Thumbs Down to Adventure Scuba at CSSP Today

[Aggie Diver]

I apologize if I'm stepping on the toes of anyone on the board, but need to voice my displeasure about an incident involving Adventure Scuba today at Clear Springs.

I was the AI for a class of 10 divers (not affiliated with AS). We dove off the metal stairs near the AS pavilion, and were in the water when AS was just showing up.

Either a DM or the instructor came and talked to me after I had put out a float on one of the platforms telling me I needed to move it because it was on their platform. I was unaware AS had its own platform on the lake.

Anyway, the instructor I was assisting visited with the instructor, and we were told we could leave the float on the platform. We actually told him we'd move it after dive 1 as we had students in the water already.

We had a group of divers down on the platform, when the instructor and class from AS came over to the platform float (I was with a diver at the surface who was distressed).

When it became apparent to me that they were preparing to submerge and go to the platform, I informed the instructor (because apparently the bubbles didn't give it away) that our group was on the platform but was almost finished (they had maybe 5 minutes left). I was told by the instructor that the platform was theirs, and he was going to dive on it.

Meanwhile, there was another platform about 30' away that was unoccupied. I pointed it out and said "hey, howabout you go down on that platform, and we'll move our float between dive 1 and dive 2 over to that one once you move off it."

The response from the instructor? "This is Adventure Scuba's platform, and we're diving on it." Keep in mind, there's still divers down on the platform, and now the instructor wanted to drop in with six more divers on the same platform these divers were already on. Again I asked if he could move to the other platform so we didn't have divers dropping down on divers, and again was told that it was Adventure's platform, and damnit they were going to dive on it.

And that they did. Dive bombed the platform with multiple divers on it. The instructor, as well as a student, were kicked in the head. One by the instructor, the other by one of Adventure's students (how do you as an instructor kick someone on the platform in the head? come on!)

And for what? A p*ssing match over a platform when there was another one 30' away unoccupied, when our divers were already underwater on the platform.

Under what standards is it okay to drop a class on top of another class already on a platform? Or kick a diver you drop on as an instructor?

Keep in mind these are all divers on dive 1 in open water, when divers already have a lot of task loading as is. And you're turning the platform into a cluster/kicking people in the head over the platform?

Guess we should be glad the instructor didn't have a dive knife on him...

I have done countless dives at Athens, quite a few at CSSP as well, and have never had an incident like this occur before today. There have been times people have been on our platform (I assist sometimes for a shop here in Dallas that has a platform out in CSSP), and we make due and find another one.

But instead of making the adjustment to the other platform (for a compromise, for five freakin' minutes), the instructor felt the need to involve open water diver students from two classes in some lame turf war over a platform. As a fellow PADI professional, this incident was pathetic in my eyes and there's no excusing this instructor's actions.

But hey, karma is a funny thing... we had two students in our class who had purchased gear at Adventure in preparation for our class. That 30 seconds of bravado cost Adventure any more sales to them. Hope it was worth it!

And whoever you are, if you're reading this, howabout next time acting like a PADI professional. You should be out there bringing students into the wonderful world of diving, not acting like you did today.

 

[tk trekers]

I'm surprised to hear this as we were certified by the same instructor & AI that I saw there today and they were very professional when we certified with them. I will say that there is a sign stating that the platform you mentioned is reserved for them, the sign is posted at the walkway to their access point.

There are always two sides to every story and this is sad to hear if it indeed went down as you described and you would have every right to be upset about their actions.

 

[Kunk35]

Ahhhh Karma........Gotta love it..........

 

[Aggie Diver]

tk,

I understand your perspective. We have been out there multiple weekends and bounced between the two platforms that are right there off the stairs, and shared the water and platforms with Adventure (like 4 out of the last 5 weekends).

Never had any problems until today. Even giving the benefit of the doubt about ownership of the platform, as an instructor (well, AI), I still can't wrap my brain around what makes an instructor drop his class doing OW dive 1 on top of another class. Also can't fathom, as an instructor, not having the presence of mind that you wouldn't try to avoid kicking someone on a platform in the head.

Frustrating day...

 

[YellowfinKunkfish]

I always thought the sign was referring to the dock being theirs, not the platform, but I could be wrong. I kind of thought all the platforms were shared by all the shops. Even if the platform does belong to them, and they didn't want to use another one, they could have just been nice, and waited five minutes. Trying to make a point by being petty just makes them look bad.

JMO
Rhonda

 

[tk trekers]

tk,

I understand your perspective. We have been out there multiple weekends and bounced between the two platforms that are right there off the stairs, and shared the water and platforms with Adventure (like 4 out of the last 5 weekends).

Never had any problems until today. Even giving the benefit of the doubt about ownership of the platform, as an instructor (well, AI), I still can't wrap my brain around what makes an instructor drop his class doing OW dive 1 on top of another class. Also can't fathom, as an instructor, not having the presence of mind that you wouldn't try to avoid kicking someone on a platform in the head.

Frustrating day...

As I said, if this is indeed how it went down, it is very sad to hear. I can certainly see your frustration and you have every right to feel as you do. The instructor, and I won't mention his name, was in my opinion on our check out dives very professional and went a bit above what was expected. My son was having difficulty with the mask clearing skill, clearing his ears and removing and replacing his mask underwater and the instructor had worked very hard with him on these skills and helped him descend without pain. Everyone had exited the water, started packing up and my son decided that he would try it just one more time to get his junior OW cert when he found out that he wouldn't get it because of the mask removal skill that he just refused to complete. The instructor then unpacked his gear, suited back up and got back in the water to help him achieve this. My wife and I very much appreciated it and I know he had some where else to be since we were well passed the time for the class to be over. My son did the skill (finally!!!) and got his card. The instructor did not have to do this and I appreciated his extra efforts with my son. I even sent him a thank you card with a gift card for dinner for he & his wife.

Like I said, you have every right to feel as you do, I'm just surprised to hear that he acted that way. It is very unfortunate for everyone involved.

 

[tk trekers]

I always thought the sign was referring to the dock being theirs, not the platform, but I could be wrong. I kind of thought all the platforms were shared by all the shops. Even if the platform does belong to them, and they didn't want to use another one, they could have just been nice, and waited five minutes. Trying to make a point by being petty just makes them look bad.

JMO
Rhonda

I agree, they could have waited. The sign does say that the platform with the yellow buoy is reserved. That is a mute point though, it doesn't give someone the right to act the way they did as reported by Aggie Diver.

 

[divezonescuba]

If the dive shop is associated with PADI, you can always file a quality assurance report. This way, the situation is independently reviewed. If actions are deemed appropriate, they are taken. There is a whole list of individuals and diveshops that have been prevented from endangering other divers as a result of a conscientious individual doing the right thing. That's an indicator that the process can actually work.

A few years ago, a different type of incident occurred and I wish that I had filed a report. At the time, I did not have the PADI professional that I do today. I have no doubt that my ignorance of the process had the potential to endanger someone else.

 

[FIXXERVI6]

As crowded as the lake is all the time why don't they just put more platforms in?

 

[texdiveguy]

Just MOO, but the weekends are so packed with classes and student divers now that it offers the experienced divers 'some' opportunities. But it is a great place to train from OW to Tec..

Now as to comment to Adventure Scuba, I have found them to be a great group of staff......once in a while 'we' all have an off day.