DM protecting weight belts?

[FLArmyBrat]

Here's my unsolicited .02 worth....

It seems to me it boils down to these facts...

The boat operation should include a piece of information like "If you use a WI BC, then our weights don't go in it" - I personally take my own weights (haven't travelled expensively yet though) with my WI BC because I refuse to use a belt again. It hurts me to damn much. If the issue was truely that they didn't want weights in the BC because of the inconvience of lifting it off you as you return to the boat, then insist on climbing the ladder yourself or its time to find another boat.

The patron/diver on the other hand needs NEEDS to ask questions when trying a new Charter. If this had been me, then I would have had to call the dive and being already at the divesite would have pissed me and my SO off after paying out all that $$. Get all your info before you make your reservations or on the dock.

Information is your best friend in pre-dive planning!!!

Laurel- The Frog Queen
:royal:

 

[Jerryg]

This seems pretty simple to me. Everything I've ever learned said that when diving with a dive master you should obey his rules. If you don't like those rules then find another dive master.

 

[voop]

I've never had the issue of weights ever when diving, and I agree that planning is EVERYTHING. Here's how I go about it....

If diving within train-distance, I drag along my own gear, 'cept for cylinder. I call in advance to reserve the cylinder(s) and fill(s) I want, to be sure that they do not run out of stuff I need when I arrive.

If I dive where I have to go by air, I do not normally bring weights. However when I plan the dive, I call the shop and in addition to the cylinder and fill stuff, I add "..so I will also need 6kg of weights (or whatever, depending on suit) to put in the BC, could you put that asside for me too?"

Most often, I get the "there's a box at the door/dock/boat, just pick what you need and please bring it back rinsed when you're done" answer, but, occationally, I have had to sign off for and pay a deposit for the weights in the same way as the cylinders.

To me, it's fairly normal when I go somewhere and need something I cannot bring, to ensure that I have a firm appointment for renting it exactly as I want to once on the destination. It avoids the confusion of wanting something which is not on the boat/dock/shop or which is not within the powers of the DM/salesdude on the boat/dock/shop to provide.

My guess is, that any reasonable dive op. will be happy to provide weights for your WI BC in exchange for taking your money when you go diving -- provided that they're given reasonable assurance that they'll get them back. If that's achieved through "signing off", "deposit" or other return procedudes, so be it. They don't know me, I don't expect them to trust me to not steal their stuff? The DM on a boat may not be able to accomodate this (heck, he may just be a salaried employee following rules), so getting things sorted out in advance in the shop is the way to go about these things.

On the tipping-thread-hijacking-topic...I've never tipped a DM, and I would consider it weird to do so -- but I am from a culture where tipping in general is not done a whole lot...restaurants, caps etc. all the same. I have bought DMs I liked to spend time with dinner, drinks and even shared a bottle of fine champagne on the beach with one DM after a particulary good dive, though....

 

[coreyh]

[/B][/QUOTE] The original post was that a diver here was miffed that he was not permitted to strip down the weight belt that was issued to him by an operation and that a "rule" against such an action was enforced by a DM.
[/B][/QUOTE]

As the original poster, I thought I would weigh back in here (pun intended).

I was not miffed that I would not integrate my weights, per se. I used a weight belt and had a fine dive. My question was about the explaination. They said that it was because of lifting the BCs out of the water, but we all climbed up the ladder with gear on. Therefore, my question was more directed toward other reasons which I might not be aware of that a dive operator might restrict use of weights.

The answers to this thread seem to imply no -- just an uncommunicative DM (who was the operator, BTW). I will ask in the future but it is not enough for me to can a dive, I can trim up either way. And I still won't pack weight in my carry on -- I pack too much as it is. Others who feel strongly may use this as a warning to ask the question if the lack of WI would be enough to scratch their dive, which I would understand too. I did respect the request of the DM with no complaint, but I wanted to ask the board since it is nothing I had encountered before.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Our shop happily will try to accomodate most any request but in general we prefer guests to let our staff set up weights. Tell me how much you need and whether you want it on a belt or loose to put in a WI BCD and I'll take care of it from there.

Our shop happens to carry weights in 2, 3, 4, or 5 pound increments. We have relatively few 5's and 4's so we prefer to save those for the guests that quite a bit of weight.

If you only need 10lbs, we'll usually set you up with 2x 3lb + 2x 2lb. No problem stringing four or five weights on a belt. Occasionally we have a guest who needs 20+lbs and stringing 7 or 8 3lbs weights doesn't work so great.

 

[jrg]

coreyh once bubbled...
........ "the DMs didn't want to break their backs pulling all that weight out of the water at the end of the dive".........

That's a strange thing for them to say. The weights are just as heavy on a belt as they are in the BC pockets. Maybe they were worried that the weights would fall out of the pockets and they would have to retrieve them at the end of the dive???

 

[DORSETBOY]

There can be a very good safety reason for what the DM was suggesting, very often I have helped people out of their equipment inwater so that they can get back onto the boat more easily, it's a damn sight easier to pass up WB and kit seperately.
That said, it is very easy to make a written / mental note of a customer who has weights in BCD and no WB.
At the end of the day though the DM in question has a responsibility towards his clients more important than their convenience which is their safety. If this is how he/she wants to operate their boat then that is upto them, and I dont think the diver having a whinge has been particularly inconvenienced.

Here's hoping I never have to take said diver out for a dive. lol

 

[friscuba]

jrg once bubbled...


That's a strange thing for them to say. The weights are just as heavy on a belt as they are in the BC pockets. Maybe they were worried that the weights would fall out of the pockets and they would have to retrieve them at the end of the dive???

Actually, work on a boat for a while and you'll see why they might say it.

Most belted divers will either hand a weight belt up or walk up with it on.

A fair portion of divers with integrated weights won't hand up their weight pouches (even when asked) or wear the BC up the ladder with the weights in. Suddenly now the DM is going to have to lean over the gunwale or swim step and pull a soaking wet BC with attached tank and additional integrated weight out of the water. I've met a few DM's with pulled backs from this. Most will just accept it as part of the job, apparently this group didn't.

later

Steve

 

[DORSETBOY]

This is exactly the point! The DM can hardly be expected to risk his/her employment through back injury, seems like v.sensible procedure to me.

 

[turnerjd]

friscuba once bubbled...
Most belted divers will either hand a weight belt up or walk up with it on.

A fair portion of divers with integrated weights won't hand up their weight pouches (even when asked) or wear the BC up the ladder with the weights in. Suddenly now the DM is going to have to lean over the gunwale or swim step and pull a soaking wet BC with attached tank and additional integrated weight out of the water. I've met a few DM's with pulled backs from this. Most will just accept it as part of the job, apparently this group didn't.

Bingo!

For me, Steve has got it right. I dive regularly with a 7mm neoprene dry suit, and with a single 12L steel tank use somewhere in the region of 30 Lbs of lead.

Now,the first thing I do before getting on the boat is usually to hand over my belt. Then inflate the jacket, and this is then pulled up onto the boat. Finally I exit.

If I went WI, some poor sod would have to pull up not just my tank, which with two regs on it must be over 30 Lbs, but an extra 30 Lbs or weight (60Lbs in total). This, can be seriously back breaking.

Some boats make you get out of the water fully kitted up, others make you pass up equipement.

If you have to get out, fully kitted up then it is not reasonable for people to object to WI. IF you are handing up kit before getting out of the water, then if IS reasonable for people to object to WI

As for taking weightbelts appart to add them to WI pockets, again, this will depend on how these guys opperate.

If they have a whole bunch of pre-established weightbelts, then I can see that they might be a little bit annoyed at you taking them appart. If it is a free-for-all box of weights and belts, then no, there should not be any complaint.

Jon T