Ending Dive with 500psi

[bradells]

I've had half of the boats check out my spg, or inquire after dives when changing out tanks in the Caribbean. Not for any policing or anything, just want to know where everyone is on gas consumption.

In some cases, we had a group of divers that blew through tanks like they were purging their regs the whole dive, and the rest of us still had half tanks. Lets just say they went on a different dives than us for the rest of the charter.

Having said that, your buddy is under water, you are not. You are below the tank pressure the boat has decided you to come back onto the boat at.

And you're upset about that they were concerned for the safety of their patrons?

BRad

 

[kwinter]

As far as I'm concerned, I always get back on the boat with a "safe" amount. And as far as the DM is concerned, I always have his minimum amount. If those two amounts differ, it's just my funky SPG that somehow reads low. And since by gauges read bar, I have no trouble with that explanation.

Or maybe "I had 600 at my last stop and then did you see all the bubbles? Must be a bad o-ring that went and flushed me down to 200."


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[Wookie]

They just care if you get back safely. Our boats are more like water taxis than baby sitting services.

I know you think this is true. Try explaining it to Capt Becky formerly of the Miss Lindsay at Lynnhaven Dive Center. She lives in your neck of the woods now, ever since the CG pulled her license. For failure to keep a proper watch on her divers.

 

[kwinter]

I knew you couldn't let the water taxi comment go, Frank. The CG issue with the Lindsey made that clear, but there were definite failures involved that went beyond keeping a proper watch on divers. I support the captains and crews of the boats I go on. Even taxi drivers need special licenses, and the vehicles require special inspections. Even more training required of boat crews. The term "water taxi" should not be used or viewed as an insult, but it is.


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[Wannabedivebum]

Maybe you should start using the rule of thirds while diving. Come up with 1000psi. However, do you feel like you are a skilled enough diver to quickly descend and retrieve your son when you are 15ft away? What about when that 15ft becomes 30ft? Divers can sink awfully fast. I am not a particularly strong advocate of the buddy system, but I feel like if you are going to use it, you should use it properly. SPG's have been known to be off by a few hundred psi and 500psi may not be as much as you think. Id recommend stick together until you are confident and skilled enough divers that you rely on yourself for rescue. Then you can let him play while you watch from the surface. Redundant/bailout gas is an option as well. Just my two cents. As for the dive boat, seems like charters are mostly baby sitting gigs these days and its hard to blame them. Its their boat. Their rules.

 

[Wookie]

I knew you couldn't let the water taxi comment go, Frank. The CG issue with the Lindsey made that clear, but there were definite failures involved that went beyond keeping a proper watch on divers. I support the captains and crews of the boats I go on. Even taxi drivers need special licenses, and the vehicles require special inspections. Even more training required of boat crews. The term "water taxi" should not be used or viewed as an insult, but it is.


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I have nothing against taxi drivers, unless they don't speak English enough to know where I want to go. I have had that problem more than once in New Jersey. Anyway, I have a problem with folks with a regular driver's license who get behind a wheel of a taxi and call themselves taxi drivers. As you say, taxi drivers are trained, licensed, and professional.

There are far too many "dive charters" who are just some guy with a boat, or just some guy with a license. A successful head boat captain (who are professional in their own field) knows nothing about taking 24 divers out and bringing them home again, and by the same token, I would never take a group out fishing. The term taxi driver does not apply to any of the guys I know on the Jersey shore (Rich and Dan and Jim and even Becky), who are consummate professionals.

 

[decompression]

Just scanned through the posts, I suggest you have a good look at "rock bottom". A realistic way of gas planning and not as arbitrary as return with 500 psi.


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[dytis-sm]

I think that in the interest of your son you should maintain a conservative structure in your diving including returning to the boat with what one would consider a safe reserve (read gas management rule of thirds). For younger divers who tend to "wonder off", developing good habits early is very important. So personally I think that any playing around should be done with both of you at a buddy distance and depth and while both of you are diving. You being in the surface with 200 psi, could not help him if he suddenly has an emergency and in a panic state you suck 200 psi trying to get to him. I think that this is what the DM was concerned the most...

 

[kwinter]

The term taxi driver does not apply to any of the guys I know on the Jersey shore (Rich and Dan and Jim and even Becky), who are consummate professionals.

Well, maybe Jim.....

 

[The Kraken]

The more air that the dive operation requires you to have in your tank at the end of a dive is directly proportional to the number of trips they can run per day.