Buddy Dive - bad attitude?

[hmarashi]

Unless your buddy weighs something like close to 400lbs I find it difficult to see why 24 lbs is required.Perhaps Irene was more concerned about your friends safety..Scare's the crap out of me when someone wants to use that much lead in a 3mm full suit if I am working the dive and I would be hard pressed to allow it.Hell I am 6' and weigh 170lbs and use 10-12 lbs in a 3mm with a 3mm hooded vest with a alum 63 tank on Bonaire..

You are a smaller frame person and and more than likely have a few more dives than the OP and his buddy. congrats on using so little weight.
I, on the other hand, am 6'3" and weigh 300lbs and use 22-24lbs in a full 3mm diving a steel hp100. When I dive a hooded 8 mil, I use 36lbs.
Doesn't matter what the boat staff think is too little or too much weight. If they haven't seen the diver in the water, they shouldn't not be bringing attitude when questioning the diver.
I personally would have issues with anyone giving attitude, especially if I am paying them for a service.
You can ask questions and make suggestions without being rude.
Granted, we are hearing one side of the story, but if I was the operator of this service, I would make sure that none of my customers even perceived a bad attitude from any of my employees.

 

[DiverVince]

We have always found the staff at BD to be friendly & accommodating. Sorry this was not your perception. Whenever I read a posting as yours, I often wonder what the other party's version might be. Those folks who work in the dive industry, constantly lifting tanks, doing repair work, dealing with tourists day in and out and all for minimal wages because they love the sport and are protective of the reef.

There are many many easy shore dives on Bonaire and would suggest this is the route you should take. If your bodies are really as broken down as you indicate, is it a possibility that you really should not even be diving? As far as it being an expensive sport, I do agree with you on this. It certainly is, but Bonaire offers some of the best values in the western hemisphere.

 

[miketsp]

Irene was very condescending when my dive buddy asked for 24 pounds of lead. Her attitude was that he couldn't possibly take that much lead ..../QUOTE]

Was your dive buddy wearing a 7mm full suit? Or was he/she picking up lead for 3 or 4 divers? ....?

Unless your buddy weighs something like close to 400lbs I find it difficult to see why 24 lbs is required.

There is nothing guaranteed to irritate me more than a crew member that thinks he knows how much weight I need just by looking at me when I know exactly what I need for each configuration I dive after hundreds of dives and dozens of weight checks.

I'm not overweight (77kg/170lb and 1m77cm/5'10'') but I need 4.5kg(10lb) just to go snorkeling in a t-shirt with no neoprene, 9kg(20lb) in my 3mm long with a 2mm vest, 12kg(26lb) in my 5mm and 15kg(33lb) in my 7mm semi-dry. That's just the way it is.

 

[herbdb]

Well Oly5050user, Of course they will suck up to you, you can send them business. Broken down bodies? Quit diving because you want a pleasant experience and can't get it at a certain provider?

Here's a better idea, find another place to stay. I am next door at Capt Don's right now. Everyone here is helpful and pleasant, even to a 65 year old with two artificial hips.

Thank God that diving isn't just something to be enjoyed by the young and fit.

 

[oly5050user]

There is nothing guaranteed to irritate me more than a crew member that thinks he knows how much weight I need just by looking at me when I know exactly what I need for each configuration I dive after hundreds of dives and dozens of weight checks.

I'm not overweight (77kg/170lb and 1m77cm/5'10'') but I need 4.5kg(10lb) just to go snorkeling in a t-shirt with no neoprene, 9kg(20lb) in my 3mm long with a 2mm vest, 12kg(26lb) in my 5mm and 15kg(33lb) in my 7mm semi-dry. That's just the way it is.

If that is truly what you need then that is it..BUT after doing too many refreshers for customers that I care to count,I find most use way too much lead.After 1 session I have them very often half the weigh they started out with. One customer stood out from the rest.He insisted on using 22 lbs in a 3mm shorty,in fresh water.His bcd barely kept his head out of the water..Got him to dive with 6 lbs in salt water and none in fresh.. and he now wonders why after all the YEARS of diving he always used so much lead.He found his air consumption dropped dramatically also,and barely has to add any air to bcd at depth.He sits on surface easier and higher out of the water.You are close to my size,Should use close to same amount of lead. In a NEW 5mm I use 14-16lbs..In a DUI cf200 drysuit with 400 gram insulate undergarment in salt water with a hp 80 tank I use 24lbs.Alum 80 tank I use 28lbs.To me,there is too much of a lead requirement difference between us to claim that is what you need.But if that is what you need ,then that is what need.

 

[oly5050user]

Well Oly5050user, Of course they will suck up to you, you can send them business. Broken down bodies? Quit diving because you want a pleasant experience and can't get it at a certain provider?

Here's a better idea, find another place to stay. I am next door at Capt Don's right now. Everyone here is helpful and pleasant, even to a 65 year old with two artificial hips.

Thank God that diving isn't just something to be enjoyed by the young and fit.

Nope, no suck up here,was friends with Augusto at Buddys before he was dive op manager..Habitat was my 1st choice for years, a good friend of mine from NY worked there for years and when he returned to USA was stateside booking agent for them. After Don S. pretty much left operation I switched. I find attitude at Habitat when I visit ..Gee ,habitat charges $5. for a visitor to dive off their dock,no charge at Buddy.Now where is the attitude? Watch out for Chris (if I remember his name correctly)his attitude changes at the drop of a hat there. Diving for fit and young? I think not,I am 60yo and dove all last week in Coz with a 75 yr old from and his wife.We were always first off the boat and last back on..

 

[tridacna]

Watch out for Chris (if I remember his name correctly)his attitude changes at the drop of a hat there. .

Actually his attitude ALWAYS sucks. One of the reasons I will never go back to CD. It's ALL about attitude. This is a service business. A cheery attitude goes a long way toward making a good vacation. A rotten one will damage reputation and help people decide against the resort. After hearing negative service stories, why take a chance going there? Lots of other operators on Bonaire.

 

[designbysue]

.
I do not understand this statement.You claim to have been using nitrox. You are responsible for checking your mix and logging it on the clip board with what % it is and the mod and pressure.So at that point you know if it is full or not.Getting 29%instead of 32% will not appreciably shorten your dive.If upset about it just analyze a different tank.Buddy Dive uses a membrane system to create nitrox and depending on many factors % can vary.No big deal.Thats why YOU analyze it. Then if boat diving you put your name on the tank with a piece of tape and it gets placed by you on the dock next to the boat that you are on.The crew then loads it.So how do you blame the crew for low pressure tanks if you are the one responsible for checking it??

The system at buddy has changed - they load the tanks and when you are under way you check the nitrox and pressure. Yes my statement would not make sense if it were the way it used to be where you prepared your tank on land.

.No mask defog on the boat? That is not the responsibility of the crew,it is yours,Remember to keep some in a mesh bag that you use to transport your gear or use spit. Buddy Dive resort is a place that you are responsible for your dive.No one else is.You plan your dive and dive YOUR plan. If you require a dive location that holds your hand then either ask for a private DM and pay for it or go to a location that provides that type of service.

I was just using this as an example of the missing conveniences. (I carry my own "spit"). I was just surprised to see these missing as I thought they were on the boats when we dove with Buddy before. I was definitely not asking for hand holding and I don't think my original post said that I was.

Want to boat dive? Then sign up on a board for a boat that has space early in the day. Boats are expensive to run and are on a schedule and have a limited number of spaces it can take.
Also I know Augusto and his family personally and consider them not only friends, but part of our family. He works hard to ensure with his crew to ensure your dive vacation is trouble free. English is not his first language and you may have merely misunderstood him.

I was just asking if others had experienced the attitude. I understand that the dive staff has to deal with many different types of people, I do every day in my own business. But I take every person as an individual and don't assume before they have even said a word that what they are about to say doesn't have any merit or assume that they are less than my equal.

And in response to your question about what the staff were doing at the time we asked our questions: When we were getting our weights, we walked up to the weight window and Irene was talking to 2 other people and the conversation went on for an extended period. We were not acknowledged and I started to believe maybe the window wasn't opened yet. After the others walked away, Irene walked to the back of the office for a few moments before coming back and acknowledging us. (Convincing me even more the window was not open for business yet) We did not make an issue of this wait, in fact neither of us said anything other than my dive buddy saying "I would like 24 # of lead."

When I asked about the 2 tank dive, none of the 5 appeared to be doing anything. I originally asked one person, the 2nd picked up on it, then the 3rd etc. I didn't even involve them, they joined in the fray. What I was trying to do was give Buddy more business by trying to plan how many more boat dives we could get in before wh had to stop diving.

The exchange with Augusto, he was talking to a couple of my group when one of them called me over. I had not even said anything to him at all!

Oly, you seem to be very defensive, sort of the feeling I was picking up from the staff at Buddy. All I am saying is that my group and I, along with a number of other guests noticed this change in attitude from previous trips to Bonaire and Buddy Dive. The staff doesn't take you as an individual and allow you to prove yourself a good diver or an idiot. They just seemed to assume everyone was an idiot.

 

[gypsyjim]

I too have had resort ops look cross eyed when I asked for weight a few times. I did not let anyone dictate what weight I am using, but their questioning did motivated me to see just how much weight I could drop, and still control my buoyancy at all times. An on going experiment, and challenge I enjoy, as I dive quite a few different rigs and conditions.

Two weeks ago, using my new 3mil full wetsuit fir the first time on Coz, I tried diving with 12 pounds (6 lbs plate, and 6 on a belt). I could get down, with just a bit of a kick, but had some difficulty controlling my safety stop with the 80 at 500 lbs. Added 2 lbs, and the rest of the week was great.
I am just under 6ft and 215lbs, and the only time I need over 20lbs of lead is diving dry in AL 80's, for diving in layers of thicker wet suit and vest combos, but we are all different, and I too get irritated when any op starts acting like they know more about my needs and my desires than I do.

Hope BD is not having issue, as we will be staying there again this June (although no boat diving is planned) We still interact with the staff, who have always leaned over backward to be helpful. We don't do boat dive much on Bonaire, because the freedom to avoid cattle boats, herd diving and DM chauffeurs is a great part of what sets Boanire apart from everywhere else we dive.

Sometimes BS in the upper food chain of a resort is reflected in the attitude of the staff. ????

 

[boulderjohn]

Well Oly5050user, Of course they will suck up to you, you can send them business. Broken down bodies? Quit diving because you want a pleasant experience and can't get it at a certain provider?

Here's a better idea, find another place to stay. I am next door at Capt Don's right now. Everyone here is helpful and pleasant, even to a 65 year old with two artificial hips.

Thank God that diving isn't just something to be enjoyed by the young and fit.

Actually his attitude ALWAYS sucks. One of the reasons I will never go back to CD. It's ALL about attitude. This is a service business. A cheery attitude goes a long way toward making a good vacation. A rotten one will damage reputation and help people decide against the resort. After hearing negative service stories, why take a chance going there? Lots of other operators on Bonaire.

So here we see the problem. One person says that the attitude at an operator (Captain Don's) is great, and another person says it sucks. This brings me to an overall comment on the topic of this thread.

I have only been to Bonaire once, years ago, and I stayed at Captain Don's. Captain Don himself was there for a while, but he had sold and was no longer involved. I had the same feeling about the service (and Chris) that has been expressed here. I thought they had a terrible attitude and determined that I would never go back there. Then I came upon a thread here on ScubaBoard in which the OP made a statement about Captain Don's (and Chris) that was similar to this thread. There followed a rush of comments in agreement. I see from this thread that things apparently haven't changed.

I think that thread did a great service. Once a flood of people came on board with similar comments, I am sure any reader considering using that operator was properly warned. I would have hoped that it would come to the attention of the management as well. We will see how things progress on this thread. If this is a problem that is pretty unique, we will soon know from the responses that come.

Yes, there are snotty tourists who make life Hell for operators. If you are in the service industry, though, you need to learn how to deal with that effectively. If I were an operator and people were complaining about getting 28% nitrox and partially filled tanks on dives, I would take those concerns very seriously. If it were happening consistently, I would make make darn sure the people doing the filling heard about it. I would be checking tank pressures and mixes to make sure they were OK before. I certainly would not just tell the the paying customer who is expecting full tanks and 32% that it isn't my fault and walk away. I would expect complaints, and I would make sure my staff can deal with them. It isn't hard. As a customer, I would perceive the failure to attend to such things as a red flag.