Caution Diving the Riviera out of Dana Point Harbor CA

[Captain Ray]

The rolling tanks issue was on a private boat. When on any boat, private or commercial the Captain and crew make the rules. Their job is to taxi divers to the site, fill tanks and return the divers safely to port. They are not there to cater to anyone. You did the right thing by leaving. I'm sure that made the trip much more enjoyable for the crew and the other passengers. Every boat is different, but if you plan to dive from a commercial boat you need to put your big boy wetsuit on and follow their rules.

Wow again, hell must have frozen over, I find myself in full agreement with Phil. He is absolutely on point, the time is coming when commercial recreational dive charter vessels in Southern California will go the way of the DoDo bird. A sad day, but an impending one.

 

[drbill]

Wow again, hell must have frozen over, I find myself in full agreement with Phil. He is absolutely on point, the time is coming when commercial recreational dive charter vessels in Southern California will go the way of the DoDo bird. A sad day, but an impending one.

I sure hope not, Ray. Although I don't use mainland boats often, I like the access they provide to other islands. The only "upside" I see is that if mainland boats cease to exist, more divers will take the Catalina Express over to the island and dive here... but then the cost of doing so is already greater than taking a mainland dive boat to the island given the expense of RT fare, parking, air fills, food, etc. here.

 

[fnfalman]

I simply don't see the days of commercial dive boat charters go the way of the do do birds. I wasn't diving 30-years ago so I don't know how it was back in the days, but from what I've been told by the old timers there were more people diving locally back then. While that may be true, there are still plenty of people (non-students) diving local charters. It may come to the point where some possibly many charters will fold and the most popular ones will remain.

In the past seven years I've dived pretty much on every boat between Ventura and LA. I've funneled my selection down to four boats that I prefer to go out on. I'm sure that others will do the same.

So, yes, earning business will be tougher, but it's still do-able for the entrepeneurs.

---------- Post added May 29th, 2014 at 08:31 AM ----------

I agree that if the OP represented what the crew said accurately that their response did not seem called for. I wasn't there so I have no clue as to how the exchange actually went.

Nor was I there either. However, I've had a couple of boat crews/captains said similar things to me and I am no longer a patron of their charters.

I'm not going to convict the Riviera's management because of one post on the internet without hearing the Riviera's side. Yet at the same time, I won't put up or ask others to put up with poor customer relations either.

 

[Power Scuba]

In this case the OPs expectations weren't managed properly at all...

Frank, no disrespect to the OP, but we only have his side of this. In my experience, an ax-grinding post isn't always the most objective.

Bill

 

[Wookie]

Frank, no disrespect to the OP, but we only have his side of this. In my experience, an ax-grinding post isn't always the most objective.

Bill

Sorry, Bill, and no disrespect to the dive operator is meant. My point was, if the OP expected 2 tank racks at each gear station, his expectations weren't met. This is a terrible problem for me, as we have a ton of information on our website, but not all read it. Folks show up with 2 cylinders and we make them leave one in the car. Even though we make the information available, if they don't read it, we have failed to meet their expectations. Then they show me their ass (we bring 2 cylinders on all of our boats, we don't want to leave one in the car". Then I work very hard not to show my ass. Sometimes are better than others.

 

[Lopez116]

Slightly off topic - I just wish our boats were faster!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

 

[covediver]

Wow. Looks like mainediver got dogpiled for expressing his opinion and exercising his judgement.

He did the right thing. Ultimately, we are responsible for our own diving safety, that includes our opinion of the boat operation. If you think it is unsafe, get off the boat.

I am surprised the boat does not have enough tie downs. I don't recall every seein that on a socal dive boat, but after 30 years and more than a thousand dives, the memory fades. Securing bags in place works until somone moves the bag and pulls on the tank just as the boat rolls. I have seen that. When I worked diveboats, many a time I kept a diver from getting a fractured skull as the person next to them threw ther tank on over their head ala "Sea Hunt" even though the skipper requested in the briefing that divers not do that.

The bed of my old pickup truck shows the efficacy of tanks held in place by bags.

Twenty years ago I got off a still-operating dive boat in Ventura, swearing that I would never patronize them again because of what I considered an unwarranted and unsafe "live boat" pickup. I never went out on that boat again and found competing boats more to my liking. I am happier for my decision and the boat operator doesn't seem any worse off for my decision. A win-win all around.