How to Avoid "Guided" Dives? I don't need/want my hand held.

[avengedkevinfold]

Too many of the dive outfits "force" guided dives.

A concern is that we prefer to not dive close to the group with beginners that stir up silt and scare everything away. As many of you know a good photographer likely has a pace that can be much slower than the rest of the group. If possible we'd like a bit more freedom to roam on our own than the typical group hand holding technique used with beginners underwater.

We've experienced the forced guided dives in HI and are on our way to Grand Cayman soon. Looking for a dive outfit that is not going to force me and my wife to dive right next to moronic beginners. The dive shops ignore my request and simply claim "small group" in response -- doesn't make a difference in my opinion.

Am I looking at this wrong? Should I be happy to have a guide? They sure seem to sell me on that idea.

 

[Stoo]

You aren't wrong. Before I go anywhere, I exchange emails with the dive op. and make sure they are ok with that. Most places, if they don't know me, may say that they want to see me in the water on a dive (which is understandable). I also have a conversation with the Captain and the DM about my use of a DSMB at the end of the dive etc. Some operators have asked to see a log book.

I think Cozumel is the obvious possible exception. But not many serious shooters go there anyway.

 

[Wookie]

They don't know you, so the default is to do what they know and what they know is safe. This has nothing to do with you, BTW, your ability to dive or anything else. It has only to do with what they know.

My advice for Cayman is to look up a tech diving shop or one that caters to photographers. Places like Cozumel and GC understand photographers, and know you don't want to be with "that kind" of group. So on GC look up Dive Tech or perhaps the Cathy Church Photo Center. They won't put you with beginners.

 

[hilljo88]

That's why we like shore dives. Go at your own pace, lots of photo subjects. On GC we like the shore dives at Sunset House ( where Cathy Church's shop is}, Eden Rock/Devil's Grotto, Maccabuc.

 

[PatW]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I am a photographer also. It is nasty lining up a shot and having someone barrel in and scare off the subject, shove a GoPro on a stick into the shot or kick up a potload of silt or all three. Reef Divers at Cobalt Coast, Little Cayman Beach Resort and Cayman Brac Beach Resort has always been fine with me and my wife doing our own dive. Also, Cayman Brac has a large number of shore dives.

 

[Steve_C]

Did some dives with Red Sail out of the east end of GC island. Was staying at Reef Resort and they departed next door. They split us into two groups based on experience I guess. One group went inshore. The other group went to the edge of the dropoff and then did drift dive back up on the reef. I was in that group. We stayed in visual of the guide but group was spread out 50 or so feet in all directions. I communicated with them before the trip. Here is what they said.

"Divers have to be guided on the 100ft dives in Grand Cayman, however you
are more than welcome on the 60ft dives to go as a buddy team dive or guided
if you wish. With our open profiles I think this would be more suited to
you Steve."

I had my own gear. They also provided a din adapter on request on the boat.

 

[boulderjohn]

Although not a photographer, I was in something of the same situation about a dozen years ago. I realized that in most dive locations, there are dive operations that cater to beginners and dive operations that cater to more advanced divers. You mention Grand Cayman--it was an experience there that taught me what to do. Here's the story:

My wife and I got a deal on a place to stay on the east end. It had an on-site dive operation, so I just went with them. I did the first dive the afternoon we arrived, and it was a horror--absolute beginning level dive, with no possibility for doing anything other than following the leader like a conga dance line at a wedding. I asked around, and someone suggested another nearby dive operator--Ocean Frontiers. I called them up and they said they would pick me up at the resort the next morning. They remain one of the best such dive operations I have ever used. I then checked ScubaBoard's local diving forums and found that if I had looked there first, I would have chosen them right from the start.

In most cases since then, when going to a new location, I go to the regional forum on ScubaBoard. The first thing I do is do a search, reading through old threads to look for reviews. I try to filter out reviews written by different kinds of divers, looking for the ones who are most like me. After that, I formulate a question and start a thread of my own. Right now my wife and I are contemplating a possible future trip to Africa, with a combination of a photo safari and diving. If you go to the Africa forum right now, you will see a thread where I asked a preliminary question.

I'm still working on it, though. If things start to take shape in our planning, I will narrow down operators and start asking more pointed questions. Eventually one of two things will happen:

1. I will identify an operator that I feel confident will provide the experience I want.
2. I will realize that I will have to either lower my expectations to accept what will be or decide that diving at that location will not be in my plans after all.

 

[CathyE]

Really?
'Moronic beginners'? That is very harsh.
Your profile only lists your dive count as 0 - 24, if that was just the default you might want to update it. You wouldn't want anyone to lump you in with them beginners.
I suggest you hire a private boat.

 

[divad]

Really?
'Moronic beginners'? That is very harsh.
Your profile only lists your dive count as 0 - 24, if that was just the default you might want to update it. You wouldn't want anyone to lump you in with them beginners.
I suggest you hire a private boat.

Agree.

 

[Dogbowl]

Really?
'Moronic beginners'? That is very harsh.
Your profile only lists your dive count as 0 - 24, if that was just the default you might want to update it. You wouldn't want anyone to lump you in with them beginners.
I suggest you hire a private boat.

+1

I wonder which is worse: "moronic beginners" or "a$$hole photogs"???

It's all about perspective...

I highly suspect some people were born out of their mother's womb as experienced photogs...seeing how they've never ever been moronic beginners.