Non medical accident - gear lost - opinions please

[fairybasslet]

I would never get on a boat where I could not set up and secure my own gear. I also would not get on a boat that had I seen it when I booked I would not have used it. Also I do not expect a dive op to be as good as any I've used before. They have to prove to me that they are good. Until such time no one touches my gear but me.

So, if you were going to go on liveaboard in Thailand, you would fly to Thailand first, check out the boat, then fly back home and book your trip?

 

[Mafor]

So, if you were going to go on liveaboard in Thailand, you would fly to Thailand first, check out the boat, then fly back home and book your trip?

 

[joetex0777]

So, if you were going to go on liveaboard in Thailand, you would fly to Thailand first, check out the boat, then fly back home and book your trip?

Of course! Doesnt everyone?

 

[Diffrey]

Ok, I may be way off base here, too analy protective and perhaps a bit over the top but:

I worked long and hard (well long at least ) to buy my own gear and I would never let anyone else near it except my good lady who I dive with.

I am also into enjoying my diving in a relaxed environment and therefore want the peace of mind of setting my own rig. I parachute and fly too and in those fields, you always check and set your own kit.

Is this 'crew assistance' the norm because if so I see a great many heated scuffles and debates in my future diving!!

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I go both ways - Pilot and Diver! :no

 

[DennisW]

If a crew member tries to set up my gear, I respectfully ask him/her to not set up my gear. I set up and secure my own gear. If they were to insist, I would insist with less respect. If needed, with force. I have never had to do more than ask with respect. My gear is my life support and I am responsible for it, no one else.

 

[fairybasslet]

Is this 'crew assistance' the norm because if so I see a great many heated scuffles and debates in my future diving!!

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I go both ways - Pilot and Diver! :no

It really depends on the boat you are on, but of course, ultimately, it is up to you to check your gear before you splash. However, the OP's situation was a little bit different. I'll admit that I have let the crew set up my gear. In fact, one DM in Honduras got a little insulted if I tried to set up my gear. He felt it was his job. So, of course, I let him schlep those heavy tanks and set up my gear. I would always check it over before diving, but to be perfectly honest, he could have not secured it firmly in the tank holder and it could have fallen and broken my reg. Whose fault would that have been? Well, there was no rule that I couldn't set up my gear. So I guess it would have ultimately been my fault. But knowing the resort, I'm sure they would have reimbursed me in some way. I've also set up my own tanks in North Carolina, and because I am pretty weak, I did not have the bungie cord tight around my tank because I couldn't loop it twice. I thought that having it looped once would have been sufficient, but the DM checked the tanks and looped mine twice for me. He said in rough seas, looping it once wouldn't hold it. I was glad he did that for me, but when it came time to get the tank loose, I couldn't undo the bungie. I had to ask him to do it for me. I really really try to be self-sufficient but sometimes .... I just have to ask others for help.
Also, on a livaboard in the Pacific, the crew always set up our gear including hanging up our wetsuits. Frankly, by the 5th day of 4 dives a day, I was quite grateful to be so spoiled.

 

[DandyDon]

So, raviepoo - where did this happen, and what is the Op offerring...?

If this was outside of US, then I wouldn't expect much from arguing - unless it was a well known dive resort, but in such a case I would have Trp Ins and expect that to pay. Do you really want to file a claim on your house insurnace and risk the possible actions that could follow?

If it was in the US, I wouldn't have the Trip Ins, but would have more hope in collecting from the Op.

Like fairybasslet, I have had times when the DM got insulted that I didn't want him to set up my gear, and - I have let them do it, then I check it - the bungies right away, again - digging mine out of my dive bag if needed. I have goofed and had my gear fly to the deck, but have been lucky in my learning experiences.

I also would not get on a boat that had I seen it when I booked I would not have used it.

Yeah, well - in the real world of dive trips, you often book trips on boats you haven't seen, and sometimes don't like the boat once you get to it. It helps to check SB reports in advance, but for my Belize trip, I could not find much about the Op. After I got back, I made it clear that I thot they were the worst I'd ever been out on.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Not only should they replace your gear, but they should have refunded your trip fee (sounds like this happened before the dives). Forget about value, just give them a list of the gear you lost and they can purchase it for you, maybe at discounted prices to them. If your gear was under warranty, then ensure your get gear that can be warrantied.

That being said, I don't let anyone touch my gear either. This also isn't too difficult since I dive bp/w with a long hose. If the crew knows what they're looking at then they know I will set it up. If they don't know what they're looking at, they usually don't touch it because they're afraid...bwahahahaha!!!

I do the same as Pete/NetDoc. I fully inflate my wing. I've never had it happen or seen it happen, but I have been on some rough rides where I thought it might happen.

 

[String]

Moments later a wave kicks up, and diver's BC, regulator and computer (plus dive operator's tank and a few pounds of lead) pop out of tank holder and are lost overboard in deep water, and not recovered.

So what do you guys think of this? Who is at fault? Should the diver be compensated (in whole or in part) for the loss of the gear? If compensation is offered, what should it be based on? Manufacturers suggested retail (LDS) price? Grey market prices? (I'm not going to mention names. You guys know what sources I'm talking about when I say grey market.)

My view, no compensation and an accident. ***** happens. Dont always look for blame or scapegoat. A diver is ultimately responsible for his own equipment so if he doesnt want someone else to damage it, dont let them touch it.

Really hate blame culture. People need to (i) take responsibility for their own actions and (ii) Accept that sometimes accidents happen.

Of course, a sensible diver would have insurance for lost/damaged personal gear so would be covered by that anyway.

 

[scubafanatic]

...I'm sorry to hear of your expensive loss. Although that situation hasn't happened to me yet, knock-on-wood, I can imagine your anguish/frustration....... I often dive with $ 5,000-plus worth of gear ( AI computer, back-plate-wing, premium reg, safety gear, multiple lights, inc. 'can light' ...in addition to all the special gear customizations I've done to my gear )..and this total is excludes cameras, etc....... so counting all the labor hours I've spent at my LDS customizing/modifying my gear, it would be quite impossible for anyone who lost my gear to compensate me for my time and money ......what I dive goes WAY beyond simply ordering off-the-shelf replacement gear or writing me a check to make me 'whole' again !
Among other things, I research those dive locations/airlines/airports with reputations for misplacing/delaying/stealing dive gear and mark those potential trips off my list....or at least where it's unavoidable I'll leave the 'good-stuff' at home and take back-up gear where damage/loss would be less heart-breaking if the worst happens.

Karl

.....for the most part, my trips have involved situations where divers are expected to set up their own gear...... or situations where the DM will attempt to set up gear initially, but then I step in and let them know I'll do it myself, usually they are fine with that.......sometimes I let them 'assist' me...ie, I'll hold up the BC and let them swap out tanks, for example......so they can participate in the heavy-lifting, while I'm the one actually hooking everything up.....the only trip I went on where I pretty much let the crew handle everything was the DON JOSE/Sea of Cortez 11/05 week trip...... the boat's layout/logistics, combined with the exceptional experience on the boat was one of the few places/trips I've done where a 'hand's-off' position on my part made sense.