Dive Boat "pros"~ what is their role?

[InTheDrink]

In terms of 'I want' I think what needs to be agreed is the minimum. If that is an agreed standard then there's much less room for confusion. If the service is better then brilliant.

But it does appear to me that the system is broken as no-one from novice to pro to guru can tell us consistently and reliably what the standard is. That means there is no real standard.

 

[RikRaeder]

...Out of the thousands of divers I've gone through this with only a couple have demanded not to let anybody else set up their gear, and that was just a symptom IMHO.

Could be true in many situations, but I often dive with Japanese shops (they don`t tip nor expect one but I usually buy them dinner or some beers). I sometimes dive in the Philippines (get on the boat, put your arms out and be draped in your gear like a monarch and they`d probabably even lower you into the water and breath for you if you asked) where tipping is about the price of a beer back home; not really a bankbreaker.
Still, I do monitor carefully the opening of both my own and my gf`s valve and usually double check for myself what with my gf once having been given the go with a closed tank valve (which she caught, good girl!). I can understand people wanting to be independent regarding their gear (I`ve seen over-independant types too; 'anyone puts their meathooks on my gear...I kill you') and while I`m sure that some might just be avoiding service I can understand if someone wants to do it themselves.
For those of you 'keep your wallet in your car....I don't work for tips' types...glad to see that there are some professionals out there.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

In terms of 'I want' I think what needs to be agreed is the minimum. If that is an agreed standard then there's much less room for confusion. If the service is better then brilliant.

But it does appear to me that the system is broken as no-one from novice to pro to guru can tell us consistently and reliably what the standard is. That means there is no real standard.

Why do we need to agree? Has the world agreed on the particulars of a cup of coffee? Is there a worldwide standard for human mating rituals? Do we need to agree that evolution is the only answer?

If you want it all to be the same as your local dive boat, don't go anywhere else to dive! Things are different in different places. Boat operators are different from each other, even in the same place. I worked as a Guide on a Key Largo boat that always put a guide in the water!

There have been some very inflexible posts in this thread, so much so that Thal now seems like a contortionist in my eyes!

 

[InTheDrink]

If you're talking about standards then inflexibility is a characteristic of that.

I'm not a big fan - be sure of that - but if you're going to call something a standard, then be sure you know what that standard is. Doesn't seem like anyone here can agree on it so in my mind there is none. Which is fine.

Who's going to update the next print run?