Am I asking too much?

[scuba e]

Am I asking too much?
I have been very disappointed in the dive boats of Socal.
I am saying this with some experience. I have worked in customer service for years. I also work as a freelance captain on a few private sportfishers. The rest of my time is spent as a Naui SCUBA instructor. Please understand that I make no statements that I should not adhere to myself.
My first dive boat was on a check out with my wife. The captain came out and started the day with "I have not slept in a day or so so you will have to deal with the attitude." So my wife and I start our dives with that attitude. Our instructor was very upset by this.
I did most of my training on a boat that was constantly apologizing for the attitude of the cook/co-owner. Later I found myself apologizing to students who thought they had done something wrong for the way they were treated. Never again.
So I post and ask "What are the best boats to dive on Socal". By the responce I book a test trip on one of the suggested boats. We get on board only to find dis-repair. Partialy deflated chase boat, broken nitrox system, captain sucking beers, DM taking an hour dive when it was time to move (robbing us of a dive). Never again.
Last weekend we try another. Good name. Boat looked clean and may be a good. May be my fault as I booked thru a company that rhymes with ports haley. Should have known better. Tanks and weights were to be included, but they were not. Stepped up the gangway and waited to board (in my business you never board a boat without being invited aboard). No eye contact. 2 guys within 2 feet. After 5 minutes I finally but into their conversation and ask for the Dm or Captain. One of the 2 is the DM. "What do you want?" I introduce myself. I ask for direction on how they run their boat and where to put our gear. "How many of you are there?" (Shouldnt they know) "I guess we can move some gear around." Followed by "Are there enough bunks for these guys?"
What the hell?!
My guys had already gone back to th e truck to get the gear. As I walked up behind them I hear "I have never felt more unwelcome on a boat in my life."
These guys are students but they fish and are used to being treated with some respect on charters. Do you remember your check out dives? A bit nervous. Trying to deal with fear and stress and just looking for re-assurance and guidence. To see the stress and hear the acknowlegment that the crew was already an attitude problem and very unsettling to my students was too much. The tanks and weights just sealed it. For the first time I walked away from a dive trip. (to the relief of my students)
So am I really asking too much? Is this industry really content with this crap? Are there no quality boats in Socal? Is customer service not available?
I waited 3 days to post this in case I was just mad. I have replayed the events over and over. At this point I am not sure I am willing to re-up my instructor cert as I am not sure I want to be associated with certain aspects of the community.
Any thoughts?

 

[D_B]

That's not too much to ask, and that's not the way I've been treated on the boats I've gone out on here (not that I've got a lot of dives)

I have my favorites .. I'm sure that you'll get recommendations from others as to theirs

 

[dpbishop]

I haven't done a lot of dive boat trips here, but the ones I have done have been enjoyable. They don't provide the level of service that I've seen at some tropical resorts, but that's fine with me. I think the level of divers they get tends to be more experienced than what you might see at Cozumel, and they adjust their behavior accordingly. It sounds like you had some bad experiences, and there is no excuse the level of service you mention, but I have some suggestions.

1. If at all possible, book directly with the boat operator, not a dive shop. Discuss with them what is to be provided and ask about the crew for the day you are booking. Try to find one with a captain who dives.

2. If you are taking a class with you try to talk to or e-mail the captain before the date to delineate responsibilities. If your co-booked with a group of advanced divers that are looking for challenging sites, while you need something appropriate for your students, it can cause headaches for the captain.

3. Build a relationship with an operator. This includes informing them of poor behavior on the part of their staff as well as kudos for a good trip.

4. If you think your students need a higher level of service than what the boat is willing to provide, bring your own DM. I'm sure there are plenty who will be willing to do a free trip with tips in return for a little baby-sitting.

5. Dive boats aren't fishing boats. It's a whole different clientele and a different attitude. Enjoy it for what it is.

6. Never speak to a cook on a boat unless he/she speaks to you first. This applies to all boats, not just dive boats.

I think you experiences were just a run of bad luck, and I hope you give the boats another chance. Of course, my experience is with the dive boats in San Diego, and it could be that LA boats have an LA attitude.

 

[covediver]

Have you tried any of the Truth Aquatics boats out of Santa Barbara ? (as much as folks in that town like to think of themselves as central California, they are Socal any way you chose to divide up the state.

I was on a multiple day trip a couple of weeks ago and was treated the way I expect to be treated on their dive boats. (they did have one skipper about 15 years ago who was a real ass, but they fired him). Professional service, great crew, and top notch diving.

Peace used to be a good boat, but I can't say as it has been a few years since I was on it. I won't set foot on the Spectre for reasons I don't need to go into here.

Sorry to hear you have had bad experiences. Hope you find a boat that you like. IF you do, patronize the hell out of it. We have had several good dive boats in Socal over the years, America and America II out of San Diego, Sea Ventures out of Hueneme, Bold Contender and Captain Midnight out of Channel Islands, and Peace and Islander out of Ventura. Of these, only Peace and Bold Contender is still around and its been named something else and sails from somewhere in LA I think.

 

[FrankPro1]

The only boat I've dove on in So Cal was the Mr. C. It launches out of 22nd st landing "San Pedro". Its not a pretty boat by any means but its crew was polite and friendly. By the end of the day everyone felt like one happy family and there wasn't anyone on board without a smile.

My guess is you just got the random burn from what may be a very safe, professional dive boat crew. Everyone has there bad days, dive a boat a few times and then decide on if its good or not. I understand that you may feel negative about the situation, especially after having a succession of bad trips, but keep on going out and you'll eventually find a boat and crew that will treat you right. Besides there's too much good diving here to not go out.

I've also been pointed in the direction of the Bottom Scratcher that leaves out of Long Beach. I've heard its a very nice boat and the customer service is top notch. You might try them out.

 

[Gombessa]

6. Never speak to a cook on a boat unless he/she speaks to you first. This applies to all boats, not just dive boats.

Fascinating. What's the deal with the cook? Is he the undercover KBG agent trying to detonate the warhead?

By the way, I also highly recommend the Truth Aquatics boats. Great crew, the absolute best food I've ever had on a boat, and great facilities on-deck and below.

 

[Kevfin]

Fascinating. What's the deal with the cook? Is he the undercover KBG agent trying to detonate the warhead?

??? I was wondering that too??? The only time I don't speak to the cook is when they are coughing and sneezing.

Although, ever boat has it's own vibe and the crew sometimes in a rut, I try and go with the flow. The trip is about the diving. My tips are about the crew.

With that said, the few boats I've been on with students, I've never had an expectation that they do anything exceptional, much less help out beyond tank fills, checking in/out, occasional help with gear donning/doffing, etc.. Seems like most only smile when you smile, and say "hi" when you say "hi", unless you know them...

Sounds like fishing boats have a whole different atmosphere. Don't know, haven't been on one since the 70's.

I'm not saying the boats are great or like in the Caribbean, however maybe your expectations are too high for what it is... it is what it is...

 

[ligersandtions]

Wow, sorry to hear about your bad experiences....I haven't had the same bad experiences on the boats I've been on, but that may stem from the fact that I don't really care how personal DM's or the captains are toward me. I care that they do their job (which, of course, includes site briefings, so they have to be personal to the divers as a whole) and I get to dive.

But here's my recap of boats that I've been on:

Sun Diver out of Long Beach - good boat to Catalina, nice crew, WAY too much food, slow trip....they provide tanks (steel) and weights

Island Time (now owned by the same people who own the Sun Diver, I believe) out of long beach - pretty good boat to Catalina, decent but fairly impersonal crew (don't know if this will change with the ownership), food was fine, quick travel time to Catalina (which turns out to suck for me because I'm prone to seasickness), does a lot of half day trips which is really no good if you truly want to dive, imo....they provide tanks (aluminum, iirc), you provide weights

Spectre out of Ventura - I'm surprised that people dislike them because I thought they were great....nice boat with lots of bunks/space, nice and knowledgeable crew, great lunch options, quick travel time to Anacapa / Santa Cruz Island, FOUR dives for the cost of three (or less) to Catalina....you provide your own tanks and weights


Good luck finding a boat and crew that you like. And if all else fails, shore dive!

 

[Teamcasa]

Am I asking too much?...
I have been very disappointed in the dive boats of Socal...
ISo am I really asking too much? Is this industry really content with this crap? Are there no quality boats in Socal? Is customer service not available?
... I am not sure I want to be associated with certain aspects of the community.
Any thoughts?

Disappointed? You have done part of the job by saying so. The other half would be to name to boat. Dive boats, like most business will only survive if people are willing to put up with poor customer service. I have no problem telling people if I was mistreated or poorly served. I also will praise an operation that does a great job.

I have been on many of the boats here in SoCal and I will say that my favorites are the King Neptune, Great Escape, Lois Ann and ScubaCat. My least favorite is the Sun Diver, mainly due to the speed and my personality clashes with K. Note this, most are very slow anyway and the Sun Diver Captain Ray is top notch and runs a good operation.

Many people come to ScubaBoard to find out what boats are good and what boats are not. I know I would not be too happy if I asked for recommendations and everyone gave glowing reports on an operation but after I booked a trip I found out that the boat/crew had issues that no one talked about.

If I’m treated poorly, I will say so. Let the chips fall where they may. Money and time are too scarce to be treated poorly by any business.

 

[merxlin]

I think that boats and crews in So Cal do have one thing in common, and that is their individuality. Name any boat and you will have lovers and haters. Some people like lots of accommodations, some are OK with less. Some are Ok with a longer ride there and back, some like a quick trip. Some like an involved crew and DM, some want a good briefing and a realistic gate time, then to be left alone to do our dives. All want good food. , but even that definition is tainted by your personal tastes.

There have been these discussions before about what one should "expect" from a dive boat. Does the crew attitude really matter if the ride is good, the spots are interesting, the fills are fast and full, the food is good, and they adhere to strict safety procedures?

I do think that if you get in a great day of diving, the boat will seem just fine. But you also have to establish what you want and expect from the boat. Post that here, and I think many will chime in with recommendations that meet your criteria.