Divemasters/Resorts making you flood and clear?

[MXGratefulDiver]

LOL...Really?

Sometimes real life is just too funny.

Yeah ... but he made up for it by finding me a sea horse ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[JeffG]

Dude ... salt is cheap! Just drop some in the bathtub ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Its SparticleBrane we are talking about.


Skip the bathtub and just toss the salt into his eyes.

 

[kawasakign]

I would have to agree with the OP on this one. What is the point of getting certified in the first place? The whole idea of being certified is that you have met a level that a governing body sets and that level qualifies you to perform the tasks/duties/etc that come with it. But I do like the idea some states have (or rumored to have) as if you haven't dived in a certain period of time you have to take a refresher course to dive again. That would alleviate I think a procedure like this from the few people who have C cards from 20 years ago that have dived twice in those 20 years.

Plus I would have to say that this is something that you are paying for and well, its your money/time/patience they are wasting. So of course seek out another shop/resort/liveaboard if that is something you find unnecessary. I personally think its kind of ridiculous, and would have objections. I think its a very easy task to perform a flood and reg recovery, but multiply that by X number of divers and 1-2 DM on the boat and now your sitting there waiting for people to demonstrate something that they are certified to do. Wasting your time and air you paid for as well as just sitting there and not diving. I think I would find another dive op as they do not trust the "systems" that they themselves are training and proliferating.

I'd be curious how many time they have just said "sorry you can't dive". Or more likely they wait there until the person can do the flood and reg recovery half A and then let them dive anyways. (meanwhile u wait) (also not just saying this one dive op mentioned...this is for all places that make you do remedial "tests" before you can dive)

 

[String]

Im not against things like mask clears etc to make sure the basic skills are ok. I've seen lots of supposedly certified divers who were unable to perform the basic vital skills so the safe way is to assume they cant until proven otherwise. Mask clear is something every single diver should be able to perform instantly every time without the slightest bother or worry.

I dont believe the eyes stinging from salt, it could be sun cream or other but generally salt water wont hurt much if at all - chlorine is far worse.

In my view, someone uncomfortable having to clear their mask should not be allowed to dive as a certified diver.

Lots of liveaboards and resorts in Europe, Red Sea and other areas make people do a check out dive before a series of certified dives with them to make sure everyone is competent for the dives ahead. The mask clear seems like a cut down version of that. I'd have no problem with someone asking me to do something like that prior to diving with an operation that knows nothing about me or my diving.

 

[ReefHound]

At CocoView the DM asked me to do a mask flood and clear while kneeling. When I did a remove and replace while hovering (in 3 feet of water), he asked me to kneel on the bottom and do it over again. I asked him why and he said he wanted to check my weighting ...

Maybe he was really just checking your ability to follow instructions.

 

[Ice9]

I'm 100% cool with this, as long as its not during the dive that I'm paying for. I just don't want to waste my dive time waiting in line while everyone does a mask-clear. Frankly, when I dive with friends, I require us to do practice drills anyways, so I can understand the need. Just don't take it out of my wallet, right?

 

[fairybasslet]

Either I have a really bad memory or else this is something CCV just started recently. I don't remember having to prove I could clear my mask. I think I was there in April 2005. I do remember a buoyancy skill/weight check, but that was to protect their reef, which I can fully understand. I don't have a problem with salt water hurting my eyes so I wouldn't mind doing a mask flood skill. And I can see why, in some cases it would be necessary. I mean, some people do bolt to the surface when their mask floods.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Why would anyone be pissed about performing a skill that you're supposed to be able to perform as a basic open water diver? If you can do the skill, just do it. If not, we'll know shortly...
Frankly, if I worked as a DM down there I'd definitely want to know from the start who the problem divers are going to be.

 

[hlsooner]

I had this happen on a very expensive liveaboard in Australia with Mike Ball. It was advertised as eleven dives total on the trip. What they don't mention until you are on the boat is that, regardless of certifications or experience, you spend the first dive kneeling in the sand doing mask clears and fin pivots.

I understand the operators need to protect their dive sites and themselves, but if they are going to require checkouts, it should not be one of the "advertised" dives.

 

[diver 85]

I read a comment in another thread that at Anthony's Key Resort they will make you jump in, flood or remove mask and clear it before letting you dive. Is this common? Anyone else have a problem with this?

Here is why I ask...I have no problem partially flooding, fully flooding, removing and replacing, etc. I typically have to clear my mask numerous times during a dive and have never had a problem with a full flood and clear. The problem is that after a good flooding, my eyes are itchy and sting a bit for about 15 minutes, even if I have closed my eyes. I think it happens when some salt water drips into my eyes form my forehead, or something. I can see and I can function, but I'm not having much fun.

The other thing, although less important, is that if I am certified, and haven't given someone reason to distrust my abilities, and I'm not trying to do something questionable without supervision/training (like getting certified in the caribbean then wanting to go out in a kelp forest or dive in limited visibility, or use my OW cert to play wreck diver) then I should not need to prove myself to dive ops and divemasters. That IS one of the points of certification and liability waivers, isn't it?

It will irritate me to have some divemaster make me flood my mask just before a dive I am paying for, and then be squinting and tearing for the first 15-20 minutes of my dive. If they require this then I think it should at least occur on their time and not mine. They can take me out and I'll jump in and flood my mask if it makes them happy, then they can take me back and we'll dive later, but the "skills" session should be on their time and their air and not the dive I'm paying for.

Does this mean if it takes me two breaths to clear and they think I should do it in one, they won't let me dive? What's next, remove and don scuba gear, do a CESA? Maybe I will need to demonstrate my ability with PADI tables?

And actually, as I re-read the post, the test involves something like jumping in and with regulator out of mouth flooding and clearing? Where does this come from?

Am I out of line here? Do I need to change my attitude? Or does Roatan pose some extra high entanglement risk where folks are often simultaneously getting their reg ripped out and their mask pulled off and need to be ready for it?

I understand that practicing skills is a good idea, and I suppose flooding and clearing for practice should be done every now and then anyway, but if so, I'll do it at the end of my dive, maybe just after a safety stop or something, or maybe on one of those unlmited shore dives some dive operators offer, rather than a dive I am paying for, but I think that is a call I should make.

So what do you think?

With over 450 dives(100+ with AKR) on Roatan, I've never seen any conditions of 'extra high entanglement' there...actually very good, safe diving......