Have SB divers lost interest in GC?
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AdivingBel
Diver
Been to LCBR multiple times and found Reef Divers' system of getting divers off & on the boat to be efficient and organized...some of the easiest boat diving I've encountered. The first day, morning 2-tank can go a bit slower, but once the divers become accustomed to the crew's instructions and the crew learns "their" divers, the rest of the week is generally a breeze. All IMHO, YMMV.
AggieDiver
Contributor
Couple of things. Ron's Rocks as several have said is not a site that is dived very often, mainly because the seas and currents at the west end of the island can be pretty screwy and change quickly with little notice. So things have to be pretty calm before they will even attempt it. With a newish DM, who may not have dived the site very often, it isn't surprising they may have gotten turned a bit if the current kicked up from an unexpected direction.
Regarding getting on and off the boat, if you want more freedom, get in the water first and leave the area before the DM drops in. I will typically be ready to go with mask around my neck and fins in hand by the time the brief is finished so I can drop into the middle seat as soon as they say the pool is open. You can follow their suggested path from the briefing if you want to do the swimthroughs or you can go do your own thing. My experience has been that if you are staying with the group and following the DMs, you will get more attention from them than if you head off and do your own thing.
As far as them grabbing you underwater, if they took your path as "ignoring" their instruction to come back above the max depth, I can see them being upset, but on the other hand, my personal experience is to never have an argument under water. They should have addressed it with you back on the boat and grabbing underwater should be a last resort for divers in serious danger.
They are generally very relaxed about most of the guidelines, but the max depths for the 2nd and 3rd dives in particular are something they are somewhat serious about. If the max is supposed to be 60 and you drift down to 65 for a minute or two, they are unlikely to say anything, but if the max is 50 and you are at 75, expect to get their attention. Once you are on their radar like that, you can expect more attention for the next few dives. Having a quiet discussion on the dock to explain what you were doing is a good way to defuse some of that.
What one of the posters was talking about regarding the "middle seat" being quicker is that there are two bench seats at the back corners and then there is the small step down on the deck between the two ladders. That small step in the middle is the "middle seat" he was talking about. Generally, the older and/or less fit divers will take the bench seats at the corner and most will shy away from the middle seat entry because it can take a little more effort to stand up. I have seen a few times where divers that were known to the DMs (usually local residents or former employees back to visit) were allowed to do a stride or back roll off the step at the side, but I have never seen them allow a typical guest to do that. If you are looking to do something different than what they have planned for entry into the water, my advice is just to talk it over with them ahead of time so you don't catch them by surprise. Most of them are pretty accommodating if they understand what and why you are trying to do differently.
Regarding getting on and off the boat, if you want more freedom, get in the water first and leave the area before the DM drops in. I will typically be ready to go with mask around my neck and fins in hand by the time the brief is finished so I can drop into the middle seat as soon as they say the pool is open. You can follow their suggested path from the briefing if you want to do the swimthroughs or you can go do your own thing. My experience has been that if you are staying with the group and following the DMs, you will get more attention from them than if you head off and do your own thing.
As far as them grabbing you underwater, if they took your path as "ignoring" their instruction to come back above the max depth, I can see them being upset, but on the other hand, my personal experience is to never have an argument under water. They should have addressed it with you back on the boat and grabbing underwater should be a last resort for divers in serious danger.
They are generally very relaxed about most of the guidelines, but the max depths for the 2nd and 3rd dives in particular are something they are somewhat serious about. If the max is supposed to be 60 and you drift down to 65 for a minute or two, they are unlikely to say anything, but if the max is 50 and you are at 75, expect to get their attention. Once you are on their radar like that, you can expect more attention for the next few dives. Having a quiet discussion on the dock to explain what you were doing is a good way to defuse some of that.
What one of the posters was talking about regarding the "middle seat" being quicker is that there are two bench seats at the back corners and then there is the small step down on the deck between the two ladders. That small step in the middle is the "middle seat" he was talking about. Generally, the older and/or less fit divers will take the bench seats at the corner and most will shy away from the middle seat entry because it can take a little more effort to stand up. I have seen a few times where divers that were known to the DMs (usually local residents or former employees back to visit) were allowed to do a stride or back roll off the step at the side, but I have never seen them allow a typical guest to do that. If you are looking to do something different than what they have planned for entry into the water, my advice is just to talk it over with them ahead of time so you don't catch them by surprise. Most of them are pretty accommodating if they understand what and why you are trying to do differently.
Doctorfish
Contributor
The middle seat is exactly as Aggie described. Because it is a bit harder to stand from this spot, the older divers tend to line up for the bench seats at the corners. The middle seat is often vacant and the DMs will ask if anyone wants it. Using this tactic usually gets you off the boat early.
I'm not sure what the big deal is about getting off the boat first anyway. If you do and are staying with the group, you are just going to burn through your air at the bottom of the mooring waiting for the last one in or the diver who can't equalize. If you are not going with the group, you are still going to get all your bottom time in.
The DMs frown on people walking to the back or side exit of the boat in full gear and striding off because,
1) they are worried about slip and fall
2) they do a visual check on every diver before they go in; that their gear looks correct, their mouthpiece is in, that they have a full tank and that it is turned on.
As a bonus, they will hand you your camera gear in the water which is less traumatic than jumping in with it.
Even though I am an experienced diver, I always feel reassured that the DMs are checking on me and all the others on the boat. Every once in a while, someone tries to get in the water with their air off, their tank sliding out, or without an essential piece of gear.
I'm not sure what the big deal is about getting off the boat first anyway. If you do and are staying with the group, you are just going to burn through your air at the bottom of the mooring waiting for the last one in or the diver who can't equalize. If you are not going with the group, you are still going to get all your bottom time in.
The DMs frown on people walking to the back or side exit of the boat in full gear and striding off because,
1) they are worried about slip and fall
2) they do a visual check on every diver before they go in; that their gear looks correct, their mouthpiece is in, that they have a full tank and that it is turned on.
As a bonus, they will hand you your camera gear in the water which is less traumatic than jumping in with it.
Even though I am an experienced diver, I always feel reassured that the DMs are checking on me and all the others on the boat. Every once in a while, someone tries to get in the water with their air off, their tank sliding out, or without an essential piece of gear.
AggieDiver
Contributor
My wife and I almost never follow the group unless it is a new site we are unfamiliar with. We have seen all the usual sites on the BBW many times and know generally what we want to go see. So getting off the boat first lets us get where we want to go ahead of the thundering herd and gives us a better chance to approach shy denizens of the reef with a chance to not scare them away. Also, being first off and last on can allow you to get a longer dive if your air allows without drawing the ire of the DMs.
I'm sitting here at the GTYC waiting for my flight so it's a good time to jot down my impressions of the East End reef conditions as I mentioned I would in a post a few weeks ago.
I dove 23 different sites this last week covering almost the entire "horseshoe" of sites from Old Man Bay on the North Side around the East End to Frank Sound on the south.
With the exception of two sites (Cinderella's Castle and Big House...each had a large single patch in the shallows under the boat in addition to scattered small patches), there was bleaching to some extent on every site...typically scattered small patches here and there. However, I didn't see anything as drastic as shown in the two Little Cayman videos @Joneill posted. Bleaching was worse, but not excessively so, than what I saw on Little Cayman a few months ago in Feb. I saw very little algae growing on the bleached patches.
The minimum temp my computer recorded over the course of 25 dives was 83F with the lowest average temp being 83.3. Puttering around under the boat/safety stop temps were typically 85F. With about four months to go before temps peak in Sep/Oct things aren't looking hospitable for coral again this year.
Compass Point/Ocean Frontiers runs a great operation. I had a fantastic week and hope to get back before the year is over...fingers crossed the reef won't get totally slammed.
I dove 23 different sites this last week covering almost the entire "horseshoe" of sites from Old Man Bay on the North Side around the East End to Frank Sound on the south.
With the exception of two sites (Cinderella's Castle and Big House...each had a large single patch in the shallows under the boat in addition to scattered small patches), there was bleaching to some extent on every site...typically scattered small patches here and there. However, I didn't see anything as drastic as shown in the two Little Cayman videos @Joneill posted. Bleaching was worse, but not excessively so, than what I saw on Little Cayman a few months ago in Feb. I saw very little algae growing on the bleached patches.
The minimum temp my computer recorded over the course of 25 dives was 83F with the lowest average temp being 83.3. Puttering around under the boat/safety stop temps were typically 85F. With about four months to go before temps peak in Sep/Oct things aren't looking hospitable for coral again this year.
Compass Point/Ocean Frontiers runs a great operation. I had a fantastic week and hope to get back before the year is over...fingers crossed the reef won't get totally slammed.
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