Guided Dive cert card????

[mistressmotorsports]

My rig is pretty standard, non tech, and easy to set up. It's a BC, reg with standard octo, and a hose mounted spg/compass. Not much to screw up. I have no problem letting the guides set my gear up. I always double check it thoroughly afterwards. I even let the dive op load the weights if they offer. I just tell them how much goes where. In Coz, once I brought my gear to the boat, I never touched it again until the end of the week. The dive op set it up, rinsed it at night, etc. The only thing I took back to the hotel at night was my computer, which was also my wrist watch anyway. Never had a problem, certainly not worse than any mistake I ever made myself. That's why double checking and buddy checks are a good idea.

As for the original topic, I always ask about the boat's policies before booking. If I don't like them, I just go find another operator. The only exception was in the Bahamas where the choices of operators were limited We had a couple dive shortened by the boat's need to be back for the afternoon schedule. Even there, though, my daughter and I just decided to be the last ones back on the boat.

Mike

 

[RikRaeder]

If you go outside the USA and carribean its unheard of to find someone setting your gear up for you. Its always do it yourself.

Places where its done "for you" are very very rare and usually restricted to N.American market.

Not true. Palau, Fiji, Philippines, Saipan, Okinawa...in all of these places it is the norm for the guides to change gear over on the boat. In my experience, some places have you set up your gear before going out, and some do THAT for you as well. I mostly dive at places aimed towards the Japanese and European markets, so it's not so rare as you may think. I believe that most operators see this as a service to the customer, and also as a way to keep the boat from getting too crazy with everyone trying to change over at the same time in a limited space.

Instead of jumping on someone who "touches your gear," why not treat it as unwanted service instead? When the waitress brings water to my table, I don't jump up and bite her head off because I drink beer with dinner! I know, I know;
"My gear is my life underwater and I rely on it and don't want anyone else messing with it!!!!"
Get over it. Your gear is tougher than you think and will only be damaged by the most negligent of boat hands. If you can't be bothered to politely decline an offered service OR check out your gear for a minute before your dive maybe you need to charter a private craft for you and your friends.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

If you go outside the USA and carribean its unheard of to find someone setting your gear up for you. Its always do it yourself.

Places where its done "for you" are very very rare and usually restricted to N.American market.

Not so ... we experienced it in Indonesia, and there's more Europeans and Australians diving there than Americans ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[diverrex]

When I'm on a dive vacation I prefer an op that offers "valet" dive services and sets up my gear, then cleans and stores it for me overnight. I'm on vacation so I don't mind people taking care of me. Of course I always check it and usually make some minor adjustments. Never once have I had anyone do anything stupid with it. And truthfully it's not so much the setting up the gear I like, that's no big deal to do, it's the cleaning and storing afterwards I like. I prefer being able to get back to the dock and just jump off the boat with a "see you tomorrow" and the crew does the rest as I head to rest of my vacation pleasure. I'm aware they probably won't clean my gear as well as I do, but I'll probably end up replacing it before it wears out anyhow so I don't get hung up on that. But I tend to use high quality six pack type ops with very experienced crew. I'm not so sure I'd have the same attitude if I used some high volume cattle boat with barely experienced crew.

 

[Gilldiver]

I’d love to see what they would do with my 1959 DA Aqua Master with a Phoenix Nozzle (PRAM set up) and Scuba Pro R109 adjustable (converted to a balanced adjustable) octo? Think any of these DM’s have ever seen a double hose reg outside a rerun of Sea Hunt?

OK, here is a story, one of my buddies was down in the Bahamas for work, he is a commercial diver doing a harbor job, and decided to take a few quick dives rec dives outside of the harbor and went with a local shop and with 100% rental gear. On the boat the gear was set up for them and he went through his normal checks and found that his 2nd stage would not hold a vacuum when he breathed in with the air off indicating a diaphragm problem. So he opened up the case and found that the diaphragm was folded over in one corner and fixed it in full sight of the boats DM’s. Right after that another diver near him asked him to check their reg and he found the exact same thing. At this he was asked not to be “damaging” the shops equipment and the nuckler bomb went off. All he could imagine is that they had a bunch of mickied regs on board to give out to divers who they though might go long on air and keep them from getting back to the dock quickly.

 

[highdesert]

Almost all of our diving is in the Indo-Pacific, and most opertaions will set up your gear. Or, they will have you set it up once, so they see how you want it done, then return it to this state as they tend gear and tanks during a trip or stay at a resort. If they set it up initially, I watch with one eye from a distance, and I always re-check my gear before diving. Bear in mind that this is a part of the world where the locals do almost everything with a smile on their face, and they're proud of their livelihood. I take good care of my gear, and I'm very particular about checking it out before a dive, but if I go in with a "touch my gear and you die!" attitude, it's not a good way to start a trip.

 

[fjpatrum]

I did this check the day before. Prior to getting on the boat. But I don't like to leave it fully inflated.

If it's the shop's policy to have it checked on the boat it doesn't really matter if you had done the check or not. That doesn't relieve the DM of the responsibility of asking your permission to check it or have you check it so they can witness it, but they don't know what you have and haven't done unless they've witnessed it.

As for leaving a BC fully inflated, why would any check require that? Inflate, check valves, deflate. Simple process.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

Not true. Palau, Fiji, Philippines, Saipan, Okinawa...in all of these places it is the norm for the guides to change gear over on the boat. In my experience, some places have you set up your gear before going out, and some do THAT for you as well. I mostly dive at places aimed towards the Japanese and European markets, so it's not so rare as you may think. I believe that most operators see this as a service to the customer, and also as a way to keep the boat from getting too crazy with everyone trying to change over at the same time in a limited space.

Instead of jumping on someone who "touches your gear," why not treat it as unwanted service instead? When the waitress brings water to my table, I don't jump up and bite her head off because I drink beer with dinner! I know, I know;
"My gear is my life underwater and I rely on it and don't want anyone else messing with it!!!!".

Extra Service like taking away your meal and beer when you where 1/2 done. Similar to ending a dive when you are not close to NDLs or Gas Supply? Interesting take.

If the procedures would have been closer on Tuesday as they where on Monday I would also be more understanding.

Get over it. Your gear is tougher than you think and will only be damaged by the most negligent of boat hands. If you can't be bothered to politely decline an offered service OR check out your gear for a minute before your dive maybe you need to charter a private craft for you and your friends.

If the DM would have asked I probably would be ok with it. Also if the DM would not have treated my mouth piece that way I would appreciate that too.

 

[String]

As for leaving a BC fully inflated, why would any check require that?

To check the bladder for leaks.

 

[AndrewA]

Setting up my gear is an important part of my predive routine. My dive bag is packed in a way that allows me to easily set up my gear. When I get on the dive boat the first thing I do is my gear set up (including analysing gas etc.). Once I have eeverything ste up (which includes testin inflator,regs etc) I fully inflate the BC and then close the the cyllinder valve and bleed the regs down to 50 bar. When I am about to dive I check the SPG to ensure there have been no leaks and make sure that the BC has stayed inflated.
I have no problem with a dive operation checking my gear before I dive but would not want them setting it up. Similarly I like to change my own tanks between dives (I usually have that done before the "DM" is back on the boat!