If You Book a Dive, How bad does the Weather Need to Be For You to Want a Refund?

[kidspot]

beachscuba1 - Great pic - that's what Lahaina's water looks like in color today as well ... just that beautiful shade of brown we have all come to expect from diving in the middle of the pacific ocean

Aloha, Tim

 

[Charlie99]

its not that bad...

Even with just small storms it seems like the runoff from Lake Foodland and the stream through Kalama Park will muddy up the waters in North Kihei. Pretty ugly even after just a normal rainstorm.

 

[Charlie99]

I wonder how much of the sewage issues are a natural consequence of this much rain, in any coastal city. I mean, where is it actually spilling from?

In a lot of cities the streetside storm drains connect into the sewer system. Lots of rain puts sends more water into the sewage treatment plant than they can handle.

I don't know if that's what's going on in Honolulu, but if they can precisely say "xxx,xxxx gallons of untreated sewage were released", then that's what's going on.

Some cities have gone back and installed a separate drainage system for storm runoff in order to avoid the problem.

 

[DiveWestOahu]

hate to mention names without "them" being able to defend themselves so i'll say it wasn't Breeze, capt Joe, Waikiki diving or Devon (aqua zone) hmmmm who's left¿¿

 

[crab lover]

Mmmmmm...... diving in poo, my favorite.....

 

[gary-ramey]

I once had a dive op dance around the question about viz despite this being an afternoon dive on a popular reef in the keys. I questioned them 3 times and all I got back was your either in or out. I'm pretty sea worthy and being from Colorado desperate to get wet on most occasions. This was going to be a 30ft reef dive and the waves on the reef were about 5-8ft. Viz was marginal when we entered (20ft) and dropped to around 10ft before we got out. Despite waves that were now 10ft and everyone but me chumming for fish, the operator refused to go back until the 2nd dive was complete. Or, if everyone agreed to skip the 2nd dive he would take us back now but there would be no refunds because everyone got the "opportunity". Needless to say I jumped up, shouted anyone up for a training navigation dive? Then recuited a dive buddy and off the bow I went for the 2nd dive. Viz was about 6-8ft and I did find my way back to the boat.

On another note, Just this past Saturday I was scheduled to go off Oahu. The operator cancelled despite what appeared to be great weather. It was my only weekend there and I was a bit bummed but made the best of it. I ended up doing a solo shore dive in great conditions. In short, I respect the operators decision and will give him return business.

Lesson for life - won't ever dive with the keys operator again. My advice to operators is very simple. Give the best report to your participants that you can and let them determine whether to dive or not. The only condition I hate diving in is ripping currents...unless its a drift dive.

 

[beachscuba1]

Its too bad, I am not sure if this beach will be the same. The beach is completely covered in bits of wood and other debris. This pic shows more of the beach.

 

[kidspot]

Not the first time, and I'm sure it won't be the last time ... so I'd say that beach will recover pretty quick. Amazing how fast natural areas return to normal after being destroyed. Man made structures on the other hand eventually succumb and are no more unless constantly maintained.

 

[Gilldiver]

So much depends on your area, what "normal" conditions tend to be, and the quality of your avg. diver. I can see some places calling a blow out in seas and weather that others would call a good day.

I have been on a few trips where the capt. kept looking back to see if we were going to call the dive, you see in the North East if the boat gets off the dock and the capt turns back, the ride was free, if the passengers call the dive, we pay. There is also not discount if you only get in one dive on a two dive trip.

I have also been out where were start discribing the seas a One Pill, Two Pills, or the whole bottle.

But there was one time out with Cape Ann Divers in Cape Ann, MA where we had paid for a wreck dive and the weather by even my standards sucked. The boat went out in rain, fog, high winds, with thunder and lighting in the area. We ended up at Foly's Cove where most usualy shore dive. I was pissed to say the least and have never been back on that shops boats and have no problem in naming the shop.

 

[Charlie99]

On another note, Just this past Saturday I was scheduled to go off Oahu. The operator cancelled despite what appeared to be great weather.

I don't know what happened in your specific case, but that sort of thing happens fairly often with the boats running out of the Kihei boat ramp in S. Maui. It might be a beautiful sunny day, but they have to cancel. The problem is a storm hundreds of miles off to the W or SW that puts big swells straight down the approach channel to the boat ramp. They could probably find a good spot to dive on one side or the other of Molokini, if only they could safely get in and out of the harbor.

Every year a couple of fishing boats end up on the rocks near the boat ramp. It happens because they are surfing on the front of a wave rather than running up the backside of the wave, and they can't make the sharp right hand turn to follow the channel on over to the ramp and get tossed onto the rocky shoreline instead.

Charlie Allen