Recreational Diving Poll - Gear Set-up

[Hotpocket]

When I'm not diving with a charter, or with a charter that does not provide the service, I put my own rig together and disassemble it. When I'm in a tropical location with a full service dive op that provides the service, I'm more than happy to let them do it for me but of course I'll check it over carefully before diving it. Those divers who say "I never let anyone touch my gear because I do it better than the guy who does this 100x per day" can die on their own hill or however the expression goes. Putting a rig together especially when you do it over and over again because it's your job, is not rocket science.

 

[billt4sf]

Depends on the boat. On one LOB that I use, I set up my equipment on the tank and remove my reg after every dive. The crew refill the tank with my BC in place and I reattach the reg after the gas is analysed immediately prior to the next dive.

Thank you, but note that I did not ask what YOU do.

 

[billt4sf]

OP here. I agree it varies. On the boats I have been on, if the crew is available to do it, almost no one will object or do it themselves. This is what I have seen in Hawaii, the Caribbean, and Indo. In California, the crew would not do it at all.

Where I am going with this is, in MANY recreational dive situations, the guests do very little to ensure their own safety. They don't put their gear together (in fact it may be rental gear), no one does buddy checks (at least not formally), pretty much people just follow the DM around.

I think that's fine -- unless conditions change, then problems are much more likely to occur. Recreational divers may or may not have safety gear or know how to use it. They may or may not be ready for currents or deeper dives. And if they do like we did a few years ago and go to a different environment (like cold water), then problems are REALLY going to show up.

The whole idea that you can take a course and learn how to dive is deeply flawed. We as an industry and sport need to recognize that it's an on-going process and we learn how to do it from other divers, and from DMs, and from additional courses at the right time.

- Bill

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

I usually insist on putting my own gear together. On some of the more full service dive ops that advertises as doing everything for you, so you can relax and enjoy the trip, I usually insist on putting the gears on the tank, but frequently during SI where I might be doing something else, they take my gear and swap out tanks. Once they got my piston reg upside down and the hose in a tangled mess, other times, they will call me and ask me how to put the gear back (my wife's octo is routed to the left so I can use it right side up while in swimming position with her), and another time, my titanium line cutter disappeared, likely fallen off when they were moving things around and I only noticed after I left the island.

 

[scubadiver888]

I've never been on a LOB but I have been on a number of different day-boats in my area (Ontario, Canada). If you don't set up your own gear it is because you aren't diving. On one on the boat is going to set it up for you. I think maybe once I had a young DM checked everyone's air to make sure it was turned on. Some of us have doubles we broke down into single tanks. The DM turned off someone's tank because it was a left hand valve. lol.

 

[Centrals]

What I have observed on other diver's practice on setting up tank?
1 + 2 + 3 on the list but 3 is the most common.
I don't like to curse other people so I do it myself.

 

[Steve_C]

Depends on the op. Question had no general answer.
In NC my home area, you set up your own gear. Crew helps getting it to and from the boat.
In the Cayman' it was was rental and it was already set up and waiting for me on the boat although i checked it over.