MidOH
Contributor
I was perfectly respectful, and recieved poor service.
Funny, these are likely the same guys upset about tips. You don't get a tip if you ding up my gear for no reason, or under fill a tank.
To touch or not to touch other diver's gear
- Thread starter divezonescuba
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I was perfectly respectful, and recieved poor service.
Funny, these are likely the same guys upset about tips. You don't get a tip if you ding up my gear for no reason, or under fill a tank.
On the issue of "touching others gear" I think the most egregious scenario is when ANYONE other than me decides when my valves are either on or off. I don't need some DM candidate on a dive boat touching my valves behind my back as I'm prepping to splash...but I see it happen all the time on recreational dive boats. This is also why I personally feel that one of the WORST advertised "agency" procedures is to turn a tank valve all the way on and then back a 1/4 turn. That stupid rule can leave the tank "kinda-on". Screw the 1/4 turn rule. IMHO, valves should be either all the way on or all the way off so when doing a post splash gear check I know for sure exactly what the status is. On or OFF.
SetheryJ
Banned
The egos on this website are more fragile than the caves of Abaco 
. That being said, I think several things should be considered in this scenario...
1. If you are perusing scubaboard.com you are likely less than 1% of all certified divers.
2. That means that the boat crews out there likely have to deal with the 'other 99%', of which most don't even know how to dive, let alone put their own gear together.
3. You're right, the 1/4 turn is out, hasn't been taught for years.....congrats, you know more than the random kid in the Indian Ocean.
4. Fun fact, if you watch your gear closely {as you should} you'll catch them when they adjust the 1/4 turn and you'll immediately reconcile it.
5. Another fun fact: If you are ready to splash and look at your spg while you take a couple last minute breaths, you'll find out right away if your gas is on or not.
6. Another......fun fact, your gear and the condition of your gear is your responsibility. Stop blaming your complacency on the dive crew.
7. Last fun fact, when the crew realizes you are a humble and competent diver, your trip will be much more enjoyable and they won't 'touch' your stuff.
8. Sorry, one last fact.....everyone on the boat is a better diver than you and can dive longer than you....so relax, you're literally an amateur in their world. You're likely old, broken, hung over, on your third heart attack, chain smoking cigarettes, wearing XXXXXXXXL wetsuits, and resemble a diabetic walrus trying to climb a ladder. Worry less about your 1/4 turn and maybe focus on doing better...
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
. That being said, I think several things should be considered in this scenario...1. If you are perusing scubaboard.com you are likely less than 1% of all certified divers.
2. That means that the boat crews out there likely have to deal with the 'other 99%', of which most don't even know how to dive, let alone put their own gear together.
3. You're right, the 1/4 turn is out, hasn't been taught for years.....congrats, you know more than the random kid in the Indian Ocean.
4. Fun fact, if you watch your gear closely {as you should} you'll catch them when they adjust the 1/4 turn and you'll immediately reconcile it.
5. Another fun fact: If you are ready to splash and look at your spg while you take a couple last minute breaths, you'll find out right away if your gas is on or not.
6. Another......fun fact, your gear and the condition of your gear is your responsibility. Stop blaming your complacency on the dive crew.
7. Last fun fact, when the crew realizes you are a humble and competent diver, your trip will be much more enjoyable and they won't 'touch' your stuff.
8. Sorry, one last fact.....everyone on the boat is a better diver than you and can dive longer than you....so relax, you're literally an amateur in their world. You're likely old, broken, hung over, on your third heart attack, chain smoking cigarettes, wearing XXXXXXXXL wetsuits, and resemble a diabetic walrus trying to climb a ladder. Worry less about your 1/4 turn and maybe focus on doing better...
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
johndiver999
Contributor
I find that last post personally offensive. I have NEVER used a suit larger than 4 xl!!!
The egos on this website are more fragile than the caves of Abaco
1. If you are perusing scubaboard.com you are likely less than 1% of all certified divers.
2. That means that the boat crews out there likely have to deal with the 'other 99%', of which most don't even know how to dive, let alone put their own gear together.
3. You're right, the 1/4 turn is out, hasn't been taught for years.....congrats, you know more than the random kid in the Indian Ocean.
4. Fun fact, if you watch your gear closely {as you should} you'll catch them when they adjust the 1/4 turn and you'll immediately reconcile it.
5. Another fun fact: If you are ready to splash and look at your spg while you take a couple last minute breaths, you'll find out right away if your gas is on or not.
6. Another......fun fact, your gear and the condition of your gear is your responsibility. Stop blaming your complacency on the dive crew.
7. Last fun fact, when the crew realizes you are a humble and competent diver, your trip will be much more enjoyable and they won't 'touch' your stuff.
8. Sorry, one last fact.....everyone on the boat is a better diver than you and can dive longer than you....so relax, you're literally an amateur in their world. You're likely old, broken, hung over, on your third heart attack, chain smoking cigarettes, wearing XXXXXXXXL wetsuits, and resemble a diabetic walrus trying to climb a ladder. Worry less about your 1/4 turn and maybe focus on doing better...
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
Your "Ted Talk" is basically all "DUH" stuff. . My only point was that on many recreational dive ops, I routinely see boat DM's think it is their responsibility to "check" valves prior to splash from behind the diver without them ever even knowing it. I personally don't want that because I agree that it is 100% my responsibility.
SetheryJ
Banned
If you don’t see the irony in this, you should dive more, read more, and post less.
Waterwulf
Contributor
If somebody points out to me that something might be amiss with my gear, I will thank the "pointer outer" and mean it. Then I'll check whatever it was. On the other hand, I don't like anybody besides my Wife touching my gear and will politely tell the person not to. It's all my personal gear, no rentals and I have it adjusted the way I like it.
On the third hand: Grabbing it to keep it from falling over or loading it onboard is not the same as turning knobs, adjusting straps, changing clips, etc. etc. etc..
As an aside: If you want to see some people that are extremely protective of their gear, look at hi-performance motorcycle mechanics. I spent a few years in a shop building engines and transmissions for Kawasaki race bikes. It was not uncommon to hear screams of rage and others of fear when somebody caught somebody else in their tools or work area. Getting chased by somebody swinging a chain wrench was the usual result of not asking first.
On the third hand: Grabbing it to keep it from falling over or loading it onboard is not the same as turning knobs, adjusting straps, changing clips, etc. etc. etc..
As an aside: If you want to see some people that are extremely protective of their gear, look at hi-performance motorcycle mechanics. I spent a few years in a shop building engines and transmissions for Kawasaki race bikes. It was not uncommon to hear screams of rage and others of fear when somebody caught somebody else in their tools or work area. Getting chased by somebody swinging a chain wrench was the usual result of not asking first.
Why is everyone so compelled to inform us all about their sentiment about their gear being touched and then explaining things like how they handle it?
Who cares. Just go dive. Take care of your gear. Deal with the folks who touch your junk however you want. But, by golly, let's end this fargin thread already.
-Z
Who cares. Just go dive. Take care of your gear. Deal with the folks who touch your junk however you want. But, by golly, let's end this fargin thread already.
-Z
That is exactly their responsibility.
And if they didn't find 5 of them every day, they would likely stop doing it.
I ask before I do it every time. Never had anybody object. They guys that reach back and check their own during their predive, I don't touch them as I watched them open the valves.
Slightly different example, but involving touching other peoples gear, I can give you two examples I’ve actually seen in person, the first was on a liveaboard and involved hearing a bang from the dive deck on an evening (dive deck being below the sun deck where we were sitting) it was quite late and I decided to go check, as I got to the dive deck there was a fully set up single on the floor in front of where it had obviously fallen from, a very helpful person was picking it up and putting it back so I told them to stop and leave the equipment on the floor but secured, reason being the owner would question why it was on floor which coupled with telling the DM what had happened would mean the incident wouldn’t be overlooked or forgotten in the morning,,
The second involves an inland dive site and seeing an unattended rebreather falling over, again a helpful passer by went to stand it up and I told them not to, reason being if the rebreather diver had prepped the gear good to go and nipped to the loo etc, they could innocently get back out the gear on and go dive without knowing something could be damaged after the fall,
I have to say that to touch or not touch someone’s gear generally though is a matter of circumstance, a DM or dive guide having a once over or checking a valve is open correctly on someone’s gear that has either not had much experience or out of the water for some time is not really comparable to the other extreme of touching someone’s equipment that you are not actually diving with, or even equipment you don’t understand, common sense I think should be the basic guide.
The second involves an inland dive site and seeing an unattended rebreather falling over, again a helpful passer by went to stand it up and I told them not to, reason being if the rebreather diver had prepped the gear good to go and nipped to the loo etc, they could innocently get back out the gear on and go dive without knowing something could be damaged after the fall,
I have to say that to touch or not touch someone’s gear generally though is a matter of circumstance, a DM or dive guide having a once over or checking a valve is open correctly on someone’s gear that has either not had much experience or out of the water for some time is not really comparable to the other extreme of touching someone’s equipment that you are not actually diving with, or even equipment you don’t understand, common sense I think should be the basic guide.
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