Alcohol, lack of sleep and decompression illness.......

[BoltSnap]

You can't fix stupid, nor legislate it away. While I don't condone enabling it, it is up to the individual to use their God given logical abilities to assess risk.

The problem is that when you leave it up to them and they get hurt, everyone else is going to be inconvenient and will pay for it one way or another.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

One way for an op to make sure no one dives extremely hung over is to breathalize everyone as they board. You know darn well that they would still be way above the legal limit in the morning. Make it very clear when they sign up ahead of time that it’s a policy. Who cares if a handful of drunks get PO’d about it, you don’t want those idiots on your boat anyway. Let them go on someone else's boat and ruin their trip.

 

[brsnow]

I have been on numerous dive ops that have been available for during surface interval. I personally don’t drink beer while diving but have certainly seen it abroad.

 

[waterone]

One way for an op to make sure no one dives extremely hung over is to breathalize everyone as they board. You know darn well that they would still be way above the legal limit in the morning. Make it very clear when they sign up ahead of time that it’s a policy. Who cares if a handful of drunks get PO’d about it, you don’t want those idiots on your boat anyway. Let them go on someone else's boat and ruin their trip.

Might as well do a drug test as well and while we are at it hit them with a cholesterol and BP test before they board for the two-tank excursion as well as a signed doctors note for verification that they are able to dive and get their current vaccination status.

If someone is above the legal limit it should be quite obvious. If they are not above the limit, it's pretty easy to tell when someone has binged all night. If it is not obvious to the OP, they probably don't pay attention to their customers and/or don't care.

 

[dmaziuk]

Right: a cup of pee or no fill. ISAGN.

 

[sea_ledford]

How many of the drunk ones are the DMs?

 

[jadairiii]

About 20 years ago, (in my 40's) went diving with my buddies up in Jupiter. Drank the night before, on the boat early, did a couple of dives in the 70'-100' range, started drinking again, then free diving for another 4 hours.......30'-70' range.....

Got back to the house that afternoon and for 5 hours I was racked with chills, could not get warm, fatigue and a crushing headache, while they were getting dinner. Started drinking Gatorade/water by the gallon and eating Motrin.....got better.

No question I was suffering subclinical DCS. Live and learn!

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Might as well do a drug test as well and while we are at it hit them with a cholesterol and BP test before they board for the two-tank excursion as well as a signed doctors note for verification that they are able to dive and get their current vaccination status.

If someone is above the legal limit it should be quite obvious. If they are not above the limit, it's pretty easy to tell when someone has binged all night. If it is not obvious to the OP, they probably don't pay attention to their customers and/or don't care.

I’m just saying, if drunkeness and hangovers are that big if a problem in some locations around the world and it’s causing operators grief, then why not? Why should they have to put up with that? There is a liability problem.
A written policy that people read and sign when they sign up the day before might be a good enough motivator to not get wasted the night before till 2:00 am.
Speaking of DM’s, I know a guy who was a DM for an instructor we all new. They would do classes at Monterey Breakwater. Anyway this DM would go out and party like there was tomorrow in all the bars around Cannery Row. The next day he was fuming with alcohol boiling off him - one of those you make jokes about not lighting a match around because you don’t want to get blown up.
He would barely get his gear on and barely get out in the water, then start puking his guts out on the surface swim out or at the float tube. Really useful DM for the students don’t you think? What a loser!
So yeah, DM’s certainly can be bad examples.

 

[waterone]

I’m just saying, if drunkeness and hangovers are that big if a problem in some locations around the world and it’s causing operators grief, then why not? Why should they have to put up with that?

There is no reason to test everyone due to a problem with a few. It is easy enough to tell if someone has an issue in the morning and kick them off. It sounds like the issue is that some Ops seem to be letting people dive that shouldn't be.

There is a liability problem.
A written policy that people read and sign when they sign up the day before might be a good enough motivator to not get wasted the night before till 2:00 am.

If someone needs a motivator just to not show up hungover and still wasted, they should simply get kicked off the boat and charged for the trip when they do.

Speaking of DM’s, I know a guy who was a DM for an instructor we all new. They would do classes at Monterey Breakwater. Anyway this DM would go out and party like there was tomorrow in all the bars around Cannery Row. The next day he was fuming with alcohol boiling off him - one of those you make jokes about not lighting a match around because you don’t want to get blown up.
He would barely get his gear on and barely get out in the water, then start puking his guts out on the surface swim out or at the float tube. Really useful DM for the students don’t you think? What a loser!
So yeah, DM’s certainly can be bad examples.

Sounds like enablers letting him go and DM like that, beyond ridiculous.

 

[boulderjohn]

There is no reason to test everyone due to a problem with a few. It is easy enough to tell if someone has an issue in the morning and kick them off. It sounds like the issue is that some Ops seem to be letting people dive that shouldn't be.

If someone needs a motivator just to not show up hungover and still wasted, they should simply get kicked off the boat and charged for the trip when they do.

I am trying to imagine the legal issues that could arise if a dive operator would look at people, decide they are not fit to dive based on that observation alone, kick them off the boat, and then charge them for the trip.

I would certainly not want to be the DM charged with making that decision.