Alcoholic beverages on Snorkel Boats?

[DivemasterDennis]

First, it is a hard and fast rule that there is no drinking before and during diving. The first beer of the day follows the last dive of the day. Snorkeling presents fewer hazards, but hazards nevertheless. Poor judgment, metabolic effect exacerbated by heat, sun, diving down free style while snorkeling, all argue against drinking during a snorkeling day. No doubt a little beer won't endanger you, but a hazard of drinking is not counting your drinks. The only safe number of drinks is zero. I do not want to be on a boat with a bunch, or a few, people drinking. They endanger everyone around them. I'll happily join in (in moderation) when the diving or snorkeling is done, and the gear is stowed.
DivemasterDennis

 

[flots am]

We've booked another cruise in November and over the past months, have been looking at other snorkel trips to take, as we are visiting 5 or 6 islands. I notice the boats are now offering alcohol as soon as you step on board. In fact, that is one of their selling points. I am hesitant to book a trip that allows that. However, all the ones I have looked at that do allow drinking seem to have good reviews.

What does everyone think of that? It just seems that if you have a (usually) newbie snorkeler to begin with, and add hot sun and alcohol, seems like a recipe for disaster. I then tend to wonder how the tour operator holds up in other safety issues - enough life vests, etc.?

Alcohol = happy guests and better tips and reviews.

Everybody has to wear flotation, so it's reasonably safe, but in the end, you're responsible for your own safety. Just because they're serve booze doesn't mean you have to drink it.

 

[Mike]

The technical name is "booze cruise", if there is some snorkeling that breaks up some of the drinking and dancing time then I guess I could stand a short interuption.

 

[Testudo]

I find a few good stiff drinks prior to snorkeling usually makes me less afraid of the sharks that come around.

 

[kelemvor]

Different strokes, man. If you aren't down then try to find another op? If that's not possible, just go and don't partake.

 

[kentrobin]

I am alway leery of operations that don't have good safety practices. The operator is clearly putting sales before safety, so be cautious, this is probably not the only safety rule they may be breaking. Do they have oxygen on board, employees trained in CPR, are they looking out for the snorkelers while they are in the water, do they have a checklist of who goes in and who comes out? Good reviews have nothing to do with safety, safety is boring, a buzz kill, as long as nothing happens people usually want the freedom that lax rules provide, but once something does happen - then the finger pointing and lawsuits happen. If a dive operation did this I would never use them.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

The operator is clearly putting sales before safety, so be cautious, this is probably not the only safety rule they may be breaking.

One really has to wonder what the rest of the world thinks of excessively risk-adverse Westerners who think like this. One could argue that going out at all, going out without mandating all guests wear PFDs while in the water, and/or going out without mandating all guests slather themselves in rashguards, hats, gloves, and sunblock is putting sales before safety! There is an enormous difference between the offer of a fruity rum drink before/in between snorkles and downing enough booze to become drunk just before trying to tube whitewater/go scuba diving/drive a car on a public road.

A large portion of the world plays by a less anal-retentive, less black and white, less zero tolerance set of "rules" than we do. I doubt that the presence or absence of alcoholic beverages during a snorkel cruise is really the prime marker you want to consider when deciding whether they're safe. Rather: Do reviews talk about the captain/crew failing to control rowdy guests? Who's writing the reviews, families or raging backpacker kids? What information is available about the boat, crew, captain, and equipment? Failing that, call them up and ask about what you want to know.

First, it is a hard and fast rule that there is no drinking before and during diving. The first beer of the day follows the last dive of the day. No doubt a little beer won't endanger you, but a hazard of drinking is not counting your drinks. The only safe number of drinks is zero.

Why would anyone make such a strident assertion of obviously shaky truth? Is it paternalism, or do you somehow actually believe what you said to be true? Nobody should be diving impaired (any more than narcosis is already impairing them, anyway) and booze does nothing good for one's level of hydration, but what you just said is so far into the realm of fact-independent absolutes that I can't help but laugh.

Am I advocating cracking open a cold one between dives? No, not my cup of tea for reasons that have little to do with whether I'd be sober enough to conduct the next dive. But assuming a long enough SI I wouldn't yell at a buddy who had just one, either. But if you have a beer with lunch must you skip the night dive several hours later? Of course not.