Divemasters, is it really our job ?

[unclewas]

To me a great dive master is part guide and part safety officer.

What I expect from a dive master is to know the dive site. Point out the interesting sea life that he/she may be familar with on a particular location and to be there as "lifeguard" should things go wrong.

Show me a great dive and I will show you a great tip.

What I don't expect though is to be led around by the hand. One of the reasons I dive is because of the explorer nature of my personality. I love the discovery aspect of diving and knowing that I am doing something not a lot of people do. Its a freedom and independence thing.

anunrepressableWAS

 

[Tom Yerian]

A divemaster adds a measure of safety to a dive operation. Though I am a Trimix and Technical Instr. I have worked as a DM, since I got my DM, working with Billy Deans in Keywest in 1981. As we all know, or should, that a tremendous part of the dive industry is the, Newbies and openwater water cert. divers. That is where the work of a good divemaster comes in. The Capt. is limited as you know to what he can do , especially inwater problems. The duty of a DM is customer safety/relations. He can make a bad day good, and a good day better! I was trained in the concept of diver safety first. A DM that is leading a team or agroup is useless to a diver on the surface in need of assist, or rescue! I stood at the ready with( mfs), in case I was needed in a life threatning situation, I didnt
play in the water!Hey, that is what a dive master does for hire, that is what is done if someone needs a guide. You are either a working DM, "ON THE BOAT", or you hire out and a working DM takes over your spot; cut and dried. How would you explain to a family about the loss of a loved one who drowned while having a problem on the surface, while you were lolly gagging on a site seeing tour.The shop was in my day, required to find a guide, another DM to fill that position. They worked hard in my day to earn that rank! You know what I mean???...Capt. Tom

 

[Tom Yerian]

Sorry to say, you are only partly correct. Read my post and you should understand why!...Capt Tom.

PS. This is in response to the response from unclewas

 

[coach_izzy]

I just finished reading a prevous post about a Dm that supposedly was not doing his job. I'm curious, as divers what do you think my job description is. Before you reply let me say this. I work for tips, I've been in training every since my first pool session thru advance tri mix, I'm a divemaster and required to keep insurance plus pay annual agency dues,bought all my equipment and had it serviced at full price and probably make at least 300 dives a year all at my expense and time. All because I happen to love diving.

Your duties include but are not limited to the following:

• To take blame for unexpected weather and marine conditions. If the water is choppy is your fault, you should've taken them to a "different site" (snicker) a couple of miles down.
  
  
• To be able to communicate with people who did not even bother to learn the language of your country, and smile when said people blame you for not learning more!
  
  
• To babysit divers who one wonders how they got certified. Your duties include to fully set-up their gear, especially those pesky hoses that always end up in the wrong place, remind them what a SI interval is, and if possible hold their hand throughout the entire dive.
  
  
• To allow PITA divers to break marine park rules "Because they're paying their money"
  
  
• To allow condescending treatment from said divers "Because they're paying their money"
  
  
• To take the blame when a diver f...ks up, even though is not your fault at all.
  
  
• To take blame because you forgot the mustard for the SI snacks! What kind of service is that anyway?
  
  
• To wait on divers, bring them food, water, treats, pick up their trash, and clean up after them, "Because they're paying their money"
  
  
• To push behemoth divers back in the boat because their poor physical shape would not allow them.
  
  
• To be loudly reprimanded by said divers "For innaprioapriate touching" and tearing up their new wetsuit.
  
  
• To be "grateful" for a two dollar tip at the end of the day, after all, these people "Already paid their money"

I hope you noticed the sarcasm in the above paragraph. With all seriousness, I have a tremendous respect for DMs. The kind of people with which they put up... OMG! I would've cracked a couple of skulls already... Granted, the incompetent DM only going through the motions in a bad mood is there, but that has been a very rare exception. Most of them do a tremendous job. Hats off to you guys and gals!

 

[mcclete22]

Maybe I am going out on a limb, because I haven't dove a whole lot... but I think what a DM is and what they do changes for each trip/dive/group. One group of people may have completely different wants and expectations than another. I am sure there are some blanket things like some training, guide, briefing on the dives, but I think there are other things as well. I think it would be a great comfort to hear the DM ask the group what they wanted/ expected. I think that would be great because then both sides have the chance to say what they think, and what they want. To get everything out on the table as it where. I am not sure if this happens or not, but a few minutes to clarify and see what people think, want, expect only adds to the dive. By asking I think it also shows that you are interested in your group, and want to give them the best dive possible.
I read the thread you are talking about and it seemed like nobody really knew for sure what was happening. There seems to have been a lot of confusiuon as to what was happening. A little bull session before going in the water would help eliminate these I think. Another thing this would do is open communication up. A simple, "Does anyone have any questions or concerns?' opens up communication for people both with and without experience. Maybe this happens, maybe there isn't enough time, but I think it would be a huge benefit.

 

[fire_diver]

I used to work in the service field and know how many people are too rude to tip even when they know expected.

This thread has really been enlightening for me, and probably for others too. Namely, DM's working for tips only? Guess what, NEVER KNEW THAT! I have never used a charter dive service yet. All my diving has been from either the shore or off my own boat. I am taking a cruise next month and highly looking forward to the dive excursions at each port. Is the "tip only" thing something I would be told in advance when I book the dive? Or would it be told when I'm on the dive boat sans cash?

I will be sure to bring some money with me on my dive excursions to tip for good service, but to be honest, I probably would never have thought about it if not for this thread, or if the dive charter (or cruise employee booking my excusion) didnt mention it
prior to me dis-embarking the ship.

 

[SadiesMom]

I used to work in the service field and know how many people are too rude to tip even when they know expected.

This thread has really been enlightening for me, and probably for others too. Namely, DM's working for tips only? Guess what, NEVER KNEW THAT! I have never used a charter dive service yet. All my diving has been from either the shore or off my own boat. I am taking a cruise next month and highly looking forward to the dive excursions at each port. Is the "tip only" thing something I would be told in advance when I book the dive? Or would it be told when I'm on the dive boat sans cash?

I will be sure to bring some money with me on my dive excursions to tip for good service, but to be honest, I probably would never have thought about it if not for this thread, or if the dive charter (or cruise employee booking my excusion) didnt mention it
prior to me dis-embarking the ship.

It's very unlikely that you'd be told this. It's one of those things that seems to be a "dirty little secret" in the dive industry. DMs are the workhorses of the dive industry. In the places where there are a lot of DMs available, they are often not paid a salary and work for tips only. In other places, they work for very low wage and the majority of their wages come from tips (like waiters or waitresses).

I don't do charters, but work as a DM for classes. I've been thanked by the students, but have never once been tipped, although I've hauled more than one back to the beach and helped more than one with their equipment. When I work a class, I actually *lose* money with what I'm paid by the shop. It sure would be nice if a student thought of handing me a ten or a twenty for the extra time I spent with them in the pool night after night or the tank I helped them schelp or helping them work their dive out on their tables when the instructor was busy. :sigh: But I don't see it happening.

Thank God I can deduct the losses for a couple more years before the IRS starts wondering why I call this a "business." I sure as heck didn't get into this for the money . But then again, most of us didn't (seriously). I got into it because I love working with students.

Anyway - please do realize that as a rule, DMs work primarily if not ONLY for tips. Granted, you are *not* required to tip and if you get bad service on a dive boat, you should not feel obligated to tip. However, if you get *good* service...do remember your DM in a monetary way. Most of them work hard to keep divers happy.

 

[Diesel298]

ok i scaned thru most of this
FIRST and formost.
hey getyasum. AMEN im with ya 100%
(little backlground on me)
i crew on a dive boat (small operation.. probally never herd of it)....im a tech diver, have 2 years DM experencs 1 year AI and am just about finished with my instructor cert...
i have delt with all forms of people..
now most people are good people...
but some people expect the world....
i (or another crew member) brief the passangers to boat policies and rules. as well as the dive site...
we make recomendations due to conditions if nessary..
at the site we help people get there gear on as needed (some people dont want help)

help them get in the water..
log them into our log with whatever there mix and pressure is...
make sure they are ok...
during the dive. crew members keep a look ot for anyone who might have come up off the wreck. look for bags (smb) and keep a look out for boat traffic. make suer no one runs over our clients ( we work for tips. and tips are usually given at the end of the trip so its very important everyone makes it back safe and happy )
help them get onbaord if needed.. help them get outa gear... and get it stowed.....
i do my dive during there SI
when we arrive to the site, and when we are ready to leave... a crew member has to set the hook, and pull the hook..
at the dock we will also help HELP is the key word load and unload gear...
whenever i hear somone say to another diver.. "let them get that" i walk away nd do something else (usually start washing the boat)
rerely do i dive with a client, but have from time to time blown off my own dive to dive with somone that needed a buddy and has a good attitude..
these are some of the things i do
theres alot more stuff as well thats happens during the week.
No one forced me to take this position yes i wanted to
yes i enjoy it.. more often than not i enjoy the peole on the baot
but that dont mean you can treat the crew and DM like crap because of that...
and i hate people with that attitude...

Ray

 

[TSandM]

Sadiesmom, now I feel really guilty . . . it never occurred to me to consider tipping the people who helped with our classes. I sort of assumed that was taken care of by the dive shop, one way or another. We certainly have tipped the DMs on the charter boats here locally, where they work only for tips, and they work hard and are a lot of help. We didn't tip in Australia because the shop told us not to, and so did the DMs.

 

[Diesel298]

when i was workin in a shop i never personally thought a tip was in order...
i was there usually working for training, or as a internchip....
but i guess under certan curcumstances it would be....
just incase any of you encounter me in the future...
money is not all that make acceptable tips...
a bottle makes a good tip
i like to drink parton silver...

Ray