question in divemaster manual.

[Yoyodyne-88]

Your job is to care for your divers. And to obey the captain's instructions, and assist him/her.

In my own experience, as one example, I was asked to take the helm while the captain left the bridge and went below to rig for rough weather. That was your #6 item, but I'd put it near the top. If that involves telling the captain that you are a mechanic, fine, but the boat is their responsibility, and you are under their authority.

You are there as a divemaster, and I think the question should be answered as a divemaster, not as a mechanic.

 

[TMHeimer]

Your job is to care for your divers. And to obey the captain's instructions, and assist him/her.

In my own experience, as one example, I was asked to take the helm while the captain left the bridge and went below to rig for rough weather. That was your #6 item, but I'd put it near the top. If that involves telling the captain that you are a mechanic, fine, but the boat is their responsibility, and you are under their authority.

You are there as a divemaster, and I think the question should be answered as a divemaster, not as a mechanic.

I agree. It's too bad we live in such a time that liability and lawsuits are all too common. If I'm on a boat as a diver or just there I would lookout for myself -- ei. if the boat may sink I'll get a floatation device and go somewhere safe. I wouldn't have to be a DM to do that, and my first thought wouldn't be to sue anybody. But as a DM you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[RJP]

I see your point but my counter argument is that by fixing the problem either "properly" or by patching it up Im actually doing the most effective thing to ensure the safety of my customers.

The most effective thing to ensure their safety would be to cancel the charter altogether the day before; beyond ensuring there would be no dive-related or boat-related hazards you'll also be preventing anyone from having a car accident during the drive to the dock.

 

[grassgreen]

What they are looking for is that you know what NOT to do is...take your divers diving while the captain fixes it.
Because what might happen is you get an emergency and need to go quickly back to shore but the captain couldnt fix the boat and you go nowhere. Captain fixes the boat first, then you can get in a go diving....easy

 

[Herb-alaska]

Frosty my view comes from 2 perspectives. One spending 18 years handling insurance claims and second from my fire dept side with dive and ems background. The key is to think liability which is the only way to protect yourself in a litigious society. If you are hired to provide a service ( keep divers safe ) as a DM and you run off being a mechanic even though the end plan was to protect the divers by fixing the boat and a diver is hurt becasue they did not do the smart thing that you would have told them to do had you not been fixing a boat then you very well could be held accountable. You could have a case made that you abandoned them and did not provide the guidance that a prudent DM would have done. That is why i said get the divers safe in safety gear call the notice to the coast guard pass their supervision off to maybe the deck hand that can't fix the boat or the captain then fix the boat. The folks that say they are not babies and should be able to handle things them self have not seen what the story looks like in court when someone gets hurt

 

[Frosty]

Frosty my view comes from 2 perspectives. One spending 18 years handling insurance claims and second from my fire dept side with dive and ems background. The key is to think liability which is the only way to protect yourself in a litigious society. If you are hired to provide a service ( keep divers safe ) as a DM and you run off being a mechanic even though the end plan was to protect the divers by fixing the boat and a diver is hurt becasue they did not do the smart thing that you would have told them to do had you not been fixing a boat then you very well could be held accountable. You could have a case made that you abandoned them and did not provide the guidance that a prudent DM would have done. That is why i said get the divers safe in safety gear call the notice to the coast guard pass their supervision off to maybe the deck hand that can't fix the boat or the captain then fix the boat. The folks that say they are not babies and should be able to handle things them self have not seen what the story looks like in court when someone gets hurt

hey thanks a million Herb. You just covered off stuff I had never considered.
Over "here" and all the other places Ive dived litigation of the level you guys in the US have to deal with is unheard of.