To the Discourteous Instructor at Casino Point Sat 08/29

[drbill]

By the way, on the topic of courtesy at Casino Point, has any one ever addressed the strong stench of urine that seems ingrained in the asphalt in the gear up areas? Smelled worse than a N.Y. Subway! Is it really that much trouble to walk the 200 feet to the loo? Perhaps this problem has improved since I last dived the park in 2008.... hope so!

I'm SOOOO glad that my sense of smell is poor... I don't notice it except occasionally. LaiLaiDiver, i noticed you may have dived here in the colder off-season. That is when divers are more prone to peeing in their wetsuits based on my experience.

Of course if fewer divers pee'd in their wetsuits and waited until they hit the surface to use the toilets, that would be a big help.

 

[cool_hardware52]

Just a thought but, wouldn't it be nice if there were showers at the "dive park" ?

Unlikely to happen on a Island with a chronic shortage of fresh water.

It would be nice if the restrooms in the Casino building were open, both were closed on 8/24/09.

Tobin

 

[drbill]

Tobin, are you sure they weren't just closed for cleaning? Those restrooms actually are not "public" (although they are open to the public). They are owned by the corporation that owns the Casino building. I'm thankful we are allowed to use them at all.

There is talk about an entire new set of restrooms and showers for Casino Point in the future.

DIVE CONDITIONS WERE EPOCH today... vis in the 70 ft vicinity. The past few days have probably been the best I've seen in the last three years!

 

[cool_hardware52]

Tobin, are you sure they weren't just closed for cleaning?

I don't know why they were closed, only that they were not open.

Tobin

 

[kelpmermaid]

I noticed a plumber's truck there on Thursday. The Ladies' restroom was open, though, and I did not hear that the Men's restroom was closed. Perhaps there is some kind of problem, though.

 

[BobbyT22]

Best bet is to just dive out of the crowd, at night, in the winter, on weekdays, etc. With divers in masses, assume buffoonery.[/QUOTE]

I couldn't have said it better. Throw in solo and you have summed up my dive philosophy perfectly.

Rob

 

[Hoomi]

Sadly, both "common courtesy" and "common sense" seem to be anything but common these days.

 

[scubatomwetzel]

Yes, I still teach the old fashion "Rocky Beach Entries and Exits, know as washups."
I do not think I've seen Bull Kelp in the park. Except maybe a driffting piece.
Yes, I can raise my voice alittle and can be heard.

I do know of a few Instructors who also teach Rocky Beach Entries and Exits.
I have had students and divers from other classes at the Casino and ask, "What is you were teaching,"

If you ever notice, I still teach my students to drop weight belts. 99.9% of all the rescues I have done, nobody drops a weight belt.

Bill, good job on speaking up and maybe a lesson may be taught and possibly learned by some on this Thread.

Tom

 

[drbill]

He's alive, he's alive!

 

[art.chick]

This is a good thread, Dr. B. I can't tell you how many times I have been safety diving with Tom's classes and had students who had to wait and wait and wait to exit because the stairs have been hijacked with some pretty disorganized exit/gear shedding methodology for a loooong time. Sometimes we do just concede to use our wash-on training. It can be pretty awful going in, too, on a hot day when classes make it to the bottom of the stairs without complete gear securement, and the instructor fiddles around with each one. They're scared. If the assistant can tell the ones entering with fins to put them on while they wait, somewhere further up the stairs, and get the next student into position to enter just after the last takes off, it can keep the line moving. Buddy checks before approaching the entrance point are also helpful at avoiding last moment freak-outs over gear.

Tom Wetzel is a great asset to the whole park - I have seen him assist and even rescue other people's students on many of our trips over there. Glad you are getting fair conditions. Hope we can join you over there soon!