Boat crews and your gear

[Staticdiver]

i hear that a lot of dive boat crews find if rude if they try to help you set up your gear and you don't let them. i personal don't like other people touching my gear. unless is in get serviced. but i don't want to be rude. i haven't been on to many boats so i'm not sure. so just want peoples opinions on the subject. i hope this hasn't been talked about a million times before.

 

[Doc]

It hasn't often been approached as you have so done.

My experience outside of the US for weeklong+ stays? They study how you set up your gear the first day. Then after that, no matter how weird you thread stuff around and position it on the tank- they will duplicate it almost to perfection. Always worth checking, but that's what these guys do 24/7/365.

If a dive op won't take your direction and keep their hands off your gear if you so direct, find another dive op.

There are some exceptions. In the deep vee hulls of outrigger boats in the South Pacific to Africa, you would do well to sit where you are directed and try to stay out of the way. Even after they change out your tanks in this difficult environment, you will be allowed the opportunity to look it over and make adjustments and checks before being assisted to put it on.

How the US Navy does it:
"However, it’s great to have the services of a tender. Each diver has a dresser or, more properly, a tender who is responsible for seeing that the diver is safely dressed. My tender is one of the instructors and hands me the weight harness."

As your dive experience broadens and as you go to less comodious places, you'll likely well be ready to accept the hand of the Boatsman, assisting you in whatever way they can to gear up.

From the movie Stripes: The name's Francis Sawyer, but everybody calls me Psycho. Any of you guys call me Francis, and I'll kill you.
Leon: Ooooooh.
Psycho: You just made the list, buddy. Also, I don't like no one touching my stuff. So just keep your meat-hooks off. If I catch any of you guys in my stuff, I'll kill you. And I don't like nobody touching me. Any of you homos touch me, and I'll kill you.
Sergeant Hulka: Lighten up, Francis.

By all means, check it over, ask them to do only what you instruct, but if you want them to leave something alone- just ask. But understand that in some adverse conditions, you will be ably assisted into your gear by a guy who's been wet more than all of us put together. Let them manage their environment as the situation dictates.

 

[Staticdiver]

thank you very much. my last trip to Mexico just last weekend on the 2nd dive i replaced my tank as the deck hand swapped bottles for my girlfriend and than he came to mine and he kinda looked sad. i felt bad. but i am just use to doing things for myself.

 

[Doc]

My apologies for not getting the real point.

Sure he looked sad. A Boatsman is a pretty low level starter job. He is trying to be good at his assigned task so he can learn English, become popular, learn the ropes, gain acceptance, and move up to Driver. Next step after that? Dive Master.

 

[Riger]

We just returned from a one week Liveaboard in the Red Sea. The same tank was used for all 20 dives, your gear stays on your tank and the tank is refilled in situ. The deck hands help you get your kit into and out of the Zodiac (RIB) and to your station. You are required to disconnect your 1st Stage and reconnect it (after your Nitrox Analysis) after refill. That system works really well and other than the assistance in getting your gear on and off your back, nobody messes with your setup.

The crew would not let you transport your gear from the dive deck to the dive stations, it was considered their job and they would not let us do it ourselves.

Best Regards

Richard (Riger)

 

[String]

i hear that a lot of dive boat crews find if rude if they try to help you set up your gear and you don't let them. i personal don't like other people touching my gear. unless is in get serviced. but i don't want to be rude. i haven't been on to many boats so i'm not sure. so just want peoples opinions on the subject. i hope this hasn't been talked about a million times before.

Its only a problem abroad. In the UK you load your own gear, you set it up, you use it, you unload it which is exactly how it should be in my view.

I dont want ANYONE touching my gear or tank valve - i know how my gear works better than them, i know exactly how i like it setup and if anyone messes with that i have to start from scratch.

If you need help with your gear then ask for it (and also wonder how you managed to qualify as a diver).

 

[NadMat]

Its only a problem abroad. In the UK you load your own gear, you set it up, you use it, you unload it which is exactly how it should be in my view.

I dont want ANYONE touching my gear or tank valve - i know how my gear works better than them, i know exactly how i like it setup and if anyone messes with that i have to start from scratch.

If you need help with your gear then ask for it (and also wonder how you managed to qualify as a diver).

I do this day in and day out on local dives, but on a vacation dive I might be busy chatting up some cute female diver during SI and don't mind a crewmember swapping my tanks out for me, I give the rig a safety check anyway before getting in no matter who set it up.

I don't require it, ever and on small six pack boats I prefer to dive from there is minimal crew to do it anyway, they usually just help handle the tanks on the switch and let customer handle rest of setup unless assistance is needed.

JMHO,YMMV

 

[ozziworld]

I think perhaps the boatman felt you may have been dissatsified with his service or that he may not have gotten around to you soon enough.

I used to do all my gear changes and set up by myself as I had gotten used to it and preferred it that way. When I used to go to Mexico I used to carry all my own stuff to the room thinking that since I am a big guy it did not seem right that I would let someone smaller carry my heavy bags. It also applied to when i went fishing, I always prefer to clean and dress my own fish. When in Mexico, I would turn down the offers to clean my catch and did not realize till later that this is the way these guys make a living and earning tips. I thought I was helping keep their work load lighter but it was later explained to me that they did not view it that way and actually felt they were denied an opportunity to earn a few tips. So now I always let service crew attend to me as they see fit so as to make a contribution to the local economy. As long as they do a good job, I try to get out of the way and of course I tip them accordingly.

On some dive boats. It could also be a safety concern as mishandling the heavy tanks can actually damage the boat or some other passengers feet. So that is a factor too.

Do what you are comfortable with but communicate with them your choice so they do not misinterpret the situation or your intentions.

 

[TSandM]

I let them set my gear up for recreational dives, if that is their practice. It can be quite amusing, actually, as the time they put the tank on the wrong side of the backplate -- I never did figure out how they thought I was going to WEAR it.

However, I check everything as thoroughly as if I were setting it up myself. I've had no problems with this system -- Nobody's ever done anything to my gear that damaged it.

For a cave dive, I put my own gear together, and nobody else touches it.

 

[Arizona]

It varies place to place. IMO, don't be worried about being rude. It is your life support system and you should be in complete charge. I personally don't like anyone setting up my gear. I am sure if you are polite about it they will not care.

Locally in Thailand, I have never seen a boat crew set up gear for a certified diver. Switching tanks and transporting gear from the dive deck to the dive stations as Riger described in the Red Sea is common on liveaboards but not day trips.

Great to see Tucson on the board

AZ