vladimir
The Voice of Reason
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- I just don't log dives
We realize that we don't have much control over the boat traffic, except to dive in places that don't have too much of it, which I do.
As above, you don't have much control over the divemaster, except to avoid the ones that don't mesh with your diving preferences, once you know. I try not to dive with operators who are likely to attract a gaggle of "spaced out divers" that need constant herding by the divemaster, by avoiding cattle boats and going instead with those that allow you the leeway to do your own dive. Then I keep as much space between me and the other divers as I can. That's not always possible though. Other strategies are to make clear to the divemaster pre-dive that you don't want the guided tour--divemasters are usually fine with that, in my experience, but there are always those that can't accept it--perhaps because of language barriers or because they have been conditioned to believe photographers will tip more generously if they are shown every eel and lobster on the reef. The most annoying are those who won't take an "okay" sign as a hint that I don't want to swim over to that crowd of sculling divers they've just assembled, to try to photograph an eel through the silt cloud they kicked up. They just keep tapping or quacking away. Yes, I have swam over and taken a shot (usually without focusing, you just need to fire the strobes) to appease them on occasion.
I do try to control those aspects of my vacation that I can; I'm paying for it, after all, and usually quite a bit. And I don't think the correct attitude is to resign myself to misguided policies by the people I am paying. I also don't think being oblivious to customers' preferences is the correct attitude for a service provider. If whining here awakens one divemaster to the idea that maybe some of his charges don't appreciate his sideshow, then maybe it's not a waste of time. I do like the solo idea though--does your employer allow solo diving? Many (most?) dive operators don't.
If I have to have a divemaster in the water with me, I look for one that leaves me alone as much as possible, but that's hard to determine in advance. When I find a good one at dive spots I frequent, I keep going back.
