FloridaRanger
Contributor
The dive master is not there to babysit you underwater unless you are doing one of those resort/cruise dives for uncertified divers.
300 dives and you do not carry a safety sausage on boat dives?
Hmmm. OK.
What are your expectations of a guide
- Thread starter paul madox
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The dive master is not there to babysit you underwater unless you are doing one of those resort/cruise dives for uncertified divers.
300 dives and you do not carry a safety sausage on boat dives?
Hmmm. OK.
OP
paul madox
Registered
look we are on holiday so take what you can 4 diver's 1 guide strong no very strong currents they jumped in check and called us in
So we do the whole dive against the current and they never look back they know what they was doing are air in i love to dive but hyperventilating the hole dive just so we did not want to do the third dive is bad so we should all carry a smb and i will in the future so tell what am i paying for
So we do the whole dive against the current and they never look back they know what they was doing are air in i love to dive but hyperventilating the hole dive just so we did not want to do the third dive is bad so we should all carry a smb and i will in the future so tell what am i paying for
OP
paul madox
Registered
We ask for a third dive second was going be a drift dive they call the saddle off tiran island.
Plan go with the flow ;I know they are fitter than me and the rest of us the guide that is;
We are holiday divers don't know the area or conditions, but i will tell you we all was done in and all they said was think your self lucky not many people have done that against the current ;We know why
The boat was to meet us the other side so don't know what would have happened if we aborted the dive could of even been across a shipping lane ;
any way we made it and did the third dive would have been nice of them to have a look as the current was strong and by the comment at the end of the dive they knew it was hard that what i think just to do us in so we would not wish to do the third dive
Plan go with the flow ;I know they are fitter than me and the rest of us the guide that is;
We are holiday divers don't know the area or conditions, but i will tell you we all was done in and all they said was think your self lucky not many people have done that against the current ;We know why
The boat was to meet us the other side so don't know what would have happened if we aborted the dive could of even been across a shipping lane ;
any way we made it and did the third dive would have been nice of them to have a look as the current was strong and by the comment at the end of the dive they knew it was hard that what i think just to do us in so we would not wish to do the third dive
OP
paul madox
Registered
Thanks for tips will get smb and a disc The current was very strong that day and we had that feeling that they just did not wish us to do the three dives don't wished to be babby sat; as the conditions and currents was so strong that day; i would have look round to see how every one was because of the current we all looked at each other as to say why against the flow but could not catch them till the end of the hyper dive
must say next drift was with the flow as we said no more reverse drifts
must say next drift was with the flow as we said no more reverse drifts
OP
paul madox
Registered
The reef was thomas reef one thinks maybe i should keep logs we crossed from one reef to the next . the currents was very strong ; and all i'm saying is it would have been nice to see them check on the holiday diver's not once did they check and we could not for love of money catch them ;talk about hyperventilating well this is not diving to me just wanted to know what to expect next time and know get your own smb look after your self and your buddy and fck the rest
So - lets insult dive guides cos they don't know what they are doing and never look after their divers. Perhaps some don't - you're diving with the wrong dive centre.
So - the saddle - well there are officially two here in Sharm, the most common area being the dive site of Shark and Yolanda Reef at the southern end of the sinai peninsular. This dive site is at the meeting of three entirely different bodies of water - the gulf of suez, the gulf of aquaba and the red sea proper. Shark and yolanda are two pinnacles sticking out into this meeting and are subject to some strange currents. As the current splits around the pinnacles you can get pushed one way then the other. Up in Tiran there is another "saddle" between Thomas and Woodhouse reefs. Currents can be strong and not easy to predict. You can jump in the water and check the current at 5 metres and and 18 metres it's moving in entirely the opposite direction.
Do dive guides deliberatley put you into a pumping current to burn your air? well, one or two might, but the vast majority try to do the absolute best they can for their divers and sometimes, it doesn't work. Sometimes, dives don't work out the way you planned. We are subject to the vagaries of the ocean and currents and tides are predictable to a point but unless you get out a calculator and do some extra special gravitaionally based math, and also factor into that equation prevailing wind direction, coastal topography, the alignment of the sun, moon, mars and Uranus, sometimes, dive guides get it wrong. If you think you know better than they do, please feel free to question.
At Shark and Yolanda you get currents moving in about 7 different directions across the dive site, the straits of Tiran (thomas, woodhouse etc) have half the gulf of Aquaba funneling through an gap about 3 miles wide. The tide can turn half way through a dive. You can be in dead calm water one moment, move literally two metres forward and you're being swept off in a 3 knot current towards the Big Blue.
As instructors and guides we have to operate on the best information we have at the time. I have seen hundreds of divers who think they know better disregard the dive briefing and then we're picking them up in the middle of the shipping channel.
As always - research and question. Sometimes it doesn't work out. Somtimes, we get it wrong, we are human beings. Deal with it and move on. Last year I was stuck in a ripping current and had to abort a dive before it became unsafe. My divers complained that the dive ended too early and I swam too fast. Sorry, but if the current is moving at 3 knots, that's how fast we are diving. You can back pedal all you like but you're still going backwards at maybe 2.5 knots. I ended up blowing 50 bar because my divers refused to surface at the point of no return and sat there photographing the same blue spotted ray for 10 minutes until they felt they had their money's worth.
We try our best, we really do - at least, most of us do. There are crappy or inexperienced dive guides the same as there are crappy and inexperienced doctors and burger flippers. We will do our best to look after our divers safely, because not doing so means the end of our livelihood, but at the end of the day, we provide a plan for divers to follow based on our best judgment at the time, and sometimes, it doesn't work.
Don't blame your dive guide if you were not adequately prepared for a dive.
Sorry for the rant - I know it doesn't apply to everybody here, but please folks, take some responsibility for yourselves, and if it works out, well then we all get to take photos of the zebra sharks.
Dive safe,
C.
So - the saddle - well there are officially two here in Sharm, the most common area being the dive site of Shark and Yolanda Reef at the southern end of the sinai peninsular. This dive site is at the meeting of three entirely different bodies of water - the gulf of suez, the gulf of aquaba and the red sea proper. Shark and yolanda are two pinnacles sticking out into this meeting and are subject to some strange currents. As the current splits around the pinnacles you can get pushed one way then the other. Up in Tiran there is another "saddle" between Thomas and Woodhouse reefs. Currents can be strong and not easy to predict. You can jump in the water and check the current at 5 metres and and 18 metres it's moving in entirely the opposite direction.
Do dive guides deliberatley put you into a pumping current to burn your air? well, one or two might, but the vast majority try to do the absolute best they can for their divers and sometimes, it doesn't work. Sometimes, dives don't work out the way you planned. We are subject to the vagaries of the ocean and currents and tides are predictable to a point but unless you get out a calculator and do some extra special gravitaionally based math, and also factor into that equation prevailing wind direction, coastal topography, the alignment of the sun, moon, mars and Uranus, sometimes, dive guides get it wrong. If you think you know better than they do, please feel free to question.
At Shark and Yolanda you get currents moving in about 7 different directions across the dive site, the straits of Tiran (thomas, woodhouse etc) have half the gulf of Aquaba funneling through an gap about 3 miles wide. The tide can turn half way through a dive. You can be in dead calm water one moment, move literally two metres forward and you're being swept off in a 3 knot current towards the Big Blue.
As instructors and guides we have to operate on the best information we have at the time. I have seen hundreds of divers who think they know better disregard the dive briefing and then we're picking them up in the middle of the shipping channel.
As always - research and question. Sometimes it doesn't work out. Somtimes, we get it wrong, we are human beings. Deal with it and move on. Last year I was stuck in a ripping current and had to abort a dive before it became unsafe. My divers complained that the dive ended too early and I swam too fast. Sorry, but if the current is moving at 3 knots, that's how fast we are diving. You can back pedal all you like but you're still going backwards at maybe 2.5 knots. I ended up blowing 50 bar because my divers refused to surface at the point of no return and sat there photographing the same blue spotted ray for 10 minutes until they felt they had their money's worth.
We try our best, we really do - at least, most of us do. There are crappy or inexperienced dive guides the same as there are crappy and inexperienced doctors and burger flippers. We will do our best to look after our divers safely, because not doing so means the end of our livelihood, but at the end of the day, we provide a plan for divers to follow based on our best judgment at the time, and sometimes, it doesn't work.
Don't blame your dive guide if you were not adequately prepared for a dive.
Sorry for the rant - I know it doesn't apply to everybody here, but please folks, take some responsibility for yourselves, and if it works out, well then we all get to take photos of the zebra sharks.
Dive safe,
C.
OP
paul madox
Registered
Look not here to slag off dive guides sorry if it comes across like that ;it was tiran island well the reefs close by ;from one reef to the next; very strong current against us the whole dive
And at no time did they check on us
Well given the conditions i would have check on my flock; and we could have signalled go with the flow; hyperventilating finning non stop the whole dive in out is this ok ??? no photos taken
So tell me what should i expect; you have holiday diver not pro do treat them all the same?? or is diving just for pros
And at no time did they check on us
Well given the conditions i would have check on my flock; and we could have signalled go with the flow; hyperventilating finning non stop the whole dive in out is this ok ??? no photos taken
So tell me what should i expect; you have holiday diver not pro do treat them all the same?? or is diving just for pros
Last edited:
OP
paul madox
Registered
At this point i would like to say dive guides are some of the best people ive met and sorry for moaning first thread ive ever started maybe the last i need to get my facts right like dive site's and so on; and i will keep logs again from now on and take my own smb if i have to lol;
and i would like to thank every one ;
should have started the thread what do you expect and left it at that
But hay learn't something do keep logs not just so you can rant when you get home so you get the fact correct
Dear guides thanks for all the good time's
and i would like to thank every one ;
should have started the thread what do you expect and left it at that
But hay learn't something do keep logs not just so you can rant when you get home so you get the fact correct
Dear guides thanks for all the good time's
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