Guided diving for advanced divers

[MB NZ]

Just back from a long trip to the Mediterranean and Red Sea. Did a mixture of shore, day boat and liveaboard diving. Shore diving was mainly solo and dived with both large and small groups on boats. A lot of it was wonderful, but I didn't particularly enjoy the group diving and especially with larger groups. All divers where highly competent so that wasn't the problem. Being guided around like a sheep just doesn't do it for me anymore. Ironically, I was a dive guide 20 years and have had someone wonderful dives with guides as a customer in the past. These tended to be slow moving dives in small groups looking for macro life. To put this in context, I'm a solo diver at heart and do a lot of independent diving either from my own boat or friend's boats. Just coming up to 1000 dives.The magic has gone and don't think I'd book another dive holiday again, but if I did, group sizes and guiding policy would be discussed well in advance. Anyone else have similar feelings? Any other thoughts?

 

[Lorenzoid]

I recently visited a Caribbean resort where, for the first time in several years, I was shepherded as part of a group of 6-10 divers. Some, especially with cameras, had terrible awareness of where other divers were around them, oblivious to where they put their fin tips, etc. I didn't like it, but sometimes it's the only practical option. I was spoiled on my Bali trip some years ago where my wife and I had a private guide everywhere we went, and most diving was from shore. That's hard to find.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @MB NZ

Much of the diving I do is drift diving in SE Florida. The operators I dive with in Boynton Beach do not put a guide in the water, most of my diving is solo, and I carry a flag. The 3 operators I use most in Palm Beach and Jupiter put a guide in the water with a flag but you can surface on your own on your DSMB. Sometimes I end near the guide, much of the time I surface on my own.

 

[MB NZ]

My experience after 11 years away from diving in those places is that things have tightened up. Last time I dived the Brother Islands, Red Sea (site for advanced divers only and I don't mean PADI AOW), everyone jumped in together from the big boat or RIB, you did your dive as a buddy pair, put up a DSMB when you were done and a RIB came and retrieved you. None of that this time. In/out as a group.

 

[MB NZ]

I didn't like it, but sometimes it's the only practical option.

I'm pretty clear in my mind now that I rather just not dive.

I was spoiled on my Bali trip some years ago where my wife and I had a private guide everywhere we went, and most diving was from shore. That's hard to find.

I would consider a private guide on my next trip. One of the things that cocked up organisation on my recent liveaboard was that two young lads booked a private guide. Good for them, especially as they needed a little in-water coaching. Problem was that the company didn't put another guide on the boat to compensate, so remaining groups where large.

 

[Lorenzoid]

My experience after 11 years away from diving in those places is that things have tightened up. Last time I dived the Brother Islands, Red Sea (site for advanced divers only and I don't mean PADI AOW), everyone jumped in together from the big boat or RIB, you did your dive as a buddy pair, put up a DSMB when you were done and a RIB came and retrieved you. None of that this time. In/out as a group.

We were allowed to dive relatively independently, getting picked up as a buddy pair by the RIB, etc., on my 2017 BDE trip aboard the Red Sea Aggressor.

 

[Tribal]

My experience after 11 years away from diving in those places is that things have tightened up. Last time I dived the Brother Islands, Red Sea (site for advanced divers only and I don't mean PADI AOW), everyone jumped in together from the big boat or RIB, you did your dive as a buddy pair, put up a DSMB when you were done and a RIB came and retrieved you. None of that this time. In/out as a group.

Might be the operator, my wife and me are always allowed to dive as 2.

 

[MB NZ]

Yeah, could just be bad luck. Had suboptimal experiences in two different countries with two different companies within days of each other.

 

[The Chairman]

Being guided around like a sheep just doesn't do it for me anymore.

Yeah. Count me out on those too.

I dive to explore at my own pace. I don't see another eel, or other critter du jour pointed out for our collective benefit, and then have to wait my turn to snap a pic like all the other pics in the group.

 

[scubadada]

We were allowed to dive relatively independently, getting picked up as a buddy pair by the RIB, etc., on my 2017 BDE trip aboard the Red Sea Aggressor.

I did back to back weeks, St Johns/Daedalus and BDE, on the RSA I in 2016. We were also allowed to dive as a buddy pair with pickup by the RIB. I was very lucky and had a great buddy from Australia for both weeks. We were very well matched.