Was My Captain Fair?

[marcusgrimm]

Hi All,

Just returned from my first vacation that included diving and I have a question about something the Captain did. I honestly don't know if this is typical and would like to know for the future.

First the good: I have my Open Water certification and had 2 great dives.

The bad: My son is 12 years old, has his Scuba Diver Cert, and was scheduled to do his final 2 dives for his Open Water Cert. This was arranged in advance. I agreed to pay $179, plus gear rental for him (on the phone, I had been told $75, but the person ringing us up had no idea why that would be, so I just bit my tongue and paid it). We were paired with another group doing something similar. My wife and daughter were also on the boat for snorkeling and paid for that.

On the way out, the waves were much rougher than expected and my son got seasick and couldn't dive (I know he likely would've felt way better in the water, but he's 12 and had no interest in trying... I've got no interest in pushing him into something he doesn't want to do.).

The instructor was very nice about this and told me she'd talk to the captain about some sort of refund for my son, but when we got back, he refused. He said that he couldn't return my money because he'd turned so many other divers away.

In his defense, the boat was full, so I totally get that he shouldn't return our gear rental and some portion for my son to be on the boat. But from my perspective, the $179 was for training, and though it was our fault, the training didn't happen. I paid more than $500 for the 4 of us, but felt it was fair that at least a portion of the $179 be refunded.

The instructor had mentioned possibly taking my son to a nearby lake to finish up the next day, but this would've been very difficult given our vacation schedule, and after the Captain's attitude about money, I wasn't interested in asking him how much that would cost.

I was kind of shocked that he refused to even offer a portion of a refund, but maybe I shouldn't have expected it, either.

What are your thoughts?

Marcus

 

[TSandM]

In my experience, if you book a spot on a boat, and the boat goes out and is able to deliver divers to the dive site, you don't get any refund if you are unable or don't want to dive. If the boat cancels the trip at the dock, you get a refund.

If part of your fee was for the services of an instructor, and the instructor made the trip out on the boat, then I don't think you could really ask for a refund there, either, since had he not done that, he might have had other remunerative work available which he was unable to do because he was with you guys.

I'm really sorry that your son felt too ill to do his dives, but this kind of financial experience is just part of the reality of diving off boats.

 

[Blackwood]

Instructors on average aren't paid much. I imagine the biggest costs are fuel and whatever liability insurance he carries, not payroll.

If the boat goes and divers splash, anyone who remains on the boat has essentially opted out of diving.

The only time I expect a refund (which generally takes the form of a credit) is when the captain/crew calls the dives off.

 

[vladimir]

I agree with Lynne and Marc. I have been out on boats where my buddy and I--and every other diver on the boat--aborted because of rough conditions. There was no question of a refund, because the boat went out.

 

[Wookie]

I agree with Lynn. We need to know more. Was an instructor put on the boat just to finish your son's training? Your son took a spot on the boat, no question that he needed to pay for it, whether he dived or not. If the instructor was there just to finish your son's cert class, he needed to pay for it, regardless of whether or not your son dived. If the instructor had other duties, like boat DM, maybe a partial refund is due. I think that the owner/captain went above and beyond by offering to finish your son in the lake. Usually an offer like that would be made gratis (at least I would) to keep you happy. It's too bad your schedule interfered.

 

[marcusgrimm]

Thanks for the answers - good insight.

No, the instructor was on the boat for another couple, as well.

Appreciate the answers very much - this is new to us and wasn't sure what to expect.

 

[The Kraken]

The boats is nothing more than a vehicle of conveyance to a dive site. One pays for the ride (just consider it a sea borne taxi ride). If you ride, you pay.

Whether or not one dives, one occupies a spot on the boat. That spot must pay its share for fuel, maintenance, operation, insurance, fixed overhead, etc.

Just the way life/business works.

the K

 

[Kingpatzer]

Chalk up another answer of "sorry, but you got to the dive site and divers got in the water." Unfortunately that's the reality of this business. As for the dive at the lake, that would likely have been gratis or for a very nominal fee to cover expenses. That's the way we do things here, anyway, and is true of most instructors I know. As a group, instructors are very interested in seeing divers be successful and would look at such a second outing as a continuation of the class you already paid for, no differently than if your son got out and had equipment problems or ear issues or otherwise couldn't dive through no fault of his own.

 

[oly5050user]

I do not see a reason for a refund. Even though the instructor was there and had another couple for training dives. The instructor has expenses to meet,as well as the boat,and was contracted for the required dives.He/she kept their part of the deal being prepared to do the training dives. Same as if he did do the dives and could not perfom the skills and did not get certified.Should you get a refund because he was not prepared and failed? I think not.
Next time get the certification dives done while going off a beach being he is prone to seasickness. The fee charged was not reall too expensive, you say it was $179.Breaks down to a estimate of $75. was the boat charter fee,about $60. for rental gear,and the balance for the instructor.

 

[vladimir]

Thanks for the answers - good insight.

Five of the seven responses you've gotten thus far are from instructors, so it might not be a representative sample of opinion on the subject.