Relegated to the back of the dive group

[redacted]

Pretty much every shop here is going to limit you to 45 minute dives. I know one shop only that will do longer dives in West Bay, but he only takes a max of 6 divers

45 mnutes is just too short. 60 mnutes or 500psi is reasonable. I think I would have to explain to the guide that tips may be reduced $1 for each mnute less than 55. Fair?

 

[adutto]

I would have to explain to the guide that tips may be reduced $1 for each mnute less than 55. Fair?

LOVED IT!

 

[chillyinCanada]

Just checked my logs from Anthony's Key last May. Out of 17 dives (one week of diving) I only had two dives shorter than 1 hour. Both were wrecks with max depths of over 100 ft.. In my book that's not too bad considering they try to keep to a schedule for meals etc.. Guess it depends on who you dive with.

The above said...I am (almost always) the first off the boat.

First off, last back on is my motto! Or it was before my body started to give out on me here and there. Sometimes I need some help now and then to get off the boat, sigh, so last in . . . But that nicely gets me to the back of the pack where I am free to dawdel and be last back on.

I don't remember West End Divers as being too rigid on the 45 minutes but they do still have a schedule to keep, like any other dive operation.

 

[KeithG]

Interesting. I wonder why more dive ops do not let you dive your air instead of enforcing rigid time constraints. Several years ago we used Octopus Dive School in Sandy Bay. They were wonderful, plus we were able to dive our air/profile. Too bad Sandy Bay is so far from where we will be staying, otherwise I would return to them in a minute!

Because there would be way too much variation in dive time? As an A type north American I really really appreciate it when (demand that) a dive boat leaves the dock on time. The corollary is that the boat must come back on time. It is all clock based.

Air hogs could be done a dive in under 40 minutes (or less), sippers could be down as long as 90 minutes - or more. Sitting on the boat waiting for almost an hour for the last person to show up would suck big time. It would also screw up the the time schedule of the dive op.

How long do you want to sit on the dive boat after your dive waiting for the air sippers to get back?

 

[KeithG]

45 mnutes is just too short. 60 mnutes or 500psi is reasonable. I think I would have to explain to the guide that tips may be reduced $1 for each mnute less than 55. Fair?

Agreed! 45 minutes is way too short: gearing up takes effort. And I am pretty lazy. We target a minimum of 60 minutes per dive. Our recent trip to CCV was borderline as they wanted 60 minutes maximum (not minimum).

We mostly dive the Divi resort in Bonaire and avoid the 2 tank morning boat dive as each dive is limited to 45 minutes (with a 30 minute SI that likely drives Suunto's nuts?). We dock dive in the morning and do the 60 minute afternoon boat dive (which sometimes we get to stretch a bit by being first in and last out).

 

[dmaziuk]

We mostly dive the Divi resort in Bonaire and avoid the 2 tank morning boat dive as each dive is limited to 45 minutes (with a 30 minute SI that likely drives Suunto's nuts?). We dock dive in the morning and do the 60 minute afternoon boat dive (which sometimes we get to stretch a bit by being first in and last out).

I don't remember DFB limiting dives to 45 minutes, but we've only been on one 2-tank boat to Klein... SI was one hour, that I remember.

 

[AdivingBel]

Just sitting here looking at my dive log wishing I was diving... Last trip we did a 2-tank to Klein our first week and a 2-tank up north the 2nd week both with DFB. All 4 dives approached 70 min. My guess they were 60 min dives and we were 1st off, last on.

 

[Edward3c]

First, and last time, I was asked to be tail-end-charlie I stated it would cost the operator my hourly fee of £500 (I'm just an auditor}

 

[dmaziuk]

45 mnutes is just too short. 60 mnutes or 500psi is reasonable. I think I would have to explain to the guide that tips may be reduced $1 for each mnute less than 55. Fair?

And if the dive gets short enough the guide tips you?