Question Do you prefer someone help you set up your gear, or do you prefer setting up by yourself?

[DreadnoughtNH]

I prefer to setup my own gear. For me it's like firearm maintenance or other 'mechanical meditation;' I like the process, it focuses me, and makes me hyper-present. And if I screw something up, it's MY fault, not the poor crew guy. I am also a large human, so I tend to show up early at the dock or boat to set up my gear out of everyone's way, then place it where they want me to be.

When the crew swaps tanks between dives, or moves my gear, I always re-check it after they're done, mostly because they inevitably have my tank mounted too high for my preference.

 

[rongoodman]

On the Aggressor liveaboards I’ve been on they just take the first stages off to fill the tanks. You analyze the gas and replace the reg. The exception is Cocos Island, where the rigs stay in the pangas and the crew does the analysis after filling the tanks. You set your gear up when you get on the boat, although I suppose the crew would help if asked.

 

[cfberry]

As I know in some country, DM, dive guide, or maybe the boat crew helps you set up your gear, even changing bottles during SI. My wife thinks this is great service, because her husband will double check the gear for her, and also saves divers energy, saves time, and makes the diving tour easier, so we tip them.

Just for discussion, do you prefer someone help you set up your gear, or do you prefer set up by yourself?

Either way Im going to double check

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

On the Aggressor liveaboards I’ve been on they just take the first stages off to fill the tanks. You analyze the gas and replace the reg. The exception is Cocos Island, where the rigs stay in the pangas and the crew does the analysis after filling the tanks. You set your gear up when you get on the boat, although I suppose the crew would help if asked.

This seems like a good service but the first rule of using nitrox or mixed gasses is to personally analyze the gas yourself. There is no world where I would allow someone else to analyze my gasses because it is my life on the line.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

Another Great Lakes diver. I set up my own gear and change own my tanks and home and on vacation.

 

[rongoodman]

This seems like a good service but the first rule of using nitrox or mixed gasses is to personally analyze the gas yourself. There is no world where I would allow someone else to analyze my gasses because it is my life on the line.

I would normally agree, but in this case the customer is watching from the deck while the analysis is done. Having the clients each make 20+ extra climbs down into and back out of the pangas in order to analyze their gas would just be increasing the chance of a trip ending injury for someone, and this location is a long way from medical care.

 

[apedai]

I prefer to set up my gear myself.

 

[JossRincon]

Sometimes on the smaller boats we take out, it's preferable to the crew for them to be able to move freely to set everything up - in that case, I am fine with them doing the setup and just go over everything once they are done/as we are gearing up. But on larger vessels it's been nice and preferable to be able to just do the setup myself - can't learn/develop good habits otherwise!

 

[TMurrr]

Part of my OW training was about personal responsibility and taking ownership for your own safety for everything before, during, and after the dive.
This includes gear service, setup and maintenance.
300+ dives later, I have a 'routine' akin to brushing ones teeth before bed, before I enter the water.
It confuses my instincts when I'm unable to follow my setup / checkup routine before entering the water.

No one touches my gear if I can help it. And to the needy DMs who feel like they have to 'help' - please accept my polite "no thank you" the first time and you'll still receive a full tip.
If you continue to ask, or worse, just start to help, your tip will plummet like the 2008 stock market and it will have negative effects on my enjoyment and pre-dive routine.

Every diver is different but this is my approach. Its up to the 'helpers' to accurately recognize the difference and leave the DIY'ers alone. Please, go help a vacation diver who forgot which direction to screw in a yoke.

 

[DreadnoughtNH]

Part of my OW training was about personal responsibility and taking ownership for your own safety for everything before, during, and after the dive.
This includes gear service, setup and maintenance.
300+ dives later, I have a 'routine' akin to brushing ones teeth before bed, before I enter the water.
It confuses my instincts when I'm unable to follow my setup / checkup routine before entering the water.

No one touches my gear if I can help it. And to the needy DMs who feel like they have to 'help' - please accept my polite "no thank you" the first time and you'll still receive a full tip.
If you continue to ask, or worse, just start to help, your tip will plummet like the 2008 stock market and it will have negative effects on my enjoyment and pre-dive routine.

Every diver is different but this is my approach. Its up to the 'helpers' to accurately recognize the difference and leave the DIY'ers alone. Please, go help a vacation diver who forgot which direction to screw in a yoke.

Absolutely this.

I totally understand that DMs (particularly on boats in vacation destinations) get a lot of 'resort cert'd divers' who dive infrequently, so their reflex response is to assist in order to maintain safety and smoothness of operation.

But when I say 'I've got a handle on my gear, thanks!' that's should be the end of it. I'm being friendly, but back off. If I need help with something, I will not be shy nor will I wait around to ask for it.

I had this experience with my wife at Belize Pro Diver last winter. DM insisted that he assist my wife -- much to her irritation -- because she wasn't routing her hoses correctly. After f---ing around with her gear for 5m, he realized she DID have it right to begin with.

DMs, respectfully, go help the clueless family of 5 who hasn't taken their gear out of their bags or the disinterested teenager sending text messages while sitting next to their heap of gear.