Expectations on a dive boat

[Wookie]

Lived in St. Lucia, and was paid in $EC. I got that stuff down.

 

[RJP]

Lived in St. Lucia, and was paid in $EC. I got that stuff down.

Woo hoo - a 260% raise!

Nice!

 

[ski&dive]

what do you expect as a standard/baseline service from the dive operator and crew on a dive boat?

 

[shoredivr]

Personally I don't see what the big fuss is letting someone take your gear and then to help set it up for you. For all those diver's saying that the gear is your life support underwater and only you can set it up correctly does that mean the rest of us vacation divers can't tell the difference from the first stage and the second stage? I wouldn't notice that the BC was mounted on the tank upside down? Seriously, we are all supposed to be that lame? As a diver it is my responsibility to double check and ensure that the gear was mounted correctly. First stage is on the tank properly and not upside down. Even when they assemble the kit the tanks are not turned on until we reach the dive site so it's ultimately my responsibility to turn on my own tank anyways and then buddy check to make sure my buddy's is on too. You are supposed to check your primary and secondary regs that they are working as well. None of that changes because someone else put the gear on for you.

Ok, I'll bite. I travel with my own gear including wing/harness and regs. On a day boat in Maui a crew member offered to set up my gear, as that was the service they offered. I usually prefer to do this myself, so I said no thanks. I put my wing/harness down in front of the tank and went back for my gear bag. When I came back a crew member had attempted to put the wing/harness on the tank anyway. They were obviously not familiar with the gear, which was not a standard jacket BC, or the fact that there were two cam bands, because only one was latched (buckle not Velcro strap). Plus the cam bands were still set up for my larger diameter steel tank from back home, so the wing/harness wasn't securely tight on the tank at all. I'd been expecting to adjust the cam band anyway before putting the wing on the tank, knowing the aluminum tank was smaller.

If I'd just accepted this "helpful" unasked for set-up without checking, the tank would have slid out of the harness. Not a huge deal but not helpful at all.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Is there the chance that they just wanted to have your gear with an assigned tank?

 

[shoredivr]

Yes, and I was at that tank.

 

[Roatan Joe]

Ok, I'll bite. I travel with my own gear including wing/harness and regs. On a day boat in Maui a crew member offered to set up my gear, as that was the service they offered. I usually prefer to do this myself, so I said no thanks. I put my wing/harness down in front of the tank and went back for my gear bag. When I came back a crew member had attempted to put the wing/harness on the tank anyway. They were obviously not familiar with the gear, which was not a standard jacket BC, or the fact that there were two cam bands, because only one was latched (buckle not Velcro strap). Plus the cam bands were still set up for my larger diameter steel tank from back home, so the wing/harness wasn't securely tight on the tank at all. I'd been expecting to adjust the cam band anyway before putting the wing on the tank, knowing the aluminum tank was smaller.

If I'd just accepted this "helpful" unasked for set-up without checking, the tank would have slid out of the harness. Not a huge deal but not helpful at all.

I really think that sort of stuff is common. At least it is when I dive. A couple of weeks ago in Cozumel I found that the DM failed to attach my LPI hose. No big deal since I always do pre-dive equipment checks and discovered it before getting in the water.. On another dive I discovered that he failed to put 3 lbs. of weight in one of my weight pockets. Again, I discovered it during my pre-dive equipment check. I have honestly just come to expect that that sort of stuff and I don't let boat crews come between me and my time to double check my kit before I splash.

---------- Post added November 15th, 2014 at 11:06 PM ----------

The other reason to tip everyday is that the folks helping you may well change from one day to the next. You'd hate for some guy who happened to be there for one day - the last day of your trip - get a week's worth of tip money, while the guy who was there for six days - and Friday off - get nothing.

I tip each day, but for another reason. I want them to get immediate feedback if I didn't like their service. If they don't provide a good service on a particular day, their tip or lack of it reflects it. My tip isn't automatic, it's earned. I have found they get motivated really fast to do better the next day if they miss getting tipped one day.

---------- Post added November 15th, 2014 at 11:19 PM ----------

The captain is the only guy on the boat actually getting paid. He either owns the boat, or is getting paid by the guy that owns the boat. No need to tip him.

Are you talking about in the N.E. USA? That is certainly not correct everywhere.. Often times in the Caribbean, the DM/Instructors are expected to share tips with the Captain.. And I know that DM/Instructors get paid per tank by the diveshop in many places for leading dives.