Cape Ann Divers :(

[AfterDark]

Seems the way to go is to "test" customers in an attempt to determine their competency.
I would be willing to pay for and do a test dive for that purpose. The last thing a diver of 40+years and thousands of dives wants to hear is you can't do this dive because you don't have a card! I went and a bought an AOW card, but these days I don't have the funds for charters, so for me it's a moot point anyway.

I doubt that not having Afterdark (or me for that matter) on their boat made a difference. AOW is pretty low bar expectation for entry onto a charter.
However we don't know how many more like us couldn't / didn't go diving with them. AOW may indeed be a low bar but it is not low cost.

 

[CT-Rich]

I agree AOW is not the best measure of competency. But the number of people diving for 30 years and don’t have an advanced certification is probably pretty small.

What they pay the insurance company was probably a much more significant number. And it only takes one good bullish!tter talking his way onto a boat to really mess things up. They may had one already and vowed never again...

 

[scubadada]

I agree AOW is not the best measure of competency. But the number of people diving for 30 years and don’t have an advanced certification is probably pretty small.

What they pay the insurance company was probably a much more significant number. And it only takes one good bullish!tter talking his way onto a boat to really mess things up. They may had one already and vowed never again...

Divers never lie

 

[AfterDark]

Divers never lie

Good divers don't need to lie.

 

[CT-Rich]

Divers never lie

Good divers don't need to lie.

they aren't trying to keep good divers off their boat, they are trying to keep ****** divers off their boat.

 

[AfterDark]

they aren't trying to keep good divers off their boat, they are trying to keep ****** divers off their boat.

Well they did both evidently. Just how does an AOW card do that? There is already agreement that AOW card is almost meaningless. A shake down/trial dive would be much more effective at accomplishing that, than some card.

You meant they were trying to keep ********* off their boat; not they are trying to do that currently, that was in the past.

 

[Scuba-74]

There is already agreement that AOW card is almost meaningless. A shake down/trial dive would be much more effective at accomplishing that, than some card.

So you suggest a "shake down/trial dive" with every new dive operator you plan to dive with? Hardly seems like the most efficient or the most cost effective option to me. I dove with 3 operators this year alone, all as part of short day or weekend trips in their respective areas. With CAD gone, I'll probably have to try at least a couple new ones next year. Having to do a trial dive with each of them doesn't sound like a viable option.

I agree with the concept of a trial dive for some dives that are pushing the limits of recreational diving. Like that U-boat off of Block Island. No one will take me there with just my AOW card, and rightly so. But I sure don't want to go through a lengthy discussions and especially do a trial dive with every shop I want to go below 60 feet with.

 

[AfterDark]

So you suggest a "shake down/trial dive" with every new dive operator you plan to dive with? Hardly seems like the most efficient or the most cost effective option to me. I dove with 3 operators this year alone, all as part of short day or weekend trips in their respective areas. With CAD gone, I'll probably have to try at least a couple new ones next year. Having to do a trial dive with each of them doesn't sound like a viable option.

I agree with the concept of a trial dive for some dives that are pushing the limits of recreational diving. Like that U-boat off of Block Island. No one will take me there with just my AOW card, and rightly so. But I sure don't want to go through a lengthy discussions and especially do a trial dive with every shop I want to go below 60 feet with.

Yes I do suggest it as an option for some, and it would be more effective than some AOW card, maybe not convenient for you, but for others it could work. After 40+years and more than 2000 dives I can count the number of dive charters I've used on one hand. For me to pay for a trial / test dive would be no great burden. Besides its another dive!

You are misinformed about the U853, an AOW card is all that is required in the way of certification to dive it from a charter.

I've been diving the sub from private boats since the 1980's when it still had teak decking, it's a pretty easy dive. Even going thru the sub isn't a big deal. The 2 ends are blown open and it's a straight line down the main passageway. Silt and getting hung up are the 2 most dangerous situations in the sub. Outside the sub it's just a 120FSW dive. Divers still find artifacts in the sand around the sub. A guy I know found a brass whistle in the sand a couple of years ago. If you would like to dive the U853 contact GiantStride Dive Shop they have charters going out there all summer. last time I checked it was $140.00 for 2 dives. More than I can spend but evidently you go on a lot of charters.

 

[Scuba-74]

After 40+years and more than 2000 dives I can count the number of dive charters I've used on one hand.

I bet this kind of ratio of number of dives to number of shops is very, very far from typical, but I'm new to this so I might be wrong. With these numbers, test dives would work very well, I agree.

You are misinformed about the U853, an AOW card is all that is required in the way of certification to dive it from a charter.

I've been diving the sub from private boats since the 1980's when it still had teak decking, it's a pretty easy dive. Even going thru the sub isn't a big deal. The 2 ends are blown open and it's a straight line down the main passageway. Silt and getting hung up are the 2 most dangerous situations in the sub. Outside the sub it's just a 120FSW dive. Divers still find artifacts in the sand around the sub. A guy I know found a brass whistle in the sand a couple of years ago. If you would like to dive the U853 contact GiantStride Dive Shop they have charters going out there all summer. last time I checked it was $140.00 for 2 dives. More than I can spend but evidently you go on a lot of charters.

Thanks for sharing info on U853, it's cool stuff. Looking forward to making that dive one day. Notice that I didn't say additional requirements were in the way of certification. The requirement I've seen was having a 100FSW dive in cold water within the past 12 month, which is essentially the "test dive" you suggest. Had I showed up with just my AOW I got in Jamaica, I would have been denied a dive.

I understand that it's not an overly difficult dive, but it will require some extra prep including arrangements to rent a doubles setup. I would also prefer to put a few more deep north atlantic dives under my belt to get the most from the experience.

More than I can spend but evidently you go on a lot of charters.

Yet you suggest paying for an extra dive right off the bat Not that I go on a lot of charters, more like trying to sample different kinds of diving by using charter operations in different areas. While I dove with three shops in 2017 (CAD and two freshwater shops), it amounted to only 4 boat trips, 8 dives total.

 

[AfterDark]

When one considers the number of times I use a charter paying for a test dive would be cheaper than the cost of the AOW card. Since I got the card I've used one charter boat. The card cost me $300.00 a test dive would be maybe $60.00 I'd still be ahead. Also one test dive per charter op is all that should be nessarcy.

You don't need doubles to dive the sub a large HP tank and a pony bottle will do. Some would say they need helium to dive more than 100FSW! You only have 15 minutes BT anyway, unless you plan a decompression dive.
I would recommend a large HP tank, pony, a light, and whatever other safety equipment you use, a whistle, SMB....etc.
Cold water diving IMO is a skill onto its self. I know after diving NE, diving other places seems like a "walk in the park". If you're ever interested in shore diving in RI contact me.