July 28-29 Dives - Orange Beach, AL - Or, I think I should start seeing someone else

[paulwall]

Booked dives with my BIL's and NIL's to dive Orange Beach on Saturday the 28th Inshore, and to dive by myself Offshore on Sunday the 29th. I had intended to dive Monday, too, but fortunately (you'll see what I mean) had to drive R/T to Orlando instead.

May 28th, arrived at dive shop to pick up Nitrox tanks I had left there 2 weeks previous for VIP/fills. I had asked for 36% in my LP95's and pony bottle. The blender tells me she wouldn't put nitrox in my unlabeled Nitrox tanks, not even the banked 32% because they weren't O2 cleaned. Never mind that they were there for 2 weeks waiting and she VIP'd them with a "custom fill" request. She said "I'm serious - I don't want them blowing up and hurting someone." This shop uses a nitrox stick, and banks 32%, or I never would have asked. The tanks, when I dropped them off had Nitrox tape from the same shop when I had the previously filled. I blew it off, knowing I would never change her mind, and in all of the chaos of trying to get the NIL's fitted for rental gear didn't check the pressure. That turned out to be a mistake. Then the fill monkey brings me my 2nd LP95 that does have a Nitrox band on it but filled hot from the bank with 32%. So much for a custom mix. I felt a memo coming on....

So, associate #1 is trying to straighten out the charges and assignments for 4 sets of rental gear, and I was going to take the two NIL's on a beach dive, so she says "You can take the rental gear to the beach now, if you want". associate #2 hops in and says "but you'll have to pay for an extra rental day." We declined.

So, on Saturday, we arrive before 7:30, the "show" time, and the boat is off getting fuel. Giving rise to the term "cattleboat", the other 18 divers show up in droves. Finally, we are able to board the boat, and quickly realize that though the rental gear made it, there are too few rental tanks for the number of divers. So, one of the DM's has to make a run back to the shop for 10 tanks, a computer and 2 regulators.

Meanwhile, I suggest to the DM that my 4 in-laws gear up on the 2nd tanks of 4 other divers to save time. I also request NOT to go to Atlantis, as I had been there 2 weeks previously with 18 divers and find the site too small for a large group. I suggested the 3 coal barges or the San Pablo/Russian freighter. Anywhere but Atlantis, I request, and was acknowledged.

We shoved off about 30 minutes late for an inshore trip.

The seas were a little rolly with a south wind, but the big 46' Newton handled it well, loaded down like it was. We pull up to the dive site and the DM gets ready to splash, and DM2 posts a drawing of the dive site - Atlantis. The memo is getting longer.

Surface current was ripping and surface temp was about 76^o. I jump in with my EAN32 tank filled to 2000psi(!) which makes my LP95 hold about 72cu ft. I jump in, and pull down against the current (which had already swept 2 people off the tag line) and try to find some peace on the bottom with 22 other divers in the area the size of a living room. I get kicked, slapped, and run over several times before I have to ascend due to air limit reached. Bottom temp was 70^o with a murky 30' of vis. Flounder, tropicals, Angels, butterflyfish, blennies, spades and sheephead were all present and accounted for.

Dive 2 was on the 3-mile barge with 20-30' of vis and similar currents and temps. I was blessed with a whopping 2300psi (83 cu ft) of gas which gave me more than an hour horsing around in 45' of water. HUGE snapper on this wreck. Didn't see the goliath, but lots of tropicals and a big frogfish. The DM had to wait on me to burn my gas before he could untie. Headed back in with a following sea, so the ride back in was smooth.

 

[paulwall]

Day 2 started out much like Day 1. I took my LP95's to another shop Saturday evening and left them to be filled with nitrox. No problems with Dive Pros filling them.

I'd be diving 119's this trip, and the boat was again full, with 18 divers (much more comfortable) and not enough rental gear or tanks on the boat. We left about 45 minutes late and headed out to the Go Navy tug, which I have been diving since the 90's. Vis was great at 50-60' clear feet and LOTS of red snapper, amberjack, spades, barracuda, grouper and other fish around. The wreck has seen better days, and is soon to fall into ruin, but it was an excellent first site. I had acquired an insta-buddy, and since he was diving 80's and air, and I was 119's and nitrox, we worked out a plan to get him back to the safety stop without any problems. We circled the wreck several times, as it's only about 80' long and cris-crossed with fishing line.

Surface current was almost non-existent, being countered by the wind. waves were not too bad, and temps were the same as the day before. Maybe a bit warmer on the bottom due to the sunlight being able to penetrate.

Dive 2 was the Liberty ship Allen. Vis was much worse at about 20' and it felt colder. Lost anchors abounded and not many big fish could be found. There were surface fishermen casting as we were on the bottom. My buddy and I made the whole wreck before he had to ascend, and I decided to accompany him up as I was getting cold. We were waiting at the safety stop when ALL of the other diver decided to come up to 15', one of them carrying an anchor without a lift bag. WHAT A CHARLIE-FOXTROT. I tried to get off of the anchor line to hang from the current assist line to complete my stop, but some guy was holding it up above 8' with an inflated BC. Very poor form on the part of the other divers.

 

[paulwall]

In summary, with the inconsistent ability to get Nitrox fills, the sometimes rude shop staff, the pathetic communications about rental gear needs, the over crowding on the boat (the DAN check-in board only has 20 spots), the captain's repetitive choice of sites, and the short fills and inability to identify when a tank is full has caused me to switch from this store to Dive Pros in Pensacola. I'm waiting for the owner to get back from his weekend dives to hopefully give him a full report.

 

[sharkbait69]

next time try using gary's gulf divers. he's also out of orange beach, has a six pack so your not on a cattle boat!! I've always had good trips with gary!!!

 

[bs63366]

I also do my diving out of Dive Pros as well and have never had any problems with them. Thanks for the heads up about the other dive shop. If you are out here again let me know and we can try to get a dive in.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I've had the same issues with the instructor/filler as far as getting nitrox fills go... pretty frustrating, I agree - especially considering(if its who I think it is) they are an instructor and should know how their fill configuration works and the issues with non O2 clean tanks(and where those issues don't apply).


Sorry to hear about the troubles Paul. I think overall they are a good shop... but I haven't gotten the service you got recently.

The dates on your thread title are a bit weird.

 

[Hetland]

It won't solve your fill issues, but I've NEVER been dissatisfied with Capt. Gary (Gary's Gulf Divers) or Capt. Doug (H2O Below)

I know you've dove with Gary before, so I don't have to tell you what you already know about his fine operation, but Capt. Doug runs a tight ship. He has the best travel system in the area, and his boat has plenty of room, an enclosed potty that actually works (you can actually get to it and use it comfortably), a perfect rear deck and ladder for entry/exits, and he has a pretty good menu of lunches and snacks.

 

[paulwall]

If it were just a question of a dive charter, there would have been no issue. I've dived with Gary, Dr. Dive, Viking, H2OBelow, and even Capt. Rob. But when 4 of one's dive buddies need full rental gear, and one wants a specific Nitrox Fill, one has to have a dive shop with a bit of inventory.

I might have forgiven the fill issues because the tank monkey can always cite "Shop Policy" to me (after all, they have a big sign stating their inability to fill pre-1987 tanks, I had to get them to clarify Aluminum). I might have forgiven the rental snafu, one time. I might even have forgiven the Captain's site choice. And, a crowded big boat makes more money than a half-empty big boat.

I cannot forgive leaving my tanks there for 2 weeks for VIP and fill and not having them ready for me, nor a call saying they can't do a 36% fill. There is no excuse (neither training nor policy) that would account for being blindsided the day before a trip.

But all of it together in one weekend was a little much. I'm still waiting for the owner to get back to me.

The boat, and an après dive pineapple is really nice, but that only goes so far.

 

[paulwall]

Sorry to hear about the troubles Paul. I think overall they are a good shop... but I haven't gotten the service you got recently.

I'm told that there has been a lot of staff turnover recently, and Associate A said she'd only been there 4 months and was reluctant to buck the "shop rules". If the owner cave-filled my tanks with a custom mix before (which he did), that's fine, but she wasn't going to do it. Either she didn't understand her training or the trainer scared the crap out of her to treat all nitrox fills a Partial Pressure fills out of safety.

The main thing the shop lacks now is consistency.

The dates on your thread title are a bit weird.

Future Diving, man.

Really, I've got a lot going on in July, and I guess it bled into my post. Of course I meant May 28-29. Memorial Day Weekend.

 

[Kicker1866]

Ummm...Is no one going to name this shop to perhaps save other similar grief? I'm wondering if I should go DOWN UNDER into my thoughts or perhaps Maybe Back Track my thinking in order to guess. But I would hate that....can someone just spill the beans?