2 Day/1 Night or Day Trip to Richelieu Rock

[watboy]

If it were me, I would ask why the dive was cut short. I was taught to manage a dive plan to get at least 50mins. However, sometimes dives are cut short due to vis, weather, or other diver problems. I was at Hin Daeng and we had a big air hog, who even with a 15 liter tank hit 50 bar in 20minutes. Not saying any of these things happened on your dive. There could be a reasonable explanation or they could be lazy, but the only way to find out is to politely ask.

 

[penguintom]

That sounds all pretty horrible to me.
Was this trip sold as a real "day trip dive destination" (if yes; what was the dive-site name, how was it advertised and what were the highlights supposed to be?) or were you joining some sort of check-out or exploration dive?

It was horrible, the only thing good about the whole day was the lunch.
It was sold as a days diving trip, the destination was not stated before I went but was promissed 2 good dive sites 20m+ viz, turtles sea horses, grouper etc.
The reality of the day was a boat full of snorklers, most of which seemed un happy, and myself with one other customer diving with a guide. The promise of 2 dive sites never materialised, I think the name was Ko Sack. Viz was nearer 2 metres, no turtles, no grouper, the biggest fish I saw was about 5cm. Top all that with 30 minutes in the water, most disapointing.
Only problem I had pre booked and paid for 2 days, on the second day was taken to the same place, I declined to dive, only to be told up to you, but you dont get to come again.

 

[penguintom]

If it were me, I would ask why the dive was cut short. I was taught to manage a dive plan to get at least 50mins. However, sometimes dives are cut short due to vis, weather, or other diver problems. I was at Hin Daeng and we had a big air hog, who even with a 15 liter tank hit 50 bar in 20minutes. Not saying any of these things happened on your dive. There could be a reasonable explanation or they could be lazy, but the only way to find out is to politely ask.

Think the day was just planned around snorklers because they were the majority on the boat.
The dive guide was the worse for drink, he stank of stale beer when he came to collect me from the hotel, just seemed to me he wanted to get back on the boat as quick as possible and sleep.

 

[Bowmouth]

I was at Hin Daeng and we had a big air hog, who even with a 15 liter tank hit 50 bar in 20minutes.

That's no reason to let other divers who are better with their air and still have plenty of bottom-time left to cut their dive short and basically miss half of their money's (and enjoyment) worth of diving.
Certified divers should be treated as adults by dive-crew and not as little babies who "can not do this" and "should not do that"...

 

[cgf]

Two shops I dived with recently were more like 30 mins / 150 bar. Most disappointing.

hi, do you remember the name of these shops?

 

[Bowmouth]

Only problem I had pre booked and paid for 2 days, on the second day was taken to the same place, I declined to dive, only to be told up to you, but you dont get to come again.

I'm really sorry to hear you had this "experience".
Did you book with a DC or with an agent? If it was a DC, I would talk to the owner/manager or at least send an email to them and let them know about what I thought about their "dive-tours".
If it was an agent, I would never ever use his "services" (or better: lack of services) again..

 

[surinboy]

Tom sounds like a rather useless dive trip.

If it was as bad as you say then you should try diving some different places.

This is one positive thing about the Andaman side as it comes into season. Because you know that even if the sites are not up to scratch in some ways, e.g. shallow depths surge up to 5m viz, that there is still some really interesting life about. Kho Na Yak...the local site at Khao Lak springs to mind. This has the added bonus of making life much easier for DMs

Did you see anything of interest AT ALL where you dived?

 

[watboy]

That's no reason to let other divers who are better with their air and still have plenty of bottom-time left to cut their dive short and basically miss half of their money's (and enjoyment) worth of diving.
Certified divers should be treated as adults by dive-crew and not as little babies who "can not do this" and "should not do that"...

Well, luckily it was just him and his wife as we knew the husband was bad on air (hence the 15l tank), so the dive ended early. But i'm curious, at a site like hin daeng/muang, if you are guiding 4 people, and one person goes out of air 20/30mins in, what would you do? Not challenging you, but for my own personal education as I'm still learning. At times at easier places like Koh ha lagoon, you could let the out of air pair ascend on their own. Or when I was interning, they'd have me take up when I was assisting. But I can imagine there are times where you wouldn't want to let customers ascend on their own.

 

[surinboy]

But i'm curious, at a site like hin daeng/muang, if you are guiding 4 people, and one person goes out of air 20/30mins in, what would you do? Not challenging you, but for my own personal education as I'm still learning.

Are you a certified DM? If so then this kind of thing should have been covered during your training.

If not then it sounds like you are ready to make that step.

 

[stevenl]

Well, luckily it was just him and his wife as we knew the husband was bad on air (hence the 15l tank), so the dive ended early. But i'm curious, at a site like hin daeng/muang, if you are guiding 4 people, and one person goes out of air 20/30mins in, what would you do? Not challenging you, but for my own personal education as I'm still learning. At times at easier places like Koh ha lagoon, you could let the out of air pair ascend on their own. Or when I was interning, they'd have me take up when I was assisting. But I can imagine there are times where you wouldn't want to let customers ascend on their own.

I presume the others with enough are left are certified divers? And I presume you have given a briefing in which you covered this event? You feel confident in the other divers abilities? If 'yes' to all questions, surface with the diver out of air (normally the inexperienced one, that is why he is out of air) and have the others continue their dives.