Boat crew setting kit up

[Rhone Man]

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

 

[beautybelow]

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?

 

[AfterDark]

Why would he be a jerk if he thinks his staff should be trained to help the guests with their gear?

If the diving is that risky there then no "typical recreational diver" of today's standards should be allowed to jump in without being checked out by the divemasters anyway.

I see people here saying "don't touch my gear" that have some experience dealing with recreational divers so I understand it is a personal issue, but the bottom line is that there are so many diver/travelers that fly half way around the world to do their 10 dives a year that NEED help setting up and getting in and out of the water safely. If you own a dive shop/operation I think you need to accept that and train the staff/divemaster/instructors to help these guests out in a diplomatic way.

It's not like they are sitting back and being fanned while some deck hand from the hills is analyzing their technical gas mix before a cave dive.

Most of the guests we get through, despite us briefing them that the boat crew will help them, but not to let them set up the kit, just sit back and let them do it and worse than that, then proceed to dive without ever checking the kit. We have had numerous instances of divers entering the water with tanks turned off, tanks falling out etc.

That's why. My take is the boss doesn't want anyone setting up kits except his staff. That makes him a jerk that I would not dive with even if I paid for it already. I set my gear up or I don't dive. PERIOD.

 

[AfterDark]

Come on guys, do you have so little faith in your skill at inspecting your setup that you fear having someone else put it together?

Read the post. They don't want you to inspect it when they are done.

then proceed to dive without ever checking the kit.

 

[beautybelow]

I would bet you $2.00 USD that the "boss" is being mis interpreted here.

And another 2 that the OP isn't all that interested in the extra work that may be required by them to make sure things worked smoothly with the boat staff.

That is my take on it.

BTW, I am not the boss nor do I have a clue who he may be.

 

[miketsp]

No, for me I worry about them damaging something. Maybe dinging the 1st stage or splashing water into it during setup or switch because A- they are in a hurry because they have some many to do and B- it is not theirs so they are not as careful as they should be.

..snip..

That for me is precisely the problem when you're a long way from from home.
I once had a crew member ding my first stage against the corner of the tank valve - right on the facing surface that matches up to the o-ring - and left a dent. The result was instant o-ring failures and I spent the rest of the week diving a borrowed reg after going to all of the trouble of carrying my own reg a long way.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

If they find themselves in Tulamben I hope this group, who are pretty adamant about not wanting anybody to even touch their gear, will not pay the porter $2 to carry it, but will instead traverse the rocky beach themselves, with all of their gear:

Oh, walking the beach with all your gear isn't particularly difficult ... especially with an 8-lb weightbelt and those little toy tanks. We do it here at home all the time with much more weight than that.

I like the porters in Tulamben because it gives the local folks some income and because it's nice to be pampered once in a while.

As for folks not checking their own gear ... that's their own choice, and their own fault. Letting someone else set up your equipment is one thing. But under no circumstances should you ever get it wet without checking out the gear to make sure it's set up and functioning properly. I've never heard of an operation that wouldn't let you check your own valve and breathe your own regs before kitting up ... nor would I dive with one that did ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Hawkwood]

I have yet had someone want or try to "set up" my gear the first time out.

We have been with operators were they will change the tanks between the dives and operators were you are provided the tank and do your own thing.

We have also stayed with resorts were they do set up the gear each day and it is on the boat waiting after you have set it up first.

We have never had an issue. My wife is a twice a year vacation diver, but sets her gear up - takes her a while to work it through, but she does it herself.

What I don't observe are many folks doing any sort of pre-dive safety check, regardless of who is "setting up" the gear.

 

[Latitude 59]

Fair expectation every diver must set up own gear as gives boat crew chance to assess. Boat crew should be informed of all the various configurations so they can do a visual check to prevent problems but it is the divers responsibility to check themselves and buddy. The diver is the last one to touch gear donning it so should still be their responsibility for checking in my book. Doesn't matter rental gear or not! If rough conditions during surface interval I can see crew offering assistance to switch tanks to prevent injuries in tight quarters on board but they should only help those who want gear touched. More important to me the non-diver boat crew know how to spot someone in trouble in the water and help appropriately than pamper folks setting up gear.

 

[Doc]

Many good comments, but we all think based upon our own experiences.

Dive boats are not the same in the SoPac as would be your Six Pack.

The places I like to go, we rig our tanks for dive #1, and they get placed aboard.

Before departure or diving, you check the rig. Simple.

Some spots and boats are so rough, you gear-up before departure and stay low, fully rigged up.

Or... When it's time to suit up, the guy next to you does nothing except help you, and then you do likewise.

In my happy-spot world, there is no way customers can safely change out tanks after the first dive.

We check our gear before splash, but you might have to do that while holding on from the deck on your knees. If it isn't the boat pitching, it's the small workspace area.

Situations arise where the visiting diver has to look at the guy making $3 a day, and then follow his example very closely.



Lighten up, Francis. Just tell them, in advance, to not touch your junk.

But, be aware, there are situations where that really won't work very well. You're not in Kansas, anymore.