Have SB divers lost interest in GC?

[boulderjohn]

Every time that I've been there, we request that they break the group into two. One DM per group. Much more civil and easier to organize.

One of my friends went to the person in charge of diving and suggested that last night. She seemed puzzled. "That's our policy," she said. "That's why we have two people on the boat for the dives." Then she asked what boat we were on. Well, nothing changed today. Same old thing.

There is a big difference in ability in our group, with some nearly beginners and some pretty experienced. More importantly, we have some of the rudest divers I have seen in my scuba lifetime. I have seen situations on several occasions in which a line of people are progressing through a crevasse in a normal method, only to have a guy (followed by his wife) whiz past them underneath, with a Go Pro camera and lights in front of him. Then he ascends through the line, without regard for whomever he is cutting off.

I mentioned that the normal procedure for getting off the boat takes forever. The idea is that people are supposed to go to the back of the boat and sit down. A crew member goes to their where they site, retrieves the BCD, and brings it to them, putting it on them while they put their fins on and while everyone else stands in line waiting their turn. As for me, I walk to the stern with my BP/W already on, put my fins on while standing at the edge, and hop in. I have never seen anyone else do that. They haven't stopped me from doing that so far.

I usually choose to go in first or last, and on the second dive today I saw no one was ready to go so I went to the stern and got in. I dropped down on a shallow wall to a depth of about 15 feet and waited while everyone else got in, taking the usual 7-8 minutes. As I was waiting, a group of about 3 dropped right on top of me, one of them thrashing my head soundly with his fins. I got away as soon as I could.

As I said earlier, I like to hang back away from that crowd, and I learned today there is very much a limit to that. As I was following the group, I ducked under a nice overhang, going a bit deeper than the announced limit to the dive. (Shame on me!!) The trail DM came behind me and grabbed at my wrist to let me know I was violating a sacred rule. I started a diagonal ascent toward the group at a normal ascent rate. I was maybe 15 feet away from the mass of humanity when he came up behind me again, grabbed my elbow and pulled at me to come up.

I have done a lot of dives all over the world, and I have never been treated like that. As beautiful as the reefs are here, this place gets no more of my business.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @boulderjohn

I have only dived twice at LCBR. 2010 and 2014. I was treated nothing like you have been. We generally dived independently, but sometime with the group. I would also find the diving you experienced unacceptable.

 

[Joneill]

Hi @boulderjohn

I have only dived twice at LCBR. 2010 and 2014. I was treated nothing like you have been. We generally dived independently, but sometime with the group. I would also find the diving you experienced unacceptable.

Same here - in September, we had 2 groups on all dives and loosely followed the DM.

The DM’s only led for about 30 minutes and then brought you back and showed you the boat - after that, you were on your own for the next 30 minutes or so. Max depth was 100 but I hit 110 on 4 dives (brief excursion) and caught no grief.

 

[Doctorfish]

I've dived at LCBR many times and have never felt compelled to dive with the group. Our routine is to get in the water and do our own thing. As long as you let the DM know before hand and are back at the boat within the time limit and don't exceed NDLs, no sweat. Over the years we have been lost a few times at Jackson's sites but a quick pop up to locate the boat solves the problem. As long as you don't act like an idiot, you are free to dive independently.

The trick to get off the boat quickly is to take the "middle seat". None of the old codgers can get up with a tank from that low position. Middle seat is always open.

The dive Boulderjohn was alluding to off the west end is confusing with tricky current, iffy vis and multiple coral fingers. They don't dive it often. I've been on that dive twice and didn't particularly like it.

 

[tridacna]

The trick to get off the boat quickly is to take the "middle seat". None of the old codgers can get up with a tank from that low position. Middle seat is always open.

How does this help? They bring your gear to the front for you.

 

[Joneill]

How does this help? They bring your gear to the front for you.

My buddies and I often just geared up at our seats, walked back and jumped in while they were "valeting" others - no sense waiting and the crew did not mind. I always let them grab my gear after coming up the ladder and put it back at my station when coming out though.

 

[Johnoly]

... grabbed at my wrist to let me know I was violating a sacred rule.

Yea,,, we have no tipping rules too when grabbed underwater.
Are they criticizing your gear yet?

 

[cgills]

One of my friends went to the person in charge of diving and suggested that last night. She seemed puzzled. "That's our policy," she said. "That's why we have two people on the boat for the dives." Then she asked what boat we were on. Well, nothing changed today. Same old thing.

There is a big difference in ability in our group, with some nearly beginners and some pretty experienced. More importantly, we have some of the rudest divers I have seen in my scuba lifetime. I have seen situations on several occasions in which a line of people are progressing through a crevasse in a normal method, only to have a guy (followed by his wife) whiz past them underneath, with a Go Pro camera and lights in front of him. Then he ascends through the line, without regard for whomever he is cutting off.

I mentioned that the normal procedure for getting off the boat takes forever. The idea is that people are supposed to go to the back of the boat and sit down. A crew member goes to their where they site, retrieves the BCD, and brings it to them, putting it on them while they put their fins on and while everyone else stands in line waiting their turn. As for me, I walk to the stern with my BP/W already on, put my fins on while standing at the edge, and hop in. I have never seen anyone else do that. They haven't stopped me from doing that so far.

I usually choose to go in first or last, and on the second dive today I saw no one was ready to go so I went to the stern and got in. I dropped down on a shallow wall to a depth of about 15 feet and waited while everyone else got in, taking the usual 7-8 minutes. As I was waiting, a group of about 3 dropped right on top of me, one of them thrashing my head soundly with his fins. I got away as soon as I could.

As I said earlier, I like to hang back away from that crowd, and I learned today there is very much a limit to that. As I was following the group, I ducked under a nice overhang, going a bit deeper than the announced limit to the dive. (Shame on me!!) The trail DM came behind me and grabbed at my wrist to let me know I was violating a sacred rule. I started a diagonal ascent toward the group at a normal ascent rate. I was maybe 15 feet away from the mass of humanity when he came up behind me again, grabbed my elbow and pulled at me to come up.

I have done a lot of dives all over the world, and I have never been treated like that. As beautiful as the reefs are here, this place gets no more of my business.

And this is why I preferred diving with Southern Cross, when diving LC. I felt as though I was treated as the experienced diver I am, and not as a discovery diver.

 

[kensuf]

Interesting, I was on Grand Cayman, staying next door to Lighthouse Point (at the Living the Dream condos, aka Ocean Cabana), the first week of May myself. Dives we did were over in West Bay and included Ghost Mountain, Eagle Ray Pass, Hepps Wall (aka Funkytown).

I found the reefs to be in pretty good shape with healthy corals and sponges. The downside is they are fished out from big pelagics (grouper? for the love of god wouldn't it be nice to see grouper?), but that has been the case for 20 years and I guess I'm just used to it.

Hope the dives in LC were better for you. The Brac is definitely better than GC for fish, but GC wins in the nightlife options - I can take my wife to a decent restaurant every day of the week.

 

[drrich2]

My buddies and I often just geared up at our seats, walked back and jumped in while they were "valeting" others - no sense waiting and the crew did not mind.

My Little Cayman dives were from the Cayman Aggressor IV years ago, so I haven't seen the LCBR boats in action. Reading what you guys say about the 'workflow' of walking to the exit and giant striding in has me wondering...

Would it be practical for a couple of divers going on their own to just back roll in from their seats? It'd save walking through other people. No idea if this is feasible, just asking.