Buddy Dive - bad attitude?

[boulderjohn]

In tropical diving, I need 26 pounds of lead. Not 25 lbs, not 24 lbs, I need 26 lbs. I prefer to think this doesn't make me an incompetent diver.

Maybe not. But it does make you either a drysuit diver or an overweighted diver.

So if James is not wearing a dry suit he must be overweighted? How much more training and experience do you think it will take for him to get his weighting correct?

I have decided to answer my own question.

James does not have a lot of information in his profile, so I suppose a lot of readers don't know who he is. I know for sure that he is not going to respond, so I will fill in what is apparently missing information.

James is a highly regarded dive professional with a national reputation and more experience than I will ever have. He co-authored the article that some of us published in the PADI professional journal regarding teaching buoyancy. When he says something about diving, he has my rapt attention. He does not use a dry suit in tropical diving, and he needs 26 pounds. He is not obese, and he is not overweighted.

 

[Mossman]

I have decided to answer my own question.

James does not have a lot of information in his profile, so I suppose a lot of readers don't know who he is. I know for sure that he is not going to respond, so I will fill in what is apparently missing information.

James is a highly regarded dive professional with a national reputation and more experience than I will ever have. He co-authored the article that some of us published in the PADI professional journal regarding teaching buoyancy. When he says something about diving, he has my rapt attention. He does not use a dry suit in tropical diving, and he needs 26 pounds. He is not obese, and he is not overweighted.

So how would James explain why he defies the laws of physics by needing 26 lbs for tropical diving, assuming my earlier assumption of buoyant prosthetics isn't correct? An extremely buoyant camera? Elevator booties with 6" foam rubber heels? Three lungs?

 

[Mike]

So how would James explain why he defies the laws of physics by needing 26 lbs for tropical diving, assuming my earlier assumption of buoyant prosthetics isn't correct? An extremely buoyant camera? Elevator booties with 6" foam rubber heels? Three lungs?

Does he really need to explain it? It's the way he is, really nothing to explain, nor anyone deserving an explanation, just there is a need for others to understand that it exists and accept it. No different then excepting someone has red hair while another might have blond. People just need to educate themselves that there is more to buoyancy then running down a check list of salt water vs fresh, 5 mil vs 3 mil... there is an x-factor involved, the personal physiology of the individual. Dive masters of all people should be on the front lines of this understanding since they are dealing with it on a daily basis.

I too have an opinion on the subject.

1) The operator is in the service industry, nothing more, nothing less. The employees must learn how to deal with all sorts of people, both competent, incompetent and diver's with and without attitudes.
2) The employees need to learn to question people in a positive, non-threatening manner if they suspect a potential problem. This would be one of the key issues in this particular situation. This was poor customer service and no matter how frustrated they were, they need to learn how to handle it or find another career. They just lost a customer over this "attitude" and several more by the looks of the other posts. You have to know how to read people and respond/question them in such a way that it is a positive experience. It can be done. So in my opinion this was purely poor customer service.
3) Why bust someone because they mentioned there was no mask defog? We are traveling and have a lot to pack. Mask defog is an industry standard to be on a boat. Some even use watered down baby shampoo in a spray bottle. This is a legitimate complaint. You can spit in your mask all you want but I am aware of several people who ended up with pinkeye due to the bacteria in their mouth. Again, customer service.

In the end, this operator will lose many potential customers due to the fact that several people agreed with and confirmed they had similar experiences. So the market will take care of itself. You can defend this poor customer service with attitude, call us yankees, whatever you want. The bottom line is that this operator will not benefit as well as those with good customer service who provide a positive experience. After all, the customers are the ones with the money that the operators need.

Boy you're so right.

You know, after being in business and being a student of businesses for my entire life, it's weird how easy it is for me to visit a business and within just a short time I can basically predict the future of that business. We joke about businesses that are just waiting for their lease to run out before they close the doors, or businesses that the owners have obviously checked out of and are allowing the inmates to run the asylum, the same owners who no doubt are probably frustrated and confused why their business is failing, the same ones who only visit their business to collect the money at the end of the day.

Customer service can make a crappy business successful or destroy a good business. It's always been a powerful force, but today with information and reviews so readily available on google maps, yelp etc... customer service is now undeniably one of if not the most powerful influences on a businesses future success.

And one thing has never changed, and that's that employees reflect the owner's mentality.A small business will take on the personality of the owner. The employees will mimic and create a culture based on the owner's personality and business philosophy, and that's what gets picked up by the customers. Customers feel the vibe. All businesses eventually succeed or fail from the top down. Employees with bad attitudes can't survive for long in a company that cares, someone above them quickly figures them out and either tries to help them come around or cuts them lose. If Irene and her bad ego sticks around, its a bad sign for Buddy Dive, it's a sign that there are bigger problems with them.

 

[gypsyjim]

When I hear someone stating that overweighting will always grossly effect one's efficiency and control U/W I think of many Instructors and DM's that I have seen, who will suddenly stop, and donate weights to students or fellow divers who are struggling, and then continue their dive un-effected by that loss of lead. Even having suddenly shed 4 to 6# of lead, these folks continue to dive in total mastery of their buoyancy.

And as for efficiency, I WISH that my SAC rate could come 1/2 way down to what theirs is, even when they obviously dive regularly well overweighted so they can help other divers.

If anyone thinks some of the Dutch can show an attitude toward Americans, stop strangers on the street and ask directions in English in Quebec or Paris sometime.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I've found lots of Dutch people can seem stand-offish until they've had a few beers in them. Maybe BD needs a policy of breakfast beers for its staff?

Like I said in one of my posts, I had a run in with the woman at BDA my first time there. She and I bumped heads (she is Dutch and I am stubborn ) for the week. I went back the following year and she and I were downright civil and friendly. It seems that she and I just got off on the wrong foot and we both helped it to stay that way. These things are not always ONE sided. It usually takes two IMO.....one to somehow initiate and 2 to carry forward. I am not going to portray her as an angry person. At the time I figured she was a nasty woman but that right there is an example of how I am sure I added fuel to the fire.

Sometimes people are caught off guard, are thinking two things and mix up what they say.......there are too many possible explanations.

 

[adurso]

Nope - this was not a language issue. All involved had a full command of the language.

Then they were French......or Canadian.....

 

[designbysue]

So what explanation are you willing to accept as a possibility or are you just hell bent on making her out to be a bitch? I thought all you wanted to know was if others had seen any issues with service at BD....you seem awfully quick to cast stones so I am starting to wonder what your intentions really are. You have no way of knowing what Irene's English capabilities are with 100% certainty which is what your post clearly states.

I never said she was a bitch and I am not hell bent on that and I am not casting stones. Please read previous posts before jumping to conclusions. Yes my original intention was and still is, to find out what others had seen and I have done my best to stick to that subject. But there are others who have been pulling this original question apart 20 ways to Sunday. It has not been me that has pulled off subject but I do feel I have a right to state "my opinion" when it is pulled away (so much like everyone else here - why should I be different?) I had other interactions with Irene (only one of which I have referred to previously) and "it is my opinion" that that language is not the issue. I guess that was my error - I forgot to state "In my opinion, language was not the problem." But so should everyone else posting here be stating "in my opinion". Please stop being so quick to cast stones yourself.

Like I said in one of my posts, I had a run in with the woman at BDA my first time there. She and I bumped heads (she is Dutch and I am stubborn

) for the week. I went back the following year and she and I were downright civil and friendly. It seems that she and I just got off on the wrong foot and we both helped it to stay that way. These things are not always ONE sided. It usually takes two IMO.....one to somehow initiate and 2 to carry forward. I am not going to portray her as an angry person. At the time I figured she was a nasty woman but that right there is an example of how I am sure I added fuel to the fire.

My buddy's "bumping heads" lasted only during the short exchange over the weights - as I have posted when we saw each other later we were joking with her. This was not a week long, nor year long issued for us. Seems you might have an attitude problem that you are assuming we have "in my opinion."

 

[Mossman]

Like I said in one of my posts, I had a run in with the woman at BDA my first time there. She and I bumped heads (she is Dutch and I am stubborn ) for the week. I went back the following year and she and I were downright civil and friendly. It seems that she and I just got off on the wrong foot and we both helped it to stay that way. These things are not always ONE sided. It usually takes two IMO.....one to somehow initiate and 2 to carry forward. I am not going to portray her as an angry person. At the time I figured she was a nasty woman but that right there is an example of how I am sure I added fuel to the fire.

Sometimes people are caught off guard, are thinking two things and mix up what they say.......there are too many possible explanations.

I've actually chatted with Andre at BDA once when he was very friendly. Must have caught him on a off day!

The lady in the office at Den Laman our second time there (not Sylvia, but the lady who replaced her) was sort of rude to my ears the entire time. On the next visit, after J broke her ankle and couldn't make it up the stairs, she was as nice and caring as can be. Speaking of Sylvia, she wasn't very friendly on our first visit, but when we ran into her at a restaurant the next visit, she and her boyfriend joined our table and we had lots of fun.

I also forget the name of the lady who runs the dive shop at Capt. Don's. She was quite the, well, let's just call her somewhat unfriendly when I stayed there on my very first trip to the island. On a later trip, staying elsewhere, we were canvassing dive shops to see if we could find ScubaPro weight pockets for J's BC since someone (oops!) had forgotten to pack them. Same lady, same attitude. However, on our last trip, when we relocated to Capt. Don's as one of the only accessible ground floor rooms we could find for the rest of the week at the last minute, I ended up playing volleyball with her and other staff every day and hung out at the pool with them after-hours, and we chatted like old friends. (Got to know Moogie too, and he even devoted a song to J when he played his night at Capt. Don's. Her leg cast and wheelchair made a great conversation piece!)

It's not just the Dutch (so much for my beer theory) but ex-pat Americans too, as my example of Capt. Don's dive shop manager above. I also met "Wild Side" Larry once over many beers, but the next time I ran into him he was very curt. And Brits too, speaking of Kurt! (Sunset Grill, ex-Lion's Dive Restaurant) Yet another Bonairean ex-pat who can run hot or cold. And I could go on and on.

So I just go with the flow. If they're friendly, I'm friendly. If not, no hard feelings, we'll be friendly tomorrow instead.

 

[Mossman]

Does he really need to explain it? It's the way he is, really nothing to explain, nor anyone deserving an explanation, just there is a need for others to understand that it exists and accept it. No different then excepting someone has red hair while another might have blond. People just need to educate themselves that there is more to buoyancy then running down a check list of salt water vs fresh, 5 mil vs 3 mil... there is an x-factor involved, the personal physiology of the individual. Dive masters of all people should be on the front lines of this understanding since they are dealing with it on a daily basis.

I'll agree with your statement if you substitute "personal preference" for "personal physiology". Unless one is an alien-human hybrid or a scuba diving canine, most divers I know are human. Human physiology is what it is, it's why doctors can treat us all in a similar manner. Sure, there are variations caused by unusual conditions, and obviously body weight and density and proportions can vary, which is why doctors can vary medication dosage based on those factors just as a fat person will need more weight than a skinny. But I don't know of any unusual condition that would require a normally proportioned male human to require more than double the normal weight. What could possibly make a human twice as buoyant as another of the same proportions? Could he have alien muscle tissue that is actually filled with helium? Oil-like alien blood that is lighter than water? I just don't get it. There is no X factor, unless you're talking X-files. And if I were an alien, forget about all this SCUBA stuff, I'd simply use my gills.

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EDIT: I have since communicated with James (those alien telepathy devices are sure cool!) and I am convinced that he knows what he is doing in his case. Why, I can't say, as I'm sworn to secrecy about the reasons just like I can't say anything about Area 51. But I take back all my alien comments and I apologize for berating the poor guy, who thankfully must have a good sense of humor since he was perfectly nice, unlike that mean old Irene.

So pretend the Men in Black were here and forget all about it :shocked2:

 

[ScubaSteve]

Trust me Sue, I have read your posts because in some ways I have actually defended you. However, when it starts to look like there actually is a vendetta, my position changes. If you say there is no vendetta, then in theory, that is fine.

My buddy's "bumping heads" lasted only during the short exchange over the weights - as I have posted when we saw each other later we were joking with her. This was not a week long, nor year long issued for us. Seems you might have an attitude problem that you are assuming we have "in my opinion."

I will start out by apologizing because I missed the post (or part of) that said this was a single incident, short lived and everybody was friends afterward. One small infraction and this is your approach. OK. 'nuff said.

Oh and BTW, it is true....I have an attitude. Some people bring it out more than others though.