Dive called with 1000psi left?

[fnfalman]

Dive without DM = problem solved.

 

[vladimir]

A lot of you are missing the point. If the captain has to be back at the dock to get ready for the next trip out at, say, one pm he has to turn the boat in time to get there and get set up. In this case you might have to limit the time in the water to 40-45 minutres. If you can't give up five minutes of your time on a charter then you should go buy your own boat.

Or dive on a different boat. I don't mind giving up 5 minutes of my time, as long as it's not 5 minutes of my dive time, which in this case would be equivalent to a 12.5% price increase in the service he paid for.

 

[Reg Braithwaite]

I only have 72 dives as of now, so I certainly may have missed all the bad apples out there. But so far, what I've seen are two kinds of boat dives. One is where you are paying to be ferried to and from the dive site and you are responsible for yourself and for following the captain's instructions for returning to the boat (navigation is a major consideration on certain drift dives).

The other is a guided dive where there are one or more DMs. By default, the DMs want to keep the group loosely together. However, I have witnessed more free-spirited divers negotiating their own arrangements with the DMs so they can stay longer, get in the water five or even ten minutes ahead of the group, go off on their own, or whatever. The DMs I've seen so far seem to be okay with this when divers are clear about what they want to do.

YMMV...

 

[vladimir]

However, I have witnessed more free-spirited divers negotiating their own arrangements with the DMs so they can stay longer, get in the water five or even ten minutes ahead of the group, go off on their own, or whatever. The DMs I've seen so far seem to be okay with this when divers are clear about what they want to do.

Yes, if they are confident that you are competent enough to return alive. Once a dive operator gains a comfort level with a diver, they tend to allow more leeway.

 

[Reg Braithwaite]

Yes, if they are confident that you are a competent enough to return alive. Once a dive operator gains a comfort level with a diver, they tend to allow more leeway.

That's why guys like me like to flash our "Certified Cyber-Diver" card... Then you slip overboard while the DM is doubled over laughing and do your own thing...

 

[Captain Larry]

I don't know who limits the dives down here to 45 minutes but I have a guess. Most of us run one hour dives times.
We expect you to plan your dive profile if you are a certified diver. We also don't usually send in a dive guide since the dive sites (on the reef) are so shallow and easy to navigate any certified diver should be able to find their way back to the boat. We do three tank dives and the third location is complimentary, however we ask that you limit the dives to one hour if you want to do all three dives.
Most of the divemasters I have met that work in the Keys are excellent and want to insure that you have a great dive vacation. Tips are standard industry protocol and generally indicate your level of satisfaction.
If you are dissatisfied with a particular dive operator than try another. There is no shortage of dive boats here in Key Largo.

 

[vladimir]

I don't know who limits the dives down here to 45 minutes but I have a guess. Most of us run one hour dives times.
We expect you to plan your dive profile if you are a certified diver. We also don't usually send in a dive guide since the dive sites (on the reef) are so shallow and easy to navigate any certified diver should be able to find their way back to the boat. We do three tank dives and the third location is complimentary, however we ask that you limit the dives to one hour if you want to do all three dives.
Most of the divemasters I have met that work in the Keys are excellent and want to insure that you have a great dive vacation. Tips are standard industry protocol and generally indicate your level of satisfaction.
If you are dissatisfied with a particular dive operator than try another. There is no shortage of dive boats here in Key Largo.

Problem solved! BrianOrange, the rest of your week's diving should be better.

 

[kanonfodr]

I don't agree with the DM ending the dive at a certain time because he is cold, that is why he should invest in proper thermal protection (one of the local dive instructors/guides here on Oahu dives with an Excel 8-7-6 semi-dry, but he is in the water every day). Also, most boats I have been on here in Vacationland will generally lead you on a short tour of the area, then return to the boat and allow the hoovers among us to surface and then the rest of the group is free to explore. I've noticed several of the dive leaders have very good air consumption so you will have to work to run a tank through after them.

Also, a trick used here on Oahu to limit dive times and get the boat in on time is to make the first dive a deep wreck so that everyone will use a tank faster, then the second dive is generally a shallow reef dive that allows for generous bottom times, albeit cut short by most folks' dive computers/tables. It's effective and folks don't generally mind it as it keeps the deep water junkies happy while still allowing a second longer dive for the heavier breathers.

That being said, my air consumption is nowhere near what I would like it to be, so I'm generally one of the first guys back on the boat, even when I bring my own tanks. I didn't complain the other day when (for once in a LOOONG time) I wasn't the first guy back on the boat and had extra playtime.

Peace,
Greg

 

[Stu S.]

Time limit? That's OK with me. Every year at Jupiter, FL there are a few divers that go down and don't come back up. We had the 45 minute limit for a night dive on Republic IV last year. A diver I've known for years stretched it out to 55 minutes, all by himself. Captain Mike was set to initiate emergency procedures, which are extensive and costly.

Mike was sweating out those last few minutes. That time limit is for him as much as anybody.

 

[Scott L]

Time limit? That's OK with me. Every year at Jupiter, FL there are a few divers that go down and don't come back up. We had the 45 minute limit for a night dive on Republic IV last year. A diver I've known for years stretched it out to 55 minutes, all by himself. Captain Mike was set to initiate emergency procedures, which are extensive and costly.

Mike was sweating out those last few minutes. That time limit is for him as much as anybody.

Other than calling in Sea Tow I cannot imagine what the captain could have inititated that would have cost the operator anything for a diver missing for only 10 minutes beyond that of the dive plan...