Who do you trust with your gear?

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I've read so many trip reports from people who dive with All Inclusive or Live Aboards where their gear is setup for them that I have to ask - what do the rest of you feel about this?

I'm used to setting up my own gear. This is the way I learned, and continue to learn, how to dive. I know my gear was setup right, and if it wasn't I know who is at fault. I don't mind asking for help if I'm not sure about something, but before I get into the water I setup my own gear and perform a buddy check.

Do the rest of you prefer to let someone else setup your gear? Do you trust some [insert region here] DM or helper to set it up the way you want it? Am I just a paranoid person who cannot relinquish control over his gear, or do any of you have reservations about someone else setting up you life support equipment for you?

 

[FoSheZZie23]

I dont trust anyone to set up my gear.

Now i have also been on the boats where they set it up for you, usually because most of the gear on the boat is from their shop. But i have my own gear and they take it out of the bag and set it up as well. I dont say anything because it would be more of a hassel for me to be in their way setting up my own gear and them doing things around the boat then just letting them guess how i have my gear.

Now that does not mean i TRUST them. When its time to suit up, i fix everything (usually where the straps are on the tank, and where i put my octo (not in the triangle)) and obiously i check to make sure they did everything right or any other little quirks that they might have done. Hey if your bc inflates and you can breath, thats all i need to know.

 

[bvmjethead]

nobody

 

[TSandM]

You know, I let folks set up my gear. Then I check every single part of it to make sure it's set up the way I want it and everything is working properly.

 

[almitywife]

when i was in yap we would be down at the boat early setting up while other guests (99% north americans btw) would toddle down at the last minute to step on the boat and head out as the guides had put their gear together. the same guests that would phone the front desk to have a porter come up to carry their $10K+ worth of camera gear

the reason why i mention the nth american bit is because alot of these divers were vaccay divers that had new/just out of box equipment and this was their 2 weeks of the year they dived. nothing wrong with that but their blind faith in untried equipment and a stranger putting their gear together amused me

if i trust anyone its hubby - no one else

cheers

 

[ArcticDiver]

No problem allowing someone to set up the gear if they know how. On my last trip to HI I was on one boat where the crew had no idea what to do with my stuff. So I set it up.

Before every dive, even if I just used the rig an hour before, I do a pre-dive check. On a Liveaboard where the gear is setup once for the trip I give it an additional once over every morning. These checks have caught any human errors, theirs or mine.

 

[Alex777]

I insist on setting up my own gear.

On Grand Cayman, many dive ops will try to set up your gear for you, so you need to be clear with them in advance. Many tourists seem to consider this to be the ultimate sign of a great dive op, as in: " I LOVE diving with XYZ - they even set up your gear for you!"

 

[wunat]

I am the only one I trust when it comes to gear. This works for both setting up and washing them.

 

[fmw625]

I set up my own gear and trust no one but my self to do this. It's I that have the most to loose if it's not right. On one occasion during the SI a dive op hand set my gear up on a new tank even though I has told them that I would set it up. When I discovered it set up, I thanked the hand and imediately took the gear off the tank and put it back on myself. I have several quirks about how my gear is set up. The valve is turned somewhat so I can comfortably reach it, my tank sits higher than most people like, I have a tank weight that goes in a certain place because I have heavy feet. Little things like that the dive op doesn't know but it sure makes my diving more pleasurable.

 

[MatWill]

everyone should set up there own gear... as a DM i assist people setting up there gear.. but i always show them what i'm doing, and i usually only do it once... or do it and pull it apart, then recheck it after they have done it.

its the most fundamental skill in diving imo