while boat still on trailer, swapped to adjacent tank later. Most had some reluctance handing gear bags over.

Monterey: Divers put gear together and swapped tanks from cabin. All were reef check divers.

Belize: Crew put gear together, loaded at stern, swapped tanks from shore, unloaded, rinsed. Divers came to stern, don’d tank placed on gunwale, back rolled. All were rental BCs, and maybe regs, except mine.

 

[diverrex]

As many have said it depends on location, and often by type of boat, large or small. Larger boats where everyone has their own station usually (but not always) have you set up your gear. Smaller boats where all the gear is stored in the back often (but not always) set up the gear for you. That's a problem with these type polls.