Dive Operator Best Practices

[Mike Boswell]

It's interesting that so many people list "diving my own profile" as a requirement - interesting because in my experience, most commercial dive boat dives are led by a DM, and the group pretty much just follows along.

All our dives off commercial dive boats in Southern California have been from anchored boats in low current conditions, and after the dive briefing, each buddy team went their own way and did their own thing.

But "doing your own dive" does not seem to be the rule in most places. In our boat diving in Baja, Fiji, Roatan, Cozumel, and Bonaire, the divers were formed into groups of 6-10 people and each group was led by a dive master. Most of these dives were along reefs and walls, and most were in moderate currents.

 

[iztok]

About the hang bar.
I have dived off thirty or more boats, 1 had a bar.
If you cannot hold a safety stop, well....my friends did say..."if you have less then 500 dives go see the other guy"...Ripping current ? ascend the anchor line and hold on there, or I drop ascent lines of the back....but if the current is ripping like that it is a drift dive anyway. Also the bar I saw was useless in a current, as anybody holding onto it would just force it up, in fact I imagine in even a moderate current it would get pushed to the surface.

Come dive the Carolinas once or twice.

If you have a full boat anchor line can be pretty crowded.

Hang bar helps and it is hard to do a "drift dive" on a wreck. Say you have a dozen divers, there is simply not enough real estate on the anchor line. And letting it go in a strong current while it might be an hour before boat can come pick you up is little insane.

 

[iztok]

It's interesting that so many people list "diving my own profile" as a requirement - interesting because in my experience, most commercial dive boat dives are led by a DM, and the group pretty much just follows along.

All our dives off commercial dive boats in Southern California have been from anchored boats in low current conditions, and after the dive briefing, each buddy team went their own way and did their own thing.

But "doing your own dive" does not seem to be the rule in most places. In our boat diving in Baja, Fiji, Roatan, Cozumel, and Bonaire, the divers were formed into groups of 6-10 people and each group was led by a dive master. Most of these dives were along reefs and walls, and most were in moderate currents.

Diving own profile is pretty much the norm in the Carolinas. Once anchor is in and dive site briefing is done "pool is open". If you have "double dip" wreck it is not unusual to have mixture of divers. From those who do two dives in recreational limits to those who do one longer deco dive.

 

[Thalassamania]

...
About the hang bar.
I have dived off thirty or more boats, 1 had a bar.
If you cannot hold a safety stop, well....my friends did say..."if you have less then 500 dives go see the other guy"...Ripping current ? ascend the anchor line and hold on there, or I drop ascent lines of the back....but if the current is ripping like that it is a drift dive anyway. Also the bar I saw was useless in a current, as anybody holding onto it would just force it up, in fact I imagine in even a moderate current it would get pushed to the surface.

A hang bar (or even better a trapeze, that being a heavy pipe with "seat belts") is definitely overkill for a safety stop, but for those of us how need more than an optional three minutes prior to surfacing a trapeze, especially with oxygen available makes it much easier to pass the time while reading a paperback book prior to surfacing.

I do everything I can to assure a safe environment, the only reason I can think of for a hang bar, is if you (to put it gently).. need the regs that are there because you were not watching your air, YOUR responsibility or extended decompression.....then we just swim over to the rocks and sit there for 30 minutes....besides this is a totally recreational environment.
I am the one of a handful of people in the country with twins and side mounts.
You do deco diving ? Wow.

Yes, I do decompression diving, and yes, I like it to as comfortable and easy as possible, spending an hour or so, holding a stop, can get old.

 

[Mike Boswell]

I would hope that most US boats will be reviewing the recent Dan Carlock verdict and making some changes. In particular, business owners and insurance companies should IMHO be reviewing whether to accept solo divers and divers without buddies, and how they handle head counts.

Diver Tells of Being Stranded off Newport Beach by Diving Vessel Crew - Beverly Hills Courier, Beverly Hills Newspaper

 

[iztok]

In particular, business owners and insurance companies should IMHO be reviewing whether to accept solo divers and divers without buddies, and how they handle head counts.

I sure hope that they will not adversely impact those. I travel for business and sometimes get to dive on such trips and end up in one or both categories.

While not ideal situation I will not patronize those who will not allow the above.

If you want additional release that is fine.

 

[ReefHound]

I think most of us would agree that it's nice to have a full tank of breathable air and a place to hang wetsuits, but there are many other things which affect our experience. We divers might be able to improve things if we could communicate those things we like, and those we don't.

I think the premise is wrong. That dive ops would be providing all these things we want if they only knew we wanted them. I think dive ops get enough feedback that they know what divers want. It comes down to whether they agree and whether they think it is cost effective.

Others have jostled back and forth over what is best, should we require smbs, should we have a hang bar, etc. Generally, "best practices" vary by location and when everyone in a given location does things a certain way it is usually because that way has proven most effective in that area.

One person here made a good point in that you can add all these nice amenities that divers say they want but the diver then turns around and gives his business to someone else who charges $5 less. We all want these amenities but are we willing to pay for them? Pay less attention to what people say and more to what they do. In the long run, businesses learn which amenities translate into increased business and revenue and which ones translate into increased expenses.

It's not always about what is in the divers' best interests but also what they think is in their own interests. For example, dive guides. Several here have said they aren't needed and don't want them. Well those dive guides might have another opinion. They might feel the need to guide dives and point out things in order to earn better tips so they can feed their families. The boat operator needs his boat cleaned and maintained but he would have to pay someone to do just that whereas he can get the guides to do it as part of the deal.

 

[caseybird]

I know a bunch of divers who go to Coz and gladly pay extra for small boats, good guides, safe practices and a smart operator. It's a good fun group to dive with.

 

[String]

require a Surface Marker Buoy for each person ( I think this sounds like a good idea, are there any reasons it's not?)

Most charter boats in the UK won't let you onboard at all unless you have your own DSMB and know how to use it regardless of whether you're a trimix diver or a newly qualified open water. They're 100% essential in some areas.

 

[drrich2]

Big tanks for us air hogs is huge. That alone can sway me strongly toward one op. over another. Tell me you've got 120's and you've got a big leg up on the competition.

Guides on boat dives are very nice for many of us. Yes, I believed seasoned, capable divers who want to 'do their own thing' should be allowed to do so. Buuuuut, for a lot of us...

1.) Navigation skills aren't good and may never be. 'Follow the Leader' is a great way to enjoy a leisurely, scenic dive without worrying about following a compass heading, counting fin strokes or PSI, etc... Remember those folks who dive only occasionally?

2.) Many people who dive only occasionally only get a day or two of diving on a trip, such as from cruise ships. Some of these people really want to see some 'signature' wildlife, like a green moray eel, a spiny lobster, an octopus, a seahorse, etc... They don't have a week to get in 20 dives in Bonaire and stumble across some stuff; they've got 2 tanks, today, now, nothing else all year, this is their vacation, each dive will be about 40 minutes, they paid some money and they want to SEE something!

I wish dive briefs also came in written form on laminated paper, at least for the most common sites they hit. I'm a reader much more so than a listener, and in a group oral presentation, you're going to lose me. I'm also lousy with 3-Dimensional relationships/instructions. If you try to tell me 8 things, when you get to 3, I'm going to be puzzled & thinking that through from different angles while you leave me behind heading on to points 4 - 8. In a 2-person dialogue where you can gauge each others progress in a discussion, it's less an issue. Giving an oral dive briefing to a group to 10 or 12 divers is another story.

My level of comprehension from a dive briefing: everybody jump in the water 1 by 1 & float in a group till we're all in. Those 2 guys are your guides; follow them. Stick with your buddy. Follow the leader. The dive masters will turn periodically & point at each of you to ask about your PSI; use the 'fingers' method to sign what you're got left. We'll be going about 80 feet deep. When we get back we'll do a 3" 15' safety stop. Most of the rest of what they say is sort of lost in the shuffle. I try to listen; I just don't get it.

Richard.