Boat Crew Setting Up Gear?

[mempilot]

... Really people, some of you need to get over yourselves. This ain't rocket science, and most of these guys have been setting gear up for years.

I've had a DM turn off my air on the left hand post of an H-valve and on an isolation manifold because they thought the knob should turn forward like the other side. I caught the the H-valve one because I could feel him doing it when I stepped to the back of the boat. I realized the second incident when I was in the water at the surface doing a predescent check. It made me want to get out of the water to see what else he had touched.

We don't need to get over ourselves. Some people need to get out and dive more often until something like this happens to you. I hope you catch it before it catches you.

 

[Firefyter]

There is one operator in Cozumel that I use and when I get on board he insists on taking everything out of your dive bag including folding up your wetsuit. I get a bottle of water sit down beside my rig and watch him set it up. After he is finished I simply double check and make sure that everything is exactly in its place and working properly. With only four people on board it's something I can live with.

Jim
Louisiana

This is exactly my point. Let them do it, and verify it's right. Everybody's happy, relaxed, and having a good time....

 

[CBulla]

I've never seen a DM suited up in the water in the Florida Keys. It's usually pull up to the spot with a 40 minutes or 500 PSI admonition, and the pool is open, kiddies. A lot of those reefs are less than 30 feet deep. There are usually many dive boats in the area. I don't really see anyone needing a DM in the water unless they are a complete booby.

This is why I'm really not real thrilled with the keys boats. They are so used to people who are basically resort divers that don't know how to read dive tables and plan dives.

The 45m or 500psi dives kill me to... 30-45' dives on the typical AL80 and you should get at LEAST 75m

Oh.. since I've been keeping up with with the thread - nobody touches my gear, DM's aren't needed to lead a dive but if a buddy who is one chooses to tag along we don't hold it against them, and I love your predive boat ritual.. it helps you focus on the upcoming dives!

 

[Firefyter]

We don't need to get over ourselves. Some people need to get out and dive more often until something like this happens to you. I hope you catch it before it catches you.

I'll catch it, because as I said further down in the post, "Trust, but verify". It doesn't take but a minute to check, and if it's too much of a bother, then you do need to get over yourselves. And BTW, I've been actively diving since 1988, and my dive count way exceeds my post count

 

[Charlie99]

Now that's one of the things where I have a personal preference and I would get upset. I know the pros and cons of this have been discussed in other threads but I like to set up my gear and then close the air. By the pressure drop during the trip out I know what leaks I've got. If I get back to my kit and find somebody has turned it back on I don't know.

This is the same test I use to check for yoke O-ring leaks, IP creep, etc. A couple of minutes after turning the valve off, I'll check for pressure drop and purge down to around 1000psi to avoid unecessary wear on the HP seat. Since I've already tested for gross leaks during that first couple of minutes, it's no big deal if someone turns my air back on.

I do find it a tad bit annoying when someone grabs my tank valve and gives it a twirl as I get ready to jump in, so I just reach up and do a quick valve check.

My flight attendant niece has noted that some people are nervous, agitated and generally hard to get along with when flying. Unfortunately, some divers are the same way.

Be safe, but chill out a bit

 

[Firefyter]

My flight attendant niece has noted that some people are nervous, agitated and generally hard to get along with when flying. Unfortunately, some divers are the same way.

Be safe, but chill out a bit

Amen, brother.

 

[Iruka]

Quote from Miketsp: "Now that's one of the things where I have a personal preference and I would get upset. I know the pros and cons of this have been discussed in other threads but I like to set up my gear and then close the air. By the pressure drop during the trip out I know what leaks I've got. If I get back to my kit and find somebody has turned it back on I don't know.
Turning my air back on is a major item in my pre-dive check, as is watching my SPG for a pressure drop while I fill my BC and test my regs, so I'm not going to forget it." End of quote.

That's something where, if a customer told me, I'd be happy to let them do it, of course. Generally, we like the air shut off on the way out...noisy boat, leaking Octopus, can't hear it, whatever. I think most of the people involved in diving enough to frequent these various message boards are fairly competent and are fine left to their own. In a resort location, (like Guam) we get crowded boats full of people who dive once or twice per year, and really can't even set up their gear. The guide has to be sure SOMEHOW, that the air is on, and gear is okay before the divers hit the water....and avoid ruffling anyone's feathers in doing so. If a diver drops in the water, and sinks to the bottom without the air being on, the DM can't really say "I don't verify air is on, because some people are offended that I'm implying they can't do it themselves." In most cases, of course, this can be done without actually touching the person's gear, if need be....watching them turn it on, or watching them breathe & watch the SPG....all the things a good diver like yourself obviously does before entry. I have a bit over 5,000 dives now, but when I'm about to do my entry, if there's a deckhand at the entry point, he'll reach over (as he does with all the customers) and check that my air is on. I KNOW it's on already, but it reassures the deckhand that it is, and only slows me down for a second....unless he hangs onto the valve AS I jump in, ha ha....I've seen that happen. A pressure on DMs is that we're often working with "the lowest common denominator," meaning in a group of divers, we'll have some who really need us just to survive the dive. It shouldn't be that way, but it is. I try not to baby my customers or treat the experienced/good divers like they just got their OW card yesterday, but I DO get people who got their OW card yesterday (or worse, a year ago, and haven't been diving since) and those people need, umm, extra supervision.

Well, I REALLY am off to work now...just dropped a customer off at the airport, and now I'm heading out to dive, so I'm done here for the day.

 

[matt_unique]

I'll catch it, because as I said further down in the post, "Trust, but verify". It doesn't take but a minute to check, and if it's too much of a bother, then you do need to get over yourselves. And BTW, I've been actively diving since 1988, and my dive count way exceeds my post count

As pointed out in the recent (tragic) presidential campaign, experience does not mean you have done it right. It would seem you have been lucky in your experience. I have seen tank valves turned half off, regs dropped into a rinse bucket without dust cover and certainly not pressurized on a tank, etc., etc. When it comes to my life support equipment my priority is to make sure my gear is setup right. If a DM is a little put off because I insist on doing it myself - so be it. Like any communication there is a diplomatic way to get your point across hopefully without upsetting someone.

--Matt

 

[TheRedHead]

This is why I'm really not real thrilled with the keys boats. They are so used to people who are basically resort divers that don't know how to read dive tables and plan dives.

The 45m or 500psi dives kill me to... 30-45' dives on the typical AL80 and you should get at LEAST 75m

Oh.. since I've been keeping up with with the thread - nobody touches my gear, DM's aren't needed to lead a dive but if a buddy who is one chooses to tag along we don't hold it against them, and I love your predive boat ritual.. it helps you focus on the upcoming dives!

I always thought they did the 45 minute limit because they want to get back to the shop in time for lunch before taking the 1:00 people out. The snorkel boats even do it and you're not going to run our of air get the bends snorkeling.

Planning your dive on the boat doesn't work out very often because the site is usually chosen by the boat crew (there is your max depth) and the time limit of 45 minutes is basically your dive plan. Your biggest concern is finding your way back to the boat (and making sure its the right boat).

I love the Keys because its so fish rich. Even snorkeling I have been able to identify 6 species of parrotfish and odd ones like filefish and tophats on shallow patch reefs.

My ritual is relaxing; athletes do the same thing before competition; free-throw shooters always bounce the ball x number of times. There is usually plenty of time on a boat ride out for my ritual.

 

[mempilot]

You didn't read my post very closely. The DM turned me off while I was shuffling to the back of the boat all geared up. We wear a lot of gear, and they often stabalize us on a rocking boat. Turning off the air at this point(already checked on before kit up) is bad. It's gets noticed on predescent, but then it's a PITA. It's enough to call a deco dive on, since mindset and gear get a big ? at that time. Let em touch whatever you want. Nobody is telling you different. Some of us just choose not to let em touch anything.

I'll catch it, because as I said further down in the post, "Trust, but verify". It doesn't take but a minute to check, and if it's too much of a bother, then you do need to get over yourselves. And BTW, I've been actively diving since 1988, and my dive count way exceeds my post count