Lies, corruption, unethicle and unsafe practices in Commercial Diving School

[plankspanker]

Let me say something. When someone accuses me of trying to get money from the school yeah that pisses me off. See the whole issue here is no one knows what they are talking about in the commercial end of things. Except deepseadan. I mean Fish wouldnt you get a little pissed off when people accuse you of blackmailing someone. I mean come on. People need to get a life. This board is about sharing experiences and learning new things. Not to cause issues.

Paragraph deleted by moderator due to ToS violation

Have a nice day and Dan keep in touch.

Deleted by moderator The reason your research skills are in question is because you seemed to have a fit when one instructor gave you a different opinion. How much research could you have done if that was all it took to convince you that everything else you heard was a lie? Did you do anything to confirm that what he was saying had any truth to it? Could it have been that he had a bad experience and that it might be different for you?
From your original post and the responses you sound like someone who is too stubborn to listen to any advice unless it agrees with what you are thinking it should be at the moment.
The whole part about the instructors going to the bar and wanting to fight the dive shop guy sounds like bs as well. There is more to this than what you are posting and if your crappy attitude here is any reflection of how you are in real life I imagine you are always having problems with everything and everyone and it's always someone else's fault.
Removed by moderator.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

OK folks .... you're entitled to your opinions.

BUT ... name-calling is overtly against the Terms of Service.

I'm done "pruning" this thread. Either tone it down or watch it go bye-bye ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[DeepSeaDan]

I understand some of your concerns, howwever I respectfully disagree on some of your points. The biggest reason I started my business was that there was a lack of "commercial" companies offering the services I provide. I have a handful of competitors here and all started the same way I did. They all run respectable businesses , fully insured and we all follow OSHA recommendations... with only one exception. We generally have two-man teams instead of three. The big problem in this area is that the "commercial" dive companies in our area do not have the time or desire to service the recreational boating industry. They say there is not enough money in it. Their lack of interest led to a shortage of divers willing to service the industry.. which left a void that myself and a few others decided to fill. Most of these commercial companies are out working on bridges, damns, offshore, at the steel mills (rack cleaning) etc... as well as doing major underwater construction projects and inspections.

We consider our industry a niche area between recreational and commercial. We call it professional. I have also written a booklet on the practices and safety for the job and I offer training to individuals looking to get into the business. Myself and my competitors discourage recreational divers from doing it without getting training from one of us. Inevitably every year we see some guy that just got his open water certification trying to make a few bucks. They're out there undercutting our prices and have no clue how unsafe it is to be doing what they're doing. Honestly I consider it a miracle that no one hear in Maryland has died recently. We have recreational divers jumping in the water cleaning boats everywhere without regard to safety.

You said that we are undercutting... well imagine that... we are being undercut as well. It is a cuthroat world, but my business is the largest and most respected at what we do in this area... and I take great pride in our 100% customer satisfaction record. It's not because we're cheap and undercutting prices... because we are the highest priced business in this area and we make no bones about it. Premium price for premium quality and service.

I respect the commercial companies in this area. I often get calls for jobs that are over my head... and they are referred to the commercial companies. In turn, the commercial companies refer smaller jobs to me. This has been a great relationship... and so I'm sorry that you think otherwise. Working together has benefited all of us here.

...I did state that you appeared legitimate & professional based on your website; what concerned me possibly was the reference to u/w mechanical work offered. I like that you limit your services to the recreational boating industry & leave the more complicated tasks for the helmeted crews. If you have a good working relationship with the local commercial contractors, then your circumstances differ significantly from my backyard.

...I would have no issue with your services provided you practised commercial-grade safety procedures, had adequate staffing for your tasks, used appropriate equipment for the job at hand etc.. From what you've written, it appears to be so. Do you use communications? Are the divers tethered? Is a stby. diver ready to go at a moments notice?

...I'd like to see a copy of your booklet. For me, an air diving spread for your type of work might be called "Commercial Lite", where you could use a s.s. face mask, lightweight umbilical, a simple air diving rack ( manifold ) & stored h.p. air for main use & backup. Since you run two-man crews, your stby. would have to be scuba. It's a costly investment, but such a spread would really set you apart as a serious professional in your "niche" market, & you'd provide a very safe, efficient & workable system for your divers.

Perhaps I have described what you already have; if not, perhaps you might consider the idea. I apologise if you were offended by my post - I should have taken the time to find out how you operate before commenting.

Regards,
D.S.D.

 

[PaulSmithTek]

alright I am not saying I didn't make a mistake, I did. But when you are new to something at the time you listen to what you have been told. If i new about this websites and others at the time I could have asked. Calling companies I didn't think about that at the time.

Sorry again for my spelling.

 

[dlndavid]

Sorry again for my spelling.

That's OK, just think of them as typos, and thank GOD El Orans didn't catch them.

 

[PaulSmithTek]

true

 

[rockjock3]

Harry the equipment boy sounds a little fishy to me. Hmmm half price equipment, likes to party and drink beer and eat pizza with the student customers who hes making little to no money on. Did it ever occur to you that the school instructors may have had a run in with him previously and were trying to protect you from getting ripped off? You also mentioned he did not carry the leaky Old equipment the school you just paid big money to attend recommended. Did you buy your computer from him? The one that quit? Anyhow, just a little advice from someone who is not a commercial diver just old and been there and done that. Nothing in life is easy, you believed what you wanted to hear from the recruiter. A recruiters job is to recruit you, tell you what you want to hear in order to get you to come to their school. You have to do the research and separate the fact from the fiction yourself and at least research the job market and talk to people actually doing it. This part at least you have to take responsibility for yourself. As far as not releasing their name I would have to guess you are still threatening them with releasing this info and you are wanting some sort of compensation. I look forward to you releasing it so that they can respond to your allegations. I don't think you gave anyone enough information to comment on the safety issues. But be glad you talked to a dive recruiter who glorified commercial diving and not an army recruiter who glorified the beaches of Iraq.

Pretty easy to guess which one it is. Considering there are only two in the PNW, one on the Canadian side, which only costs $3,000 and one on the U.S. side that is afraid to list their tuition prices. The one on the U.S. side also seems to be one on many people's "don't waste your time going there" list. I am talking about lists on websites by people who are actual commercial diver's.

I do appreciate the info, but my question would be where did you research before you went to this school? I can find nothing good about it on the web, except of course on their website.

 

[PaulSmithTek]

true, on there website and talking to some people in the industry, that was my research. See the issue here is that the school was bought out by a Corporation. The old owner was filing for government grants for people that didn't even go to the school. Ouch....... so he was told to either sell it or close it down so he sold it. I believe and it is my opinion that no one that owns the school really knows what goes on there.

 

[PaulSmithTek]

by the way I just talked to a student that is starting in January at DIT and it is $16,000 us money

 

[Diesel298]

hey paul
i feel your pain... and have a good idea about the chin of events...
i had a simmilar experence when i was younger and got outa high school..
i knew nothing anout the field i was intrested in, and spen a lot of money on a school. when all was siad and done. i didnt learn anything i felt i needed to to be sucessfull in the field. i had a difficult time finding work because of the info i didnt know about the field, and had to basically start from square 1 as if i didnt go to shhool at all.
and now im not even doing that anymore...
now i work for a commerical diving company.. im happy with the work, and getting alot of OJT
i did a little research about schols, and the path alot of divers take.. and i think im lucky and happy for it to have gotten the oprunity i have,
your working now and happy with your job
great.. good luck with your diving career. be safe. and try not to let the over opinionated people get ya all upset.
its ez for somone who hasnt gone thru this to understand..

Ray