Boat crew setting kit up

[fjpatrum]

Whether or not you have your crew set up the gear, you said they have been trained to help divers into the water and you also said that many divers have gone in with their tanks closed... I don't even think you need these indicator valves. Why not instruct the crew that when they're walking a diver to the edge of the boat, they put a hand on the valve and check that it's open?

The problem with this is quite often the person putting a "hand on the valve and check that it's open" actually get it wrong, at least according to scubaboard posters. It happens often enough that I don't want someone doing it to my rig.

I have no problem with someone setting my gear for me, I'll double check it. Once I'm wearing it, though, the only person touching it should be me and my buddy. No one else. Period.

 

[seaducer]

RT, I know you are trained to wipe your own arse but are you telling me that you would refuse someone else helping you out.

I absolutely refuse such services! Not quite to that level of extreme but I have been in more than a few establishments where bathroom attendants were posted. I don't ask for their help, refuse if offered, and am all around creeped out by them.

ewwwww, another one..... Do you guys refuse the help of bellhops in hotels???

If the service is optional, yes I do. If it is not optional I play along, but I'm not happy about it. I don't have so much money that I can just throw it around for services I can easily do myself. I change my own oil and cut my own grass and clean my own house too. I can afford to pay someone to do that but why?

But all of that is not really in line with the original question, that is should crew set up dive gear.

I think if clientelle wants it, they should, if they don't want it, they should not. And I don't see a big deal about offering the choice. If you are going to have a hard policy regarding gear setup it should be no, certified divers can setup their own stuff and some rightly insist on it.

Hey, it is my dive, I am paying for it, let me have it my way.

 

[waynne fowler]

I don't see any reason to pay someone $2 to carry my dive gear. That was the reason I had kids.

You didn't really think that decision through from a financial stand-point did you?

yeah he did..... before he had them.... he's smarter now and just trying to recoup some of that 'unexpected' cost

I prefer to set up my own stuff, but if they want to do it for me let em' have at it. I do a thorough inspection before every dive anyway. I've found things I've forgotten so I am not surprised when I find someone else has left something amiss.

We'd all like to believe what we've read here and in the countless other threads on this subject "If you can't set it up you have no business in the water" but that's a fantasy and will NEVER be what goes on in the real world. There are always and forever going to be those folks who don't give a rats back end about being able to set their stuff up. They want to be pampered, they paid their money and they expect that kind of service.

From a liability stand point I wonder which of these instances may put you in a more precarious situation or if they are fairly equal in that regard:?

1) Diver doesn't know how to put kit together and the crew won't help. Diver get's in the water has a problem related to the set up and gets hurt.

2) Diver doesn't know how to put kit together and the crew does it for them. Diver get's in the water has a problem related to the set up and gets hurt

yeah, yeah... personal responsability and all that I get it... but I'm talking legality..

Seems to me that in both situations the operation is open to some potential liability.
I'm thinking if your going to let them in the water the most important thing is that SOMEONE who know's how to set the kit up does so.

I personally dig not having to put my crap together yet again... I'm on vacation and wanna enjoy other things... I already know how to do it.... let them learn how.. if they're confused they can ask or for all I care they can jack it up all to heck... it only takes about 3 minutes to fix anything they could have gotten wrong....
To be honest I don't understand how someone could NOT know how to put it together but that's just part of the tourism game I guess. As for me.... I choose to let them do it if it's on the menu, if not, no sweat I'm fully prepared and capable of doing so.

I've got an 8 year old grandson who can put my kit together right. It isn't that hard to do at all. All of us can do it, why can't some schmo on a boat learn how to do it too?

I'm not disputing the idea that everyone 'should' know how. However, it's a dream that will most likely not come true in our lifetime. The trick IMO is, how do you keep these folks happy, having a great time, keep everyone safe and at the same time wanting to tip the crew.

 

[RTee]

Whether or not you have your crew set up the gear, you said they have been trained to help divers into the water and you also said that many divers have gone in with their tanks closed... I don't even think you need these indicator valves. Why not instruct the crew that when they're walking a diver to the edge of the boat, they put a hand on the valve and check that it's open? Embarrassing as it is, I'll admit that I did this once- I turned everything on and checked the pressure, etc during my surface interval and then closed it again. When I went to get everything ready at the end of the si, someone was talking to me and then sort of rushed me off the boat and I just completely forgot I hadn't turned it back on, but it was the practice of that particular crew to put a hand on the valve and make sure it's on while they're walking us over..

As far as setting up the gear, I'm completely happy and capable of setting it up myself, but if the boat crew is supposed to do it, I don't mind letting them.

Compton...you bring in fact a very good point. Glad it was picked by the boat crew on your way out but sad to hear that you and your buddy skipped a very important part of scuba diving...buddy pre-dive check where this should have been picked up. Btw, you are not the only person it has happened to. Now I sure make sure that nobody rushes me and my diving buddy out of the door before we have had a chance to do it.

Zippsy...practice makes perfect...keep practicing...lol

 

[fire_diver]

.... When I went to get everything ready at the end of the si, someone was talking to me and then sort of rushed me off the boat and I just completely forgot I hadn't turned it back on, but it was the practice of that particular crew to put a hand on the valve and make sure it's on while they're walking us over.. .

Whe you do proper pre-dive checks, you put your reg in your mouth and watch your SPG and you take several breaths. This should be as you are shuffling to the entry point. Every time you do this, you are guaranteed to know whether or not your valve is turned on.

 

[beautybelow]

Whe you do proper pre-dive checks, you put your reg in your mouth and watch your SPG and you take several breaths. This should be as you are shuffling to the entry point. Every time you do this, you are guaranteed to know whether or not your valve is turned on.

But are you guaranteed it is turned all the way on and not just a quarter turn on?

 

[vladimir]

But are you guaranteed it is turned all the way on and not just a quarter turn on?

If the needle of the SPG fluctuates as you breathe, that indicates a valve that is only partially open. It should remain competely still as you breathe (a few times). That's one advantage an analog gauge has over AI computers.

 

[beautybelow]

If the needle of the SPG fluctuates as you breathe, that indicates a valve that is only partially open. It should remain competely still as you breathe (a few times). That's one advantage an analog gauge has over AI computers.

I am not sure it would noticeably fluctuate with normal breaths on the surface though.

 

[vladimir]

I am not sure it would noticeably fluctuate with normal breaths on the surface though.

If it does fluctuate, check your valve. If not, yes I agree, that is not a guarantee that the valve is completely open. I have had to revisit the question at 20 meters on one occasion. It's good to be able to reach your valve.

 

[haumana ronin]

I absolutely refuse such services! Not quite to that level of extreme but I have been in more than a few establishments where bathroom attendants were posted. I don't ask for their help, refuse if offered, and am all around creeped out by them.

Yeah, what is with those guys? Is there some ancient tradition of kings not removing paper towels from their dispensers or waving their hands in front of motion detector soap dispensers? They creep me out too.

:zen: