Divemasters/Resorts making you flood and clear?

[dsteding]

Well, my friends will be the first ones to tell ya I can be a bear to be around at times ... lord knows they're quick enough to tell me (and they're usually right).

And if it was me, I deserved it ... come to think of it, even if it wasn't me, I deserved it. I wasn't much fun to be around until they got my grumpy arse in the water and shoved a snorkel in my mouth ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Had to have been you Bob, I guessed it was you from FB's first post, and I mean that in a loving way . . .

[edit] FWIW, I've heard Bob tell that story a couple times now, I think he's still grumpy about it . . . it is one of those things that makes the big lug so loveable, Bob, don't change.

 

[fairybasslet]

LOL - yep, Cheng is Chinese. And how many people go on vacation with their ex-spouses? Must've been me ...

We were there with another couple, and the four of us spent the afternoon snorkeling. But don't be sorry ... thinking back on my reaction to finding out I'd have to wait a whole day to go diving, your description would've been accurate anyway ... hey, nobody's perfect ...

My only regret (if we indeed were there at the same time) is that we didn't make each other's acquaintance (well, perhaps the next day after I'd had a good nitrogen fix) ...


Hmmm ... we didn't get out the next day till after the orientation ... around 10:30 or so.

Was he a fat dude with a Dee rag on his head?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

OMG that is soooo funny. It really is a small world. You know Zorrr222 (or something like that) from D2D. He was there the same time too. We got to know each other and it was great because my son hung out with him and Zorrr's buds. Took a lot of pressure off of me.
I thought you guys went diving that same day. It was a couple of days later that I saw you and Cheng before breakfast. I was kind of jealous because I wanted to be a guerrilla diver too. I didn't realize you were with other people. During the orientation dive, Cheng took some photos of my son. She emailed them to me. She is really a lovely person. As for that grumpy guy in the Dee rag, well, I'm sorry I didn't get to know him better. Hey, were you on Tulio's boat? I can't really remember.

Oh my, wait til I tell my son. This is soooo damn funny. BTW, if you didn't post on D2D at that point, I wouldn't have known you. I didn't really post much on SB until about a year ago.

 

[fairybasslet]

Had to have been you Bob, I guessed it was you from FB's first post, and I mean that in a loving way . . .

I'm sorry, but I am really embarrassed by that post now. I can go back and edit it but then Bob quoted me. I should learn to keep my big mouth shut. Jeeze. What was I thinking? Forgive me Bob? You weren't that bad. Or maybe it's that Cheng is just so sweet..

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I'm sorry, but I am really embarrassed by that post now. I can go back and edit it but then Bob quoted me. I should learn to keep my big mouth shut. Jeeze. What was I thinking? Forgive me Bob? You weren't that bad. Or maybe it's that Cheng is just so sweet..

PM sent ... no worries at all. My most valued friends would've told me pretty much what you did about the way I behaved that day. I flew all night to get there, and didn't respond well to not being able to go diving. Not your fault you got to see my ... um ... less positive side.

Yes, Cheng is very sweet ... and for sure that was us. I remember her taking a picture of your son (she's always doing stuff like that).

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Wildcard]

Not reading this whole thing but I use the mask clear when someone is looking shakey and has not dove for a while. It's the most common problem with out of practice divers. Dont want to do it, then dont dive with me. Im here for your protection, thats why you pay me.

 

[Em_Dee]

My story:
A couple of years ago, we spent a week at Coco View and did the Dolphin Dive at AKR. We had to do an "orientation dive" with CCV and yet another checkout dive with AKR for the Dolphin Dive. The only difference was that AKR only asked us to do only a mask clear, whereas CCV had us do mask clear, reg recovery, Buoyancy check, etc.

I think each DM would like a chance to sort of eyeball you and see what kind of diver you are overall.

When we were told to do a mask clear at AKR for the Dolphin Dive, we had a lady who asked if she could skip it because she has trouble clearing her mask. Now, she had to do it at the initial checkout dive for CCV, but doesn't want to do it now.

So it wasn’t that she couldn’t do it, she just had trouble doing it or didn’t want to. I don’t particularly WANT to remove or flood my mask either, which is why I practice it. Nonetheless, I think she put the DM in a bad position. If he let her completely off the hook, then why do the rest of us have to eat up time just to prove we could clear our masks? I don't blame the operation or DM at all for wanting to take a look at my skills (or lack of); it really lets them know what they are in for.

The DM basically met her halfway and let her do a partial clearing. The whole group had already paid and was waiting to do this dive. I can understand that he didn't want to prevent her from going, but I'll bet he knew at that point to keep a close eye on her. After all, we were to be in the water right next to a large, playful dolphin. Our masks could have been easily flicked off our faces at any moment.

So no, I don’t have a problem with this. In this case, look what it revealed to the DM and the rest of the dive group. We let him stay close to her while we enjoyed our dive.

 

[dsteding]

I'm sorry, but I am really embarrassed by that post now. I can go back and edit it but then Bob quoted me. I should learn to keep my big mouth shut. Jeeze. What was I thinking? Forgive me Bob? You weren't that bad. Or maybe it's that Cheng is just so sweet..

As one of Bob's friends, I can assure you that he won't carry any grudge or think poorly of you . . . you are not in the same category as the silly DM at a resort that makes him kneel on the bottom and remove/replace his mask, trust me.

No need to be embarrassed, I imagine it was a fair appraisal of Bob's mood at the time, and as you can see, he's the first to admit it.

One thing you can say about Bob: he's comfortable saying what is on his mind, sometimes doesn't pull punches, but is really good about apologizing when he's been grumpy or when he is in the wrong.

I agree, Cheng is incredibly sweet, I've been on two trips with her and Bob so far. In Nanaimo we had dinner the first night in their room, Cheng had gone through the trouble of bringing a whole dinner up for us. Including pie (or maybe that part was Bob's contribution). One of the nice bonuses of going on dive trips with Bob is hanging out with Cheng.

 

[fishb0y]

I've got some bad news for you dude. In Hawaii it is now a U.S. Coast Guard mandate that you dive with, follow and follow the direction of a Professional Dive Leader (aka DM) on any paid dive from a commercial boat. Big Brother is making your safety the responsability of the dive boat operator now.

What?!? Since I live in Hawaii, this is news to me

 

[KrisB]

i assume if you fail you'll have to pay for a refresher course? clever scheme. in any event, i guess i'd be okay with it unless someone new arrives every day which would mean each dive day starts with a bunch of divers watching the new guys taking of their masks. that would be a waste of my dive time.
on a different note, i have had major issues with stinging sunscreen to the point where i spent entire dives "crying". does anyone have suggestions for an effective non-stinging sunscreen? i now wear a cap with a visor on the boat so that i do not have to apply any sunscreen on the forehead. however, sunscreen below the eyes can get into your eyes, too, especially if someone makes you flood your mask.

I think part of the solution, docmartin is to get sunscreen that is really waterproof.

Oddly enough, another "Doc Martin" makes some that works really well -- I use it when teaching/assisting with Rescue classes: http://www.docmartinsmaui.com/

If you follow the instructions, this stuff does *not* come off in the water.

 

[chickdiver]

My instructor was asked to do a mask removal/replace & clear while on vacation in Jamaica. They asked everyone to do it in a pool. He tried to protest a bit to no avail.

In he hops, drops down and slides the mask off. Next he turned away from the DM, donned the mask and turned around. The DM saw that he had put it on upside down, the strap cinched up real tight and was perfectly cleared.

DM flipped him the bird and said OK.

I think I would have asked the DM to then demonstrate for me a "leadership level" rescue. After all, this is your opportunity to evaluate the DM as well, isn't it?