DMs can get in trouble?

[all4scuba05]

didn't want to hijack someone's thread. If all divers are certified: great vis: calm seas and no current.
1- Does the DM HAVE to get in the water? If so, why?
2- Every one is buddied up. Those who don't have enough confidence team up with the Dm. Dm takes his group on a 60ft reef dive. What could happen that would be the DM's fault or the Dive op's fault?
3- Are dive ops supposed to babysit certified divers during dives that they are certified for? and therefore be held liable should something go wrong?

 

[www.scubamazing.com]

I'm excited to see what pans out from this thread.

 

[stu_in_fl]

depends on where your talking about i guess...

for example - in Florida, you rarely have DMs in the water leading groups...in the Carribean and Cozumel they often do lead groups

...also depends on what you have paid for - if you have paid for a private DM you will obviously get more attentive service, but rememeber, you are paying for a guide not an instructor. On one of those Carribean boats the operator may have a DM in the water offering a guiding service, the customers choose to follow or not - usually the general way it goes is that the DM is no-ones buddy (however, if there are odd numbers of people perhaps they would be) - usually the people do follow (and don't bother to even think about their dive - which could cause problems - but it is not really the guides job to remind them to check their air every 5 minutes).....

you sign a liability waiver with all ops before diving with them - and all divers are certified....in order to be liable they would need to be proved negligent...if just dffereing optional guided dives for certified divers, it would be difficult for them to be negligent....

 

[daniel f aleman]

stu_in_fl has it right.

And, in Cozumel and several other Mexican spots (underwater parks) it is REQUIRED BY LAW that DMs lead dives.

 

[Meng_Tze]

There are no 'laws' for this. It depends on the operator hw they handle this and what they view divers to be: certified and capable divers or not......

I personally do my own thing regardless of DM in or out of the water. If they have an issue with that, then fine. If the DM is a guide I may tag along until I see something I want to investigate. But this is me, not saying anyone should do the same.

 

[del_mo]

Not to be argumentative, but about half my Florida ocean dives, and in particular Jupiter and Palm Beach, have had DM's leading the dives.

 

[Cacia]

In California, they often supervise from the boat. And I learned that was one option in my DM course. I think it dependes on the community standard....what a reasonable prudent Dm would do in that locale. If the dive is sold as a "guided" dive then I think you are expected to get in and guide.

 

[all4scuba05]

so a DM working where its not required by law to guide, would be better off not diving so as not to be liable should someone die?
Other threads are making it sound like a DM will get sued if a diver dies.

 

[stu_in_fl]

Not to be argumentative, but about half my Florida ocean dives, and in particular Jupiter and Palm Beach, have had DM's leading the dives.

could be more common the further north you go..., I have seen it up in Boynton with ScubaKevDM taking the flag (the choice for customers there being follow Kev with the flag or take your own flag) - never usually see in Keys, Miami, Ft Lauderdale, Pompano areas...its a nice service to offer but simple economics often prevent it

 

[DBailey]

I know that some dive operations want the DM's in the water to keep track of everyone. Not necessarily from a safety standpoint, but from a scheduling standpoint. The operator wants to make money; therefore, they are following a schedule. If the DM can keep the group together and surface together, there is more time for the operator.