So how does analyzing tanks work with valet diving?

[hroark2112]

With the exception of my trip to LCBR, I rarely dive OC. When I do, I normally fill my own tanks. If I am out of the area, I will analyze my tank unless I watched it being filled and know for a fact what the content is. LCBR was the exception, I didn't watch them fill every tank but I did check out where they fill the tanks and how they sort them. I was comfortable that the air tanks had air and the Nitrox tanks had Nitrox.

When diving CCR, analyze everything or watch it being analyzed after a fill.

 

[String]

I honestly had no clue this type of thing existing. The majority of my diving is advanced or technical Great Lakes wreck diving, with occasional diving in NC, FL or CA. I've NEVER had anyone set up my gear for me. This would be extremely stressful to me and entirely foreign to all of the diving I've ever done. Interesting to know this kind of thing exists. Not sure it's a good thing honestly.

To me the whole concept of "valet" diving is a potentially dangerous idea. Removes knowledge and responsibility from the individual diver and places it elsewhere. Helps to breed non thinking divers who would struggle to recognise a problem, fix a fault or think something through themselves.

I also can't work out why anyone would be happy letting someone else do all that for them pre dive.

 

[KathyV]

To me the whole concept of "valet" diving is a potentially dangerous idea. Removes knowledge and responsibility from the individual diver and places it elsewhere. Helps to breed non thinking divers who would struggle to recognise a problem, fix a fault or think something through themselves. I also can't work out why anyone would be happy letting someone else do all that for them pre dive.

Then you should stay away from it!

 

[String]

Then you should stay away from it!

I do. To me the whole concept is unfathomable and i cant work out why people would delegate responsibility and safety to an unknown third party.

 

[boulderjohn]

To me the whole concept is unfathomable and i cant work out why people would delegate responsibility and safety to an unknown third party.

I am ashamed to say that over the past few months I have delegated responsibility and safety to an unknown third party on more than a few occasions.

• I let a surgeon I barely know operate on me, and I even slept through the whole affair.
• I let a mechanic I never even met do maintenance work on my car, and I drove it away without inspecting the quality of the work first.
• I flew to and from Florida without once even going into the cockpit to see if the pilot was doing his job correctly.
• I took a shuttle bus and didn't even look up to monitor the driver's actions. He could have been driving on the wrong side of the road for all I knew.

Now, I am not in a position to use a valet dive service often, but when I do, have to admit that I don't mind if they carry my gear to and from the boat, slip the BCD over the top of a tank, and secure the regulator in place. Unlike the cases mentioned above, I do inspect their work when I am done to make sure it was done properly. That task that can take a number of seconds, but that investment in time is well worth the effort.

 

[AggieDiver]

So when you go on vacation, do you insist that the dive operator let you fill your own tanks? If not, aren't you delegating safety and responsibility to whoever you let do that for you? What about maintenance of the compressor system? Is that something you really want to trust being left to somebody that gets paid by the hour? Shouldn't you be in there anytime that compressor is worked on just to make sure they aren't taking your life in their hands with every turn of the wrench? What about riding in taxi cabs? You are far more likely to die in a car crash in a foreign cab than you are diving...so do you insist on always driving the vehicle yourself instead of allowing some unknown peasant to drive you in a cab or shuttle bus?

Seriously, there are logical limits to any concern on safety. Taking a regulator from one tank and putting it on another is an extremely simple task...it is one that can be checked for safety very simply...and one that is very easy to identify when it is done improperly. I change my reg from one tank to another maybe 15-20 times a year...these guys do it thousands of times a year. Who is likely to be better at it? Like I said before, this isn't rocket science...they aren't rebalancing the inner workings of your reg and reassembling the entire system. They are pulling your bc and reg off of one tank and putting it on another. You have 45 minutes or so in which you can check their work. You can check the valve for proper seating and tightness, you can turn it on and listen for leaks, you can breathe through the regs and check the inflator connection. What part of all of that is it that you feel is so dangerous?

Of all the tasks that go into diving with a professional dive operation (mixing nitrox, compressor maintenance, boat maintenance, boat driving, tank inspections, etc.) why is it that the absolute simplest task out of all of those (putting a reg on a tank) is the one that you cannot possibly trust anybody else to do, even if you have 45 minute afterward to inspect their work? Any one of those other tasks has the potential to kill you just as surely if done improperly, and for most of them, you have no ability at all to inspect the way they are done.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I just call it laziness, and I have a disdain for lazy people.

In all seriousness, for most people, this is a non-issue because they will always inspect the work of the DM or mate assembling their gear. My concern is the people who are barely competent divers as it is, and now this is one less thing they need to do which might help them become more adept. My concern is for those folks. However, take my opinion for what it's worth. I don't dive in locations with valet services, so to each their own.

 

[KathyV]

I just call it laziness, and I have a disdain for lazy people.

In all seriousness, for most people, this is a non-issue because they will always inspect the work of the DM or mate assembling their gear. My concern is the people who are barely competent divers as it is, and now this is one less thing they need to do which might help them become more adept. My concern is for those folks. However, take my opinion for what it's worth. I don't dive in locations with valet services, so to each their own.

It amazes me that someone automatically classifies others as lazy or incompetent based on limited information and a narrow and biased viewpoint. When handicapped divers make use of the assistance of others at DiveHeart are they being lazy? Are they incompetent?

And if someone is willing to pay for special services because they want to relax and enjoy their vacation what business is it of yours? And what right do you have to pass judgment on them? I must be lazy because I enjoy maid service at the hotel when I am on vacation and I am willing to pay for it! By your criteria, I guess I should be cleaning the room and changing the linens just to prove I am competent!

And before you make a snap judgment about someone, consider that you may not know the full story. If others are so easily classified as lazy and incompetent then it is just possible that they might consider you to be ignorant.

We were never critical of othes that appreciated assistance, but we used to be gung-ho and drag all our heavy gear around ourselves but now we are getting older and we have some chronic health issues, and it is getting harder to schlep our equipment. We want to continue diving as long as we are safely able to do so - but according to you we are lazy and incompetent because we appreciate the convenience of valet diving services.

Like I said, if you don't like it, don't use it; but be careful about sitting in judgment on others. You may find yourself in the same situation some day and my guess is that you won't like it when someone calls you lazy and incompetent!

 

[Divin'Papaw]

It amazes me that someone automatically classifies others as lazy or incompetent based on limited information and a narrow and biased viewpoint. When handicapped divers make use of the assistance of others at DiveHeart are they being lazy? Are they incompetent?

And if someone is willing to pay for special services because they want to relax and enjoy their vacation what business is it of yours? And what right do you have to pass judgment on them? I must be lazy because I enjoy maid service at the hotel when I am on vacation and I am willing to pay for it! By your criteria, I guess I should be cleaning the room and changing the linens just to prove I am competent!

And before you make a snap judgment about someone, consider that you may not know the full story. If others are so easily classified as lazy and incompetent then it is just possible that they might consider you to be ignorant.

We were never critical of othes that appreciated assistance, but we used to be gung-ho and drag all our heavy gear around ourselves but now we are getting older and we have some chronic health issues, and it is getting harder to schlep our equipment. We want to continue diving as long as we are safely able to do so - but according to you we are lazy and incompetent because we appreciate the convenience of valet diving services.

Like I said, if you don't like it, don't use it; but be careful about sitting in judgment on others. You may find yourself in the same situation some day and my guess is that you won't like it when someone calls you lazy and incompetent!

Did you even read my whole post? Did you not notice the wink, the universal indication of sarcasm? Did you not see where I said "In all seriousness, for most people, this is a non-issue"? The phrase "In all seriousness" clearly indicates my sarcasm is over and now on to my main point.

Thanks for the reminder as to why I post very little these days. People seem to be unable to read what people say without reading all sorts of hate and malice into it.

I'm out.

 

[KathyV]

Did you even read my whole post? Did you not notice the wink, the universal indication of sarcasm? Did you not see where I said "In all seriousness, for most people, this is a non-issue"? The phrase "In all seriousness" clearly indicates my sarcasm is over and now on to my main point. Thanks for the reminder as to why I post very little these days. People seem to be unable to read what people say without reading all sorts of hate and malice into it. I'm out.

Yes, I read the entire post and I saw the wink, but I also read your comments about laziness and competence. I apologize if I over-reacted but I have seen similar comments made over and over like "if someone can't carry their own equipment then they shouldn't be diving!" and I don't appreciate them.

Again, my apologies for the misunderstanding.