What would turn you off from a dive operator?

[speleo]

Major - Captain or crew smoking.
Minor - can’t get dive bag under bench seat due to obstructions.

 

[chrisjur]

I’m not going to get deep into the repercussions here and what ultimately came of this (you can research yourself) but this is what happens when you don’t do roll call on a boat:

Two scuba divers saved by passing yacht after charter boat left them to die at sea

Paul Kline (pictured), and Fernando Garcia Puerta said they were stranded three miles off Key Biscayne, Florida after their charter boat apparently left without them.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Yes, that is most definitely a reason not to return to a dive operator. Attention to detail is key, but this is a very big detail to miss.

 

[CosbySweater]

To the OP - at least one operator in Key Largo does frequent double dips on the Speigel. They stay on the same mooring ball for that trip. They frequently have a mix of rec and tech divers on board. The standard operating procedure for this boat is to “open the pool” and give the divers the flexibility to execute their dives and be back on the boat by the “be-back-time”. If you’re a rec diver, this means you can execute two dives within the allotted time. If you’re a tech diver this could mean one long dive. The tech divers notify the captain of their planned longer run time.

Divers come off and on the boat throughout the trip. There very well may not be a time when all divers on back on the boat until the “be back time”. The captain only does roll at the end of the trip, after the “be back time” but before unhooking from the mooring ball. This may explain what you experienced. I’m not making judgement as to whether it’s the best procedure or not. Simply sharing my observation.

 

[LI-er]

Here's the rub. Got on board and they did NOT do a headcount. It just gave me a bad taste when you're in a ripping current with 20ish divers and you don't do a headcount to make sure folks are good to go.

Headcounts aren't usually done between dives, only prior to departure from the dive site.

Only one dealbreaker for me.

I won't use a dive Op who cancels last minute because they don't have enough divers to make the trip profitable.

 

[NothingClever]

If a charter were to let a DM jump in on the SI to lobster hunt, then depart the area to drop customers on their second site, pick up the customers from that second dive, then wander around for 90 minutes on customer time trying to find its lost DM only for the Coast Guard helo to spot the lost DM and two sheriff vessels to make the rescue - yeah, that would turn me off.

I can’t make up this stuff.

 

[happy-diver]

I won't use a dive Op who cancels last minute because they don't have enough divers to make the trip profitable.

There was me, my sense of humour, and another guy best customers the Captain had, we went on every trip
So when there was just us the Captain would bring his family along and we would do the day and have a ball

Or half a day, one dive, and find an island, with a licensed cafe

I do not care what the Captain does before after or in between

Although I wouldn't mind a sedan chair to be carried to my car

 

[johndiver999]

If a charter were to let a DM jump in on the SI to lobster hunt, then depart the area to drop customers on their second site, pick up the customers from that second dive, then wander around for 90 minutes on customer time trying to find its lost DM only for the Coast Guard helo to spot the lost DM and two sheriff vessels to make the rescue - yeah, that would turn me off.

I can’t make up this stuff.

What operator did that and when? I sure hope the customers got the lobsters at least?

 

[LI-er]

Although I wouldn't mind a sedan chair to be carried to my car

Ok I'll bite.

Sedan chair?

 

[tekkydiver]

Ok I'll say it... Having passengers that whine about what they don't like about the Captain the crew or the vessel. Solution is easy of course....

 

[CosbySweater]

Dive boat operators that do not speak up when a customer kills an undersized or out of season fish during a hunting trip. Huge red flag for me. If you don’t care about sustaining the fishery then I don’t care about supporting your operation.