DiverDonn
Contributor
Hey peoples: Thanks for the info. I do like my comfort but would rather give some up to get better dives. I can remember when Ed Robinsons operation was called Hawaiian water colors. Liked it then, sure I'll like it now. DD
Maui trip report (long)
- Thread starter DiveMaven
- Start date
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ERDA is pretty good, but my most recent experience (one day, unsafe practices by DM; another, harassing wildlife at Molokini) has me soured towards them.
B&B and Mike Severns come highly recommended, though, and will be trying them when I get back.
B&B and Mike Severns come highly recommended, though, and will be trying them when I get back.
OP
DiveMaven
Contributor
Would you mind elaborating? What kind of unsafe practices, etc??
I can elaborate a little.DiveMaven:
Unsafe practices: on one trip, a diver came up complaining about difficulty clearing her ears, and being generally congested. The DM mentioned that he takes a Sudafed every morning before diving (also giving the disclaimer that he couldn't recommend it as a professional). To me, that was fair enough. The line was crossed, however, when the diver asked if the DM had any with him, and the DM looked, found some, and gave it to the diver.
I wouldn't have thought anything of this, except that the diver ended up with a reverse block at the end of the second dive... and at the point at which it happened, the DM had already wandered off with the only person that wasn't getting low-ish on air (I was sent up with this buddy pair when I had 700#s -- I'm certain they started the ascent with less).
Harrassing wildlife at Molokini: another DM chose to play with the sea cucumbers until he found one that would discharge its Cuvierian tubules, then proceeded to wave it like a flag. My biggest problem with this is that he didn't seem to know which species he was looking for, and could just as easily have found one that would discharge all its internal organs (and take ~6 months to regrow them, which means no feeding during that time). After he set it down, I got his attention and tried placing his hand in the tubules (they are extremely sticky).
When I explained to him how stupid it was of him to be doing this, and that he wouldn't go poke a shark in the eye, or start prodding a scorpionfish and not expect some reprecussions, but he was really upset with me for trying to share the reprecussions of doing this to the sea cucumber.
Needless to say, I'll be checking out the other dive ops before I dive with ERDA again.
OP
DiveMaven
Contributor
Wow, both incidences are troublesome, aren't they? We didn't have an experience anything like this on our charters with ERDA. Sure can't blame you for not wanting to dive with them again....nor recommending them anymore.
Hi DiveMaven,DiveMaven:
I am somewhat troubled by these experiences, yes. Oddly enough, when I did the night dive (with ERDA) two years ago, I was also presented with a similar case to the second one. In that instance, the DM chose to stress a pufferfish at Molokini in order to hold his light underneath it and make it glow. I figured it was a one-case issue and didn't look at it as something to base my judgement of the dive op on... but seeing that repeated now, well... makes me wonder.
OP
DiveMaven
Contributor
KrisB,
I can't help but wonder if it's more of an individual DM thing rather than a ERDA thing. We did two 3-tank charters with them, and had two different guides, neither of whom did this. We're going to dive with them again in December when we're back on Maui (since we really like the 3-tank charters), and frankly if I see this behavior, I'm going to ask them about it....but I hope I don't see it.
Unfortunately, in other places when I've asked DMs about "harrassing marine life", they simply don't see the big deal since they are always gentle. In some cases it might come down to individual philosophy, and typically I like to dive with ops that have a similar philosophy to mine, which is hands off.
I can't help but wonder if it's more of an individual DM thing rather than a ERDA thing. We did two 3-tank charters with them, and had two different guides, neither of whom did this. We're going to dive with them again in December when we're back on Maui (since we really like the 3-tank charters), and frankly if I see this behavior, I'm going to ask them about it....but I hope I don't see it.
Unfortunately, in other places when I've asked DMs about "harrassing marine life", they simply don't see the big deal since they are always gentle. In some cases it might come down to individual philosophy, and typically I like to dive with ops that have a similar philosophy to mine, which is hands off.
DiveMaven: My concern about the wildlife boils down to the fact that it was in a marine preserve (Molokini), where we are really supposed to be hands-off. Couple that with a dive-op that is very much pro-environmentalism, and I would have thought these guys would have been fired on the spot for such idiocy.DiveMaven:
I wouldn't have gotten as upset with the DM on this trip, except that he heard my refusal (and reason) to dive with the DM from two years ago when I was told I was diving with him again on this trip.
I plan on writing a letter to the management, but haven't yet... we'll see what they come back with.
BTW: when it gets closer, send me a PM in December -- I plan on being on Maui by then, and would love to go diving with you.
OP
DiveMaven
Contributor
Please write a letter, I'd love to know what the response would be. You're right, in Molokini crater there is ZERO excuse for touching the wildlife, and would wonder if it were even illegal.
We'll get in touch closer to December and maybe we can put something together. Our plan at this point is to do our Rescue certification, then likely we'll boat dive just about every day after that (we're not much into shore diving). We have a couple of friends who are trying to get enough money to start up their own dive op on Maui, so we're hoping they'll be up and running by then so we can dive with them.
We'll get in touch closer to December and maybe we can put something together. Our plan at this point is to do our Rescue certification, then likely we'll boat dive just about every day after that (we're not much into shore diving). We have a couple of friends who are trying to get enough money to start up their own dive op on Maui, so we're hoping they'll be up and running by then so we can dive with them.
I'll write it tonight.
As for your Rescue cert... if your friends don't get the dive op up and running, check out Maui Dreams Dive Co. They're a great group -- I did my rescue (and several other certs) with them in April. http://www.mauidreamsdiveco.com/
I'll be starting my Divemaster with them as soon as I'm back on-island.
As for your Rescue cert... if your friends don't get the dive op up and running, check out Maui Dreams Dive Co. They're a great group -- I did my rescue (and several other certs) with them in April. http://www.mauidreamsdiveco.com/
I'll be starting my Divemaster with them as soon as I'm back on-island.
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