wtcreaux
Contributor
Debated on where to post these. After thinking about it, I thought "Basic Scuba Discussion" would be most appropriate and educational.
Yesterday, we dove in T&C (I am leaving the operator un-named as they handled as best I could see and do NOT think them as part of the problem)
Observations:
1) we saw several folks walking on the boat with shoes on AFTER the employees asked everyone to put their shoes in the dock bucket (this seemed to set the stage......of NOT listening to directions)
2) there were 2 women talking rather loudly (chatting) while the crew attempted to give a boat briefing (I had to ask the women to quieten down so I could hear)
3) At the dock, the captain repeatedly talked about monitoring one's air and computer for NDLs (this was added from last year, leading me to think that it is becoming a problem).
4) At the dive site, multiple people walked by and dunked their masks with defog solution in the fresh-water camera tank.
5) At the first dive site, several folks asked others "Is my air on??"
6) After a dive, a diver went to dunk his weightbelt in the camera tank and I told him "please don't" (OK, rather sharply as there were expensive cameras in the tank, and yes, the captain had stated at the dock that it was for cameras ONLY). He seemed offended and replied he wasn't going to drop them.
7) After the first dive, the captain repeated the need to monitor air and computers (I didn't overhear specifics).
8) Before the second dive, a woman asked if she could use a computer "I think I would like to use one." The captain asked if her's had a problem (from the first dive). She replied, "my husband had one"
9) After the second dive, one women was upset that the divemaster had made her "sit at 30 feet forever". When the captain, checked her computer, he commented that she had entered "deco" The woman's attitude was cavalier and commented "I guess I need to pay closer attention" but her tone was NOT one of learning.
10) After the second dive, another woman asked a dive master what it meant when her SPG showed ZERO.
This experience was a TOTAL change from last year. There seems to be a different attitude in folks participating in an inherently risky sport (though these same risks can be mitigated by education, training, and adherence to safety rules).
My daughter was doing a deep-diver class on same boat and she commented later on how "stupid some people are."
I work in Emergency Medicine and one axiom is that "Emergency Medicine can only do so much to negate the effects of stupidity"
After reading MANY posts in the Accident section of the forums, I now better understand how things happen. For several on the boat yesterday, it may only be a matter of time before something untoward happens.
PLEASE FOLKS:
1) PAY ATTENTION - from the moment you step onto the boat until you step off
2) KNOW YOUR EQUIPMENT - know how to check it and operate it
3) DIVE CONSERVATIVELY - many of the folks I listened to were "Resort divers" though the woman who went into deco said she was SDI-trained
4) PAY ATTENTION - to your air (SPG) and your computer
5) LISTEN TO THE CAPTAIN/DIVEMASTER - they are there to ensure your safety (BUT, INMHO, NOT responsible for your stupidity)
6) PAY ATTENTION (did I already say this??) - to your air (SPG) and your depth/time
7) ENJOY YOUR DIVE
Sorry for the ramblings.........After yesterday, it will NOT surprise me to read about one of these folks in the Accident forum (sad to say)
I will finish with a saying from Emergency Services - "somethings in life don't give you second chances"
DIVE SAFE (I chose the Basic Scuba Discussions forum on purpose and, as such, the comments/commentary are geared for same)
William
Yesterday, we dove in T&C (I am leaving the operator un-named as they handled as best I could see and do NOT think them as part of the problem)
Observations:
1) we saw several folks walking on the boat with shoes on AFTER the employees asked everyone to put their shoes in the dock bucket (this seemed to set the stage......of NOT listening to directions)
2) there were 2 women talking rather loudly (chatting) while the crew attempted to give a boat briefing (I had to ask the women to quieten down so I could hear)
3) At the dock, the captain repeatedly talked about monitoring one's air and computer for NDLs (this was added from last year, leading me to think that it is becoming a problem).
4) At the dive site, multiple people walked by and dunked their masks with defog solution in the fresh-water camera tank.
5) At the first dive site, several folks asked others "Is my air on??"
6) After a dive, a diver went to dunk his weightbelt in the camera tank and I told him "please don't" (OK, rather sharply as there were expensive cameras in the tank, and yes, the captain had stated at the dock that it was for cameras ONLY). He seemed offended and replied he wasn't going to drop them.
7) After the first dive, the captain repeated the need to monitor air and computers (I didn't overhear specifics).
8) Before the second dive, a woman asked if she could use a computer "I think I would like to use one." The captain asked if her's had a problem (from the first dive). She replied, "my husband had one"
9) After the second dive, one women was upset that the divemaster had made her "sit at 30 feet forever". When the captain, checked her computer, he commented that she had entered "deco" The woman's attitude was cavalier and commented "I guess I need to pay closer attention" but her tone was NOT one of learning.
10) After the second dive, another woman asked a dive master what it meant when her SPG showed ZERO.
This experience was a TOTAL change from last year. There seems to be a different attitude in folks participating in an inherently risky sport (though these same risks can be mitigated by education, training, and adherence to safety rules).
My daughter was doing a deep-diver class on same boat and she commented later on how "stupid some people are."
I work in Emergency Medicine and one axiom is that "Emergency Medicine can only do so much to negate the effects of stupidity"
After reading MANY posts in the Accident section of the forums, I now better understand how things happen. For several on the boat yesterday, it may only be a matter of time before something untoward happens.
PLEASE FOLKS:
1) PAY ATTENTION - from the moment you step onto the boat until you step off
2) KNOW YOUR EQUIPMENT - know how to check it and operate it
3) DIVE CONSERVATIVELY - many of the folks I listened to were "Resort divers" though the woman who went into deco said she was SDI-trained
4) PAY ATTENTION - to your air (SPG) and your computer
5) LISTEN TO THE CAPTAIN/DIVEMASTER - they are there to ensure your safety (BUT, INMHO, NOT responsible for your stupidity)
6) PAY ATTENTION (did I already say this??) - to your air (SPG) and your depth/time
7) ENJOY YOUR DIVE
Sorry for the ramblings.........After yesterday, it will NOT surprise me to read about one of these folks in the Accident forum (sad to say)
I will finish with a saying from Emergency Services - "somethings in life don't give you second chances"
DIVE SAFE (I chose the Basic Scuba Discussions forum on purpose and, as such, the comments/commentary are geared for same)
William