mikeycanuk
Contributor
How was the Bilikiki? We are going this July.
How do I find a liveaboard that will let me dive MY way?
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One of the problems I've seen is divers overestimating their skill level. Recently I was on a LDS organized trip to Cozumel. One of the divers blew his safety stop on every dive, whacked the coral on each dive, kept bumping into divers as he tried to wedge in to see things and was either over or under weighted on each dive. When anyone complained to him about his conduct, it was always someone else's fault. The dive master gave him too much/too little weight, he wanted to see things so he had to bump into people, weighting problems caused his blown safety stops, etc. And all the while, after diving, he went on and on about his experiences in his long diving career.
I tend to underestimate my capabilities since I don't get to dive as often as I like. I prefer to hang out with the dive master for at least the first day of diving to make sure my weight is correct, I have on the right amount of exposure suit and basically have my head on straight. Since I had not dived in tropical water for some time before the CZM trip, I left my camera in the room the first day of diving just so I wouldn't have too many things to think about. I felt pretty good at the end of our trip when the dive master came up to me and told me that he felt I could do any dive I wanted, and he'd love to dive with me again (and the tips had already been given out anonymously prior to his comments). I suspect that the fact that he and I were pretty much the last two divers out of the water on most of the dives had something to do with his comments.
I tend to underestimate my capabilities since I don't get to dive as often as I like. I prefer to hang out with the dive master for at least the first day of diving to make sure my weight is correct, I have on the right amount of exposure suit and basically have my head on straight. Since I had not dived in tropical water for some time before the CZM trip, I left my camera in the room the first day of diving just so I wouldn't have too many things to think about. I felt pretty good at the end of our trip when the dive master came up to me and told me that he felt I could do any dive I wanted, and he'd love to dive with me again (and the tips had already been given out anonymously prior to his comments). I suspect that the fact that he and I were pretty much the last two divers out of the water on most of the dives had something to do with his comments.
One of the reasons my wife and I always travel with our LDS is the ability to deal with "issues" in a straight up way. We were experiencing the same sort of "bumping into people to take photos" behavior as ASA400 described above. I talked to our owner, he then addressed the whole group with a new rule. When something is spotted by the guide, non-photographers get first look, then photographers can have at it. A few other new rules had to be implemented (even with the guide being told to never touch anything ever even to give someone a better shot). On many of our trips, we have the whole boat or whole resort. When not, we invite all to be part of our group if they wish and always move around during meals to get to know everyone. I have heard horror stories about bad behavior on boats and at resorts. Our LDS owner speaks for all of us and does a great job of solving "issues". That's why for scuba trips, it's always with the LDS...we really like the group. Other types of trips, just us.
Rob
Rob
BDSC
Contributor
Same here. We have a group of friends that travel together and I always charter the entire boat for liveaboards. That way we know everyone who is going to be on the boat and can weed out from past experiences those folks who aren't a good fit for our group. This has worked out great and I find that when one group has the entire boat, the captain seems more flexible about what is allowed, within reason of course.
But the best thing about booking the entire boat is the discounts we all enjoy. This past November we were on the Rocio Del Mar going to the Socorro Islands. List price was $3295. With the two free spots we earned as a group and our commission, I was able to discount everyones price by $500 for a final price of $2795 and I was able to cover the cost of the hotel the night before the trip for everyone.
BDSC, I should dive with you. 
Our LDS keeps the freebies and 10% group pay-back from the boat/resort. However, he deserves it because he really is the trip leader and makes sure evreyone is taken care of at every turn. The worst story I ever heard was one poor guy ending up on a boat in the Maldives with everyone else part of a group speaking a language he didn't understand, they paid no attention to him at all and the started drinking after lunch so no afternoon dives. After many compliants to the live-a-board owner, he was refunded his money. I advise all of my students, if you book a live-aboard by yourself or with a buddy/spouse/significant other, ask about who else has signed up. If everyone else if from a group, think twice, but also think about reaching out to them to to see if you'll be compatible.
Live-a-board trips can be amazing, but can, in rare instances, be a nightmare. None of us want that. Operators and other guests need to think about everyone on the boat and their needs. I know, easier said than done.
Rob
Our LDS keeps the freebies and 10% group pay-back from the boat/resort. However, he deserves it because he really is the trip leader and makes sure evreyone is taken care of at every turn. The worst story I ever heard was one poor guy ending up on a boat in the Maldives with everyone else part of a group speaking a language he didn't understand, they paid no attention to him at all and the started drinking after lunch so no afternoon dives. After many compliants to the live-a-board owner, he was refunded his money. I advise all of my students, if you book a live-aboard by yourself or with a buddy/spouse/significant other, ask about who else has signed up. If everyone else if from a group, think twice, but also think about reaching out to them to to see if you'll be compatible. Live-a-board trips can be amazing, but can, in rare instances, be a nightmare. None of us want that. Operators and other guests need to think about everyone on the boat and their needs. I know, easier said than done.
Rob
BDSC
Contributor
What I tell all my friends is that I am the "trip organizer" and not the "trip leader". I pay just like everyone else so I tell them if they have a problem with the resort or the liveaboard, talk to them. Knock on wood, we have never really had a problem that was of any significance and pretty much everyone in our group is mature enough to handle things on their own. (Mature enough means we are all older 
) I do have to make a decision now and then like do they move the boat to another location or do folks want to dive at the current location another day.
But all in all I have been lucky to have really great folks on all our trips. I have a trip coming up to Little Cayman in August and will have 4 SB members on that trip I have never met so I'm looking forward to that.
) I do have to make a decision now and then like do they move the boat to another location or do folks want to dive at the current location another day. But all in all I have been lucky to have really great folks on all our trips. I have a trip coming up to Little Cayman in August and will have 4 SB members on that trip I have never met so I'm looking forward to that.
Thailand Divers
Registered
To be honest there are none. Or no respectable operation will let divers just jump in the water on their own. 1. they dont know the area, dont know the currents or the dive sites in any way. A divemaster may be only half your age but he will have done 100s of dives in that location compared to your zero. What you need is an experienced dive master above 40 who can just take care of you and you wife. He can let you do your thing but just be there to guide you to the correct pick up location at the correct time but at your own pace. I agree many young dive masters see it as them running a tour rather than an explore as we all want different things form a dive. What I would do will be do a live aboard but ask for your own experienced guide. This way the boat will take you too different locations for each dive but your "group" will be you and your wife with 1 d/m just for you. On live aboards that visit many locations have to have set times in and out so they can hit certain locations when the tide is slack. By delaying departure from some locations will mean the next location will be reached too late as some sites are not good when there is strong current. This is why you need a dive master for you so you can not be part of a group, go at your own pace, the d/m can let you get the best of a dive site and by not being a kid will make sure the exit points and times are correct for you to not delay the boat or for you to be rushed. Similan Islands Liveaboard. Talk with these guys and just ask for and experienced instructor to go with you. Its will only cost a small amount extra for a private guide and make a huge difference believe me.
---------- Post added March 5th, 2015 at 01:46 PM ----------
To be honest there are none. Or no respectable operation will let divers just jump in the water on their own. 1. they dont know the area, dont know the currents or the dive sites in any way. A divemaster may be only half your age but he will have done 100s of dives in that location compared to your zero. What you need is an experienced dive master above 40 who can just take care of you and you wife. He can let you do your thing but just be there to guide you to the correct pick up location at the correct time but at your own pace. I agree many young dive masters see it as them running a tour rather than an explore as we all want different things form a dive. What I would do will be do a live aboard but ask for your own experienced guide. This way the boat will take you too different locations for each dive but your "group" will be you and your wife with 1 d/m just for you. On live aboards that visit many locations have to have set times in and out so they can hit certain locations when the tide is slack. By delaying departure from some locations will mean the next location will be reached too late as some sites are not good when there is strong current. This is why you need a dive master for you so you can not be part of a group, go at your own pace, the d/m can let you get the best of a dive site and by not being a kid will make sure the exit points and times are correct for you to not delay the boat or for you to be rushed. Similan Islands Liveaboard. Talk with these guys and just ask for and experienced instructor to go with you. Its will only cost a small amount extra for a private guide and make a huge difference believe me.
---------- Post added March 5th, 2015 at 01:46 PM ----------
To be honest there are none. Or no respectable operation will let divers just jump in the water on their own. 1. they dont know the area, dont know the currents or the dive sites in any way. A divemaster may be only half your age but he will have done 100s of dives in that location compared to your zero. What you need is an experienced dive master above 40 who can just take care of you and you wife. He can let you do your thing but just be there to guide you to the correct pick up location at the correct time but at your own pace. I agree many young dive masters see it as them running a tour rather than an explore as we all want different things form a dive. What I would do will be do a live aboard but ask for your own experienced guide. This way the boat will take you too different locations for each dive but your "group" will be you and your wife with 1 d/m just for you. On live aboards that visit many locations have to have set times in and out so they can hit certain locations when the tide is slack. By delaying departure from some locations will mean the next location will be reached too late as some sites are not good when there is strong current. This is why you need a dive master for you so you can not be part of a group, go at your own pace, the d/m can let you get the best of a dive site and by not being a kid will make sure the exit points and times are correct for you to not delay the boat or for you to be rushed. Similan Islands Liveaboard. Talk with these guys and just ask for and experienced instructor to go with you. Its will only cost a small amount extra for a private guide and make a huge difference believe me.
Not sure if I am misunderstanding you Thailand Divers, but lots of operations let divers jump in the water and dive on their own with no guide at all. I won't dive with an operation if that is not the case. While it is fine if other divers want to be taken around a dive site, I would rather dive with my buddy or alone.
I have dived many regions in tropical (including Thailand) as well as cooler waters and most operators I am aware of do not require their cleints to dive with a guide. In most temperate locations I have dived it is really unusual for dive charters to even provide guides, and the conditions are generally much more challenging than tropical waters.
If, on the other hand, you mean that operators should give a good dive brief then that is another matter. I am always happy to listen to the divemaster or instructor describing a dive site, even if I have done the dive before and even if they are begginners and have only 2 or 3 hundred dives (less than 10% of the logged dives I have - which is often the case these days). It is always good to get up to date information on boat procedures, if nothing else.
One of the things I feel I have to do when choosing a dive charter is check that their dive procedures will allow me to do the sorts of dives I like to do. If dive operators choose to limit all divers to doing dives that are suitable for low experience/skill divers, then that is their business decision, of course, but I will take my money somewhere else.
I have dived many regions in tropical (including Thailand) as well as cooler waters and most operators I am aware of do not require their cleints to dive with a guide. In most temperate locations I have dived it is really unusual for dive charters to even provide guides, and the conditions are generally much more challenging than tropical waters.
If, on the other hand, you mean that operators should give a good dive brief then that is another matter. I am always happy to listen to the divemaster or instructor describing a dive site, even if I have done the dive before and even if they are begginners and have only 2 or 3 hundred dives (less than 10% of the logged dives I have - which is often the case these days). It is always good to get up to date information on boat procedures, if nothing else.
One of the things I feel I have to do when choosing a dive charter is check that their dive procedures will allow me to do the sorts of dives I like to do. If dive operators choose to limit all divers to doing dives that are suitable for low experience/skill divers, then that is their business decision, of course, but I will take my money somewhere else.
chavala
Registered
Hey Mikey, it was perfect. The cruise directors made a point of telling everyone it is not their job to babysit anyone. There was always at least 1 DM in the water to follow if you chose, but otherwise you listened to the (excellent) dive briefing and did your own thing. Even solo diving was allowed. We were very lucky to have all (except for 1 idiot) experienced divers. The idiot was a newbie who thought she could keep up with the rest of us and was going super deep, constantly running out of air, buoyancy problems, etc.....but it was never her fault. (you know the type). The cruise director took her aside and told her if she doesn't shape up and stay with her buddy she will not be allowed to dive anymore. Fantastic!
mikeycanuk
Contributor
Thanks!!! Our final deposit for the Bilikiki is due next week. We also tacked on a week at Uepi as well after our cruise. How much did you tip?
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