How to deal with the “coral breaker”?

[Zef]

I don't recommend or condone the following...but:

You can always "accidentally" puncture their BCD/wing before a dive/during the surface interval....that will end the coral killer's day of diving.

You can also put some visine in their beverage in hopes that the stomache upset will get them to sit out a few dives.

Think of this less as "destruction of property / "assualt" and more as persuasion of behavior to achieve greater good.

-Z

 

[Jaan]

Show him some nice subjects next to the fire coral and let him grab ahold of that for a bit.

I have occasionally said something like ' not sure if you realize but ...' in come cases, people are simply struggling to maintain buoyancy and/or don't realize. Of course, you sometimes get the @r$e that simply doesn't care and we try and stay far away from these guys.

I remember we were looking at a few lobsters under a rock and enjoying the view and this guy swam over and started pulling them out by the antennas yanking a few of them off ... we all looked in disbelief. geez. I was later relieved to read that they can actually grow these back.. but it did make us want to grab the fellow by the ears and yank at him a bit too.

 

[tursiops]

I'd get back on the boat, grab the DM, drag him over to the offending diver, and say to the DM, "This guy is savaging the reef. Here is a picture to prove it. Please make him stop. That YOUR job, not mine. If you don't do that, I will report you to the shop and to the marine park authorities and spread the name of your dive shop on social media. Your choice. Thank you."

 

[Zef]

I'd get back on the boat, grab the DM, drag him over to the offending diver, and say to the DM, "This guy is savaging the reef. Here is a picture to prove it. Please make him stop. That YOUR job, not mine. If you don't do that, I will report you to the shop and to the marine park authorities and spread the name of your dive shop on social media. Your choice. Thank you."

I don't recall it reading that this was my job when I trained and certified as a Dive Master. Why would you think it is any more the role/job of the DM to curb the stupid and destructive behavior of a diver than it is for you or anyone else to do it?

A shop has the unfortunate luck of taking a client that is ignorant and destructive, and that behavior is somehow now the responsibility of the DM and/or the dive shop/operation?

Why do you feel the role of environment conservationist and underwater police becomes the responsibility of your chosen dive operation and guide just because you go out on their boat?

-Z

 

[FishWatcher747]

In my experience the DM and boat captain are loathe to criticize a client for fear of losing a tip. I suspect this coral breaker and his wife tip well and are regular customers.

Therefore it really is up to the fellow diver on the boat to be the "bad guy" and address the issue. I might get the DM to watch the interaction just to emphasize the point.

And for the HR specialist commenting, you forgot to mention what you are doing behind the scenes while you are playing Mr. Rogers having a heart to heart with your misbehaving employee. That is creating a paper trail that is defensible so you can fire him in the future if necessary.

 

[tursiops]

I don't recall it reading that this was my job when I trained and certified as a Dive Master. Why would you think it is any more the role/job of the DM to curb the stupid and destructive behavior of a diver than it is for you or anyone else to do it?

A shop has the unfortunate luck of taking a client that is ignorant and destructive, and that behavior is somehow now the responsibility of the DM and/or the dive shop/operation?

Why do you feel the role of environment conservationist and underwater police becomes the responsibility of your chosen dive operation and guide just because you go out on their boat?

-Z

It is the job of the dive center and the DM to protect the marine park.
Were you DM'ing in a marine park? Did you ever actually DM,. or just get the card?
When I DMed on a boat in Hawaii, not even in a marine park, I was told to keep the customers from damaging the reef. No reef, no diving, no boat, no DMs needed.

 

[Zef]

It is the job of the dive center and the DM to protect the marine park.
Were you DM'ing in a marine park? Did you ever actually DM,. or just get the card?
When I DMed on a boat in Hawaii, not even in a marine park, I was told to keep the customers from damaging the reef. No reef, no diving, no boat, no DMs needed.

It is the job of everyone to protect the marine park...I don't believe it is any more the DM's or dive center's responsibility than anyone else who desires to take advantage of the existence of the marine park for the foreseeable future. The onus does not shift from you to the DM just because you want it to and make a strong threatening statement to the DM.

-Z

 

[tursiops]

It is the job of everyone to protect the marine park...I don't believe it is any more the DM's or dive center's responsibility than anyone else who desires to take advantage of the existence of the marine park for the foreseeable future. The onus does not shift from you to the DM just because you want it to and make a strong threatening statement to the DM.

-Z

So what is your suggested action? Your previous "suggestion" was presumably a joke.

 

[Zef]

So what is your suggested action? Your previous "suggestion" was presumably a joke.

Most of my previous suggestions were toungue in cheek, but they would be effective.

In reality, there is no easy solution for the dilema the OP presented. My observations have been that it is difficult to confront someone in a way that results in a change of behavior. I think the best way to address it, as I posted in my first response, is to video/photograph the culprit and show them the evidence of their destruction when discussing it with them.

Or just accept that there are sh%ty people in this world who dive without regard for the environment and focus your attention on things other than them to avoid seeing their sad and disappointing behavior and the results thereof.

But, I don't believe the onus to do/say something in an effort shifts to another just because it otherwise might cause a conflict between you and another diver, and I don't think the onus transfers just because you are paying for the experience of diving in the marine park either.

Either be prepared to say/do something or be prepared to dive with blinders to keep yourself content.

-Z

 

[tursiops]

Most of my previous suggestions were toungue in cheek, but they would be effective.

In reality, there is no easy solution for the dilema the OP presented. My observations have been that it is difficult to confront someone in a way that results in a change of behavior. I think the best way to address it, as I posted in my first response, is to video/photograph the culprit and show them the evidence of their destruction when discussing it with them.

Or just accept that there are sh%ty people in this world who dive without regard for the environment and focus your attention on things other than them to avoid seeing their sad and disappointing behavior and the results thereof.

But, I don't believe the onus to do/say something in an effort shifts to another just because it otherwise might cause a conflict between you and another diver, and I don't think the onus transfers just because you are paying for the experience of diving in the marine park either.

Either be prepared to say/do something or be prepared to dive with blinders to keep yourself content.

-Z

Let's just disagree. I'm going to ask the DM to take care of it, just as I would if it were a matter of diver safety. If that fails, direct confrontation, perhaps with some public shaming in front of the other divers added in for good measure.