Guided Dive cert card????

[ZenDiver.3D]

In Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, my tiny 10 year old daughter walked on board. They stared and then said how sorry they were that they didn't bring any small tanks for her. Haley looks up and says,"I dive an aluminum 80, how big is yours?" Then they grabbed her gear bag. She takes it away and says," Uh don't touch my gear, please. I set my gear. It's my life, my gear. You could lift the tank down for me though, it's really high."
I have never let anyone set or break down my gear. I don't let my Own DMs or instructors do it, why would I let a perfect stranger? I have seen too many small mistakes or breaks of equipment to trust others. At the end of the day, if they want my money, they will respect my wishes. I also have a policy on my own boats, that each diver Must set their own gear. If you can't set up your own gear, you don't need to dive with me.
Smile and just say, "no touchy" from now on.

 

[Thalassamania]

I set up my own gear, but I always appreciate someone else looking it over after I'm done.

 

[allistoy]

I never allow anyone under any condition touch my gear.

 

[devilkitty]

In Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, my tiny 10 year old daughter walked on board. They stared and then said how sorry they were that they didn't bring any small tanks for her. Haley looks up and says,"I dive an aluminum 80, how big is yours?" Then they grabbed her gear bag. She takes it away and says," Uh don't touch my gear, please. I set my gear. It's my life, my gear. You could lift the tank down for me though, it's really high."

Beautiful, absolutely beautiful; I'd love to have seen this.

Good for her.

 

[String]

My theory is that it was just another way to use up air and keep the dives short, so the boat could get back early.

You do realise just how little air that will use do you?!

Assume its a large BC so has 20kg lift (most have less). Thats about 20l of gas to fill.

An evil aluminium tank they use here holds 2318 litres of gas so 0.9% of tank capacity.

In real terms thats 1.7 bar. Assuming a normal air consumption that works out at about 15 seconds of gas on the surface. less at depth.



The fill test verifies the inflater works, its connected, it doesnt stick, it verifies the overpressure valve works and the bladder integrity. Its a vital test.

Nobody touches my gear, i know how i set it up, how i like it and how it works. Ive seen too many people so used to having it all done for them they dont know how to do it themselves, how to check their gear or how to recognise problems. Thats dangerous when they do eventually have to do it themselves.

Why would you WANT to dive gear set up by someone you hardly know?

 

[fnfalman]

I've never been on a dive vacation type setting before, but from the feedbacks of various divers that I talk to, setting up your rig for you is standard modus operandi. Actually, some of the people on SoCal dive boats complain that they had to set up their own rigs.

I suppose one could view that since one's on vacation and pay good money for it, then one should just relax and enjoy the activities.

As for me, diving is a fun hobby and part of the fun is getting fully involved in it as much as I can. So for me, I'd prefer to set up my own rig.

 

[rongoodman]

I've never been on a dive vacation type setting before, but from the feedbacks of various divers that I talk to, setting up your rig for you is standard modus operandi. Actually, some of the people on SoCal dive boats complain that they had to set up their own rigs.

I suppose one could view that since one's on vacation and pay good money for it, then one should just relax and enjoy the activities.

As for me, diving is a fun hobby and part of the fun is getting fully involved in it as much as I can. So for me, I'd prefer to set up my own rig.

I've only been on eight(?) trips to vacation locations, but I've never had an operator offer to set up my gear, let alone insist on it, which is fine with me.

 

[flots am]

Why would you want to do it before every dive ? Especially with a single tank where your BC would be nearly empty

If the DM did the check, he/she probably had suspicions about the whether or not the BC was functional or had some close calls (or worse) in the past. I don't know any DMs that are just bored and looking for extra stuff to do.

Also, I find it facinating that when a DM doesn't verify something, people are ready to jump up and throw him under the bus, but when the DM does does verify something, people still complain.

Flots

 

[fisheater]

The fundamental problem is that many (most?) of the vacation-only divers can't reliably set up their own gear. Watching a vacation-only diver set up their gear in a class setting is scary/humerous. Hence, vacation area DMs default to setting it up for everyone. It's faster and safer, overall. Alas, it's either unneeded or unwanted by us year-round divers. And, it doesn't do anything to teach vacation-only divers how to set up their gear.

 

[RikRaeder]

A lot of the vacation destinations I dive set up your gear for you on the boat. I have no problem with this, personally, as my gear is pretty tough, the guides are generally careful and thorough, and it doesn't take long to check it myself before the dive and make any small adjustments (they always put the tank too far down which spoils my trim).
I can totally understand them wanting to do it, especially on the smaller boats. On larger boats where the customers set their own tanks for dive 2, it quickly becomes a circus, and there are always some idiots banging their tanks into me or my wife (who usually sit where we think is out of the way and enjoy the show). On a smaller boat....well, I'd just hate to be a part of THAT. If the guide ever does anything that I don't like to my gear, I find that rather than being confrontational, a gentle word has always been sufficient. I've yet to meet a guide or deckhand who has failed to respect my wishes about my own property when politely communicated.

By the way, what's with the title to this thread? I thought it was about a sub-OW cert or something.