What about dive briefing?

[Hela]

I just came back from rainy Cozumel and six days of great diving! Before going to Mexico I checked out this board for hints on good dive ops and ended up booking a dive/accom package with a big op that was widely recommended.

Going for our dives, both me and my dive buddy were surprised that the DMs briefings were so incredibly poor - if there even was a briefing!! We were not told what the dive site would look like, what we could expect to see, commonly used signs, or where the oxygen tank was located on the boat. Safety information and instructions were cut down to 30 seconds while the DM was already on the dive platform and about to jump into the water.

I have only been diving for a couple of years, but when I have booked similar dive packages with ops in Thailand, Egypt and Scandinavia, safety standards have always been set very high. DMs have made sure that divers are comfortable and know what the dive will require. Drawings of the dive sites are often used where depths and proposed dive paths are indicated and there is always time to ask questions. This was not the case in Cozumel and I would not have wanted do those dives as a beginner.

Still, the underwater scenery is beautiful and we had some very nice dives on our vacation. We were also happy with our hotel Barracuda, it was nice and clean with friendly staff. And the Food... Mmmm... we tried out some super restaurants downtown, just couldn't have enough of that guacamole!

 

[Charlie99]

Hela once bubbled...
I just came back from rainy Cozumel and six days of great diving! Before going to Mexico I checked out this board for hints on good dive ops and ended up booking a dive/accom package with a big op that was widely recommended.

Going for our dives, both me and my dive buddy were surprised that the DMs briefings were so incredibly poor - if there even was a briefing!! We were not told what the dive site would look like, what we could expect to see, commonly used signs, or where the oxygen tank was located on the boat. Safety information and instructions were cut down to 30 seconds while the DM was already on the dive platform and about to jump into the water.

What's your point? If you wish to warn others about what you consider to be a poor dive operator, then you should post the name.

When I have questions, I ask. Unless you grabbed the DM and told him you wanted more info, he may think he's doing everyone a favor by not wasting everyone's time going through info that doesn't matter.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Kind of a harsh reponse Charlie 99. She has a valid point. No dive briefing usually equals a poorly run dive op. I don't care where I am or how many times I have dove the site I still expect a minimal safety talk before I hit the water. Things like the signal for turn-around, 1000 psi, etc. If I don't see a DM going through the basics I would enter the water with a very cautious attitude. On the other hand if you are telling people that the op is careless it doesn't do any good unless you name names.

 

[Charlie99]

Tim Ingersoll once bubbled...
Kind of a harsh reponse Charlie 99. She has a valid point. No dive briefing usually equals a poorly run dive op. I don't care where I am or how many times I have dove the site I still expect a minimal safety talk before I hit the water. Things like the signal for turn-around, 1000 psi, etc. If I don't see a DM going through the basics I would enter the water with a very cautious attitude. On the other hand if you are telling people that the op is careless it doesn't do any good unless you name names.

I've seen a DM in Cozumel go into details of how to inflate a BC on one day, and then another day that same DM give a complete dive briefing in 2 sentences ("Villa Blanca dropoff. Jump in, have a good time, come up in about an hour"). Both extremes were appropriate for the circumstances.

If the DM has already gone over hand signals, ascent procedures, reboarding procedures, etc several times with the same group, it makes sense to only discuss other items unique to that upcoming dive, if any. The 30 seconds of briefing that Hela described are more than enough for unique dive-specific briefing items for most dives.

Divers are responsible for their own safety. IMHO, it is highly inappropriate to stay silent at the briefing time, only to complain on an internet forum days later.

It may been something as simple as the DM not realizing that Hela had never heard the full, complete briefing on boat and dive procedures. A simple request for additional info probably would have solved her concerns immediately.

 

[munkispank]

A sposted above- please give the name of the operator, at least so others diving with them can be prepared to ask questions.

 

[Hela]

Thanks for your replies! The dive op in question was Dive Paradise but it is not in my interest to hang them - I'm mostly interested to learn if this is a widely accepted standard or if I was particularly unlucky.

Is this the way briefings are usually run? In that case it is a concern for everybody going on organized dives. I do not agree with Charlie99's view that it is often unnecessary to do a briefing. Quite the contrary. ESPECIALLY when it is a large operator dealing with a large turnover of divers and DMs. It's impossible for the DM to keep track of people and just for the sake of it he or she should make sure that everyone is informed.

I appreciate any feedback!

 

[Gilligan]

I dove with Blue Bubbles in Cozumel in June of this year. During the days I dove with them I had two different DM's. The dive briefings were thorough from start to finish including the entry methods they wanted due to currents, the dive profile, and exit procedures they wanted followed. There is almost always one diver on every boat who thinks they are too experienced to listen to anyone else. These DM's know the areas and any hazards associated with the dives. I don't think much of any dive operator that doesn't do a thorough briefing for visiting divers. If you already did that dive site then just be polite an listen again.
:shades:

 

[Charlie99]

Hela once bubbled...
The dive op in question was Dive Paradise.....
I'm mostly interested to learn if this is a widely accepted standard or if I was particularly unlucky. Is this the way briefings are usually run? ...

I do not agree with Charlie99's view that it is often unnecessary to do a briefing. Quite the contrary. ESPECIALLY when it is a large operator dealing with a large turnover of divers and DMs. It's impossible for the DM to keep track of people and just for the sake of it he or she should make sure that everyone is informed.

I appreciate any feedback!

Context is everything.

In the situation you describe ---a large boat, large turnover, and wide range of experience levels ---- the full complete boat safety and dive briefing should be done each and every time. Since the DM probably doesn't know the experience level of the divers, it should be very detailed.

I didn't say (and didn't desire to imply) that it is often unnecessary to do a briefing. My point is that what needs to be in the briefing depends a lot upon both the general experience level of the divers, and the specific experience level of the divers with that particular boat's method of operation.

While I don't remember using Dive Paradise, other large operators I have used (ScubaDu and AquaSafari) have been very detailed in their briefings. What you describe is not normal and Dive Paradise management would probably be interested in your concerns. An e-mail to Dive Paradise will undoubtably result in a "discussion" with the DM about his performance. Expressing your concerns at the time, directly to the DM, most likely would have resulted in a quicker resolution, and would most likely given you the additional information for you to have a safe and enjoyable dive.

As I earlier posted, when in doubt I ask. When any portion of the dive procedure is left unsaid, a simple question like "Meet on the bottom?" usually prompts a good description of that particular subject.

In the final analysis, YOU are responsible for your safety. The DM and boat crew have a wealth of local and boat specific knowledge and I have yet to see a DM/boat crew that isn't delighted to pass on that knowledge.

 

[scubajen]

I was there 3 weeks ago and dove with Dive Paradise.
I had about 4 different DM's during the week, and found
all the dive briefings do be fine. This was even my first time
diving in Cozumel. I found the DM's willing to answer any questions. One DM in particular, Jorge, saw that I was doing
something incorrectly and came over to correct me. I saw him
help a few other people in our group. By him showing me
what I was doing wrong, I became a better diver.
I am sure there are a few bad DMs out there.
I just wanted to share my experience with them.

 

[Hela]

Thanks Charlie99, you had some good points there! I did not bother to complain at the time though since it didn't considerably disturb my dive experience (I feel safe enough w my own buddy and equipment). And anyways we got vague responses to the few questions we had.

I'm glad to read that no one has shared my experiences so far, and now I will definitely alert the op that a number of their DMs cut down on the briefings.

Dive safely!