Worst dive trip ever!!

[dvrstev]

Spear It Charters out of NC

Captain and Dive master running an unsafe operation.

Sequence of events with sea conditions beginning at 3-5.

1) No boat safety / equipment brief. Only statement by the dive master was sit in your seat and don't move around.

2) 3 hour very rough boat ride to dive site with no head on board. Divers minimized intake of food. 4 of the 6 divers on board got sick. A couple of the divers felt weak from lack of eating since they were concerned that they might have to make a head call with no head.

3) Captain tried for almost a Ž½ hour to set the anchor but was unable to.

4) Dive master asked a customer to set the anchor.

5) Without confirmation of anchor being set, divers were sent over the side.

6) Direction was given to the divers not to pull on the anchor line during the decent, just loop finger around the anchor line.

7) Since the dive master didn't set the anchor, we didn't get a dive condition report. Nor was the anchor secured to the bottom.

8) Used my silent submerge scooter during the dive, found dive currents to be strong

9) When I arrived at the bottom, I saw the anchor with a couple of divers trying to set it while it was drifting away quickly. My scooter picked up a rock broke the clutch so I stowed it away. Then I saw a wreck reel line drifting by me in the direction the anchor going. So I caught the end of a wreck reel line and pulled myself up to the anchor and headed to the surface with the other 4 divers.

10) 5 divers made it on board the boat while it was drifting away in the now 5-6 + sea state.

11) The dive master asked one of the divers if he saw the last diver on the line and he said yes. Dive master did not confirm took the word of the diver.

12) After ten minutes the captain figured out that the diver should have been on board. Meanwhile we heard screaming.

13) At a distance we barely saw the diver's safety sausage. I'd say it was a good quarter mile a way.

14) While the Captain was rushing to drive the boat to get to the drifting diver the dive master was trying to pull the anchor up.

15) The anchor somehow became stuck on the bottom and the boat spun around the anchor line.

16) We eventually made it to pick up the diver.

17) Meanwhile I asked the captain why he chose the type of anchor he did over a different type that would have held better in the sand he got upset with me then the dive master honed in and exaggerated the situation and threatened to kick my butt and he said was serious! Nice, I thought dive masters were there for our safety?

I didn't do a second dive because I didn't trust the dive master or the captain especially after that statement.

18) This is the type of dive operation should be closed down because the crew is unsafe and arrogant.

19) The captain states on his website that he has been a captain for 25 years. Couldn't prove that to me on that day.

Signed Dive Master

 

[Underbluewaters]

Wow im so sorry for that trip, thats horrible to feel unsafe on a dive trip. Hope you find some nicer charters!

 

[MattC007]

WOW Who do you report these people to? I didn't quite understand the DM's statement; he said he would kick your butt??

Sorry you had a bad day, did you at least get a refund:depressed:

 

[Papa_Bear]

Where there any Bananas on board? Sounds like one to stay away from and word of mouth is a good thing to keep your friends safe!

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

LOL Bananas!

Sean

 

[dvrstev]

I'm posting on this site because I couldn't find any site to submit a complaint about a dive charter so I figured I'd let the dive community know about these guys.

I'd did submit a complaint to the Coast Gaurd but wasn't sure if they will take any action against the captain.

 

[El Orans]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Moved to NC Wreck Divers.

The dive op has been notified of this thread.

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[fireflock]

Obviously I wasn't on the trip, but I do dive NC quite a bit and I have been on the boat you are talking about. Spearit has a good reputation, and I've found them to be very professional during my couple of trips with them.

I'll say that the conditions you encountered aren't always fun, but they are not _that_ unusual for NC. Divers in NC try to be prepared for that stuff and it's not uncommon to dive in it if the divers act like they can handle it. People get sick all the time in NC boats, seas build up, and there can be currents. I know it can seem extreme compared to other destinations, but it's part of the deal here (NC).

The Captains and crew do get wound up sometimes on a day like that because they know it's a big ocean out there finding drifting divers is serious business. It can lead to short tempers. I'm not trying to excuse anything, just pointing out that situations get serious and stressful in a hurry.

I'm sorry that you had a bad trip. I hope you get more enjoyment out of your next dive trip.

Start around post 12 in this thread and you'll find another unhappy diver along with a few who did enjoy their trips.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/un...rth-carolina-shark-tooth-fossil-diving-3.html

Rich

 

[packman]

2) 3 hour very rough boat ride to dive site with no head on board. Divers minimized intake of food. 4 of the 6 divers on board got sick. A couple of the divers felt weak from lack of eating since they were concerned that they might have to make a head call with no head.

Ok, I wasn't there that day and can't comment on what you claimed happened. However, I do feel the need to comment on this piece of whinefest.

3 hour boat ride: Did you not look into the diving before you came down here? The majority of our really good dive sites are far offshore. You're looking at a 2-3+ hour boat ride for anything but the inshore wrecks. Doesn't matter who's boat you go out on or where you dive, you step on a NC boat, you're going for a boat ride. Sorry but that's the price we pay for the awesome diving this far north.

Very rough boat ride: Did you not realize that you were going out on a 6-pack in the open ocean? Anything other than flat seas is going to bounce you around. You mentioned elsewhere in the post that the seas were 3-5 ft. Depending on what the forecast is calling for later in the day, that's a go. If we could have guaranteed 3 ft seas every day, I'd be a very happy diver. Again, open ocean...nothing to buffer from the weather.

No head: Are you serious?? Really??? It's a 6-pack. Sure, there is the occasional 6-pack with a head but those are rare. If you're booking on a 6-pack you may as well assume that there's no head. Or stick to the larger boats.

As for the rest, all I can say is there are two sides to every story. Beyond that, if you decide to come back to NC to dive again, understand that the charters here expect you to be a proficient and self sufficient diver. It's up to you to decide what gear you may need or whether the conditions are good enough for you to dive in.

 

[scubapolly]

My comments are in red

Spear It Charters out of NC

Captain and Dive master running an unsafe operation.

Sequence of events with sea conditions beginning at 3-5. Common for NC Diving, if you aren't comfortable in those conditions, don't dive here

1) No boat safety / equipment brief. Only statement by the dive master was sit in your seat and don't move around. I wasn't there on your trip, but the times I've been out with this op a thorough briefing was given.

2) 3 hour very rough boat ride to dive site Common for NC Diving, if you aren't comfortable in those conditions, don't dive herewith no head on board. It is a 6-pack Divers minimized intake of food. If you did this, you obviously knew ahead of time there wasn't going to be a head. 4 of the 6 divers on board got sick. Ever heard of Dramamine? A couple of the divers felt weak from lack of eating since they were concerned that they might have to make a head call with no head. That is pathetic, as a female I had no problem with the lack of a head, despite the fact I was wearing a drysuit (prior to getting myself a she-p). Y'all have no excuse for not being able to handle a #1 without a head, and as for #2 maybe it is time to learn the "warhead maneuver" possibly a technique you need to learn if you are going to dive 6-packs.

3) Captain tried for almost a Ž½ hour to set the anchor but was unable to. 30 minutes isn't atypical for NC

4) Dive master asked a customer to set the anchor. Do you know for sure this was just Joe-Blow customer? Lots of mates around here dive on their days off. If this was the case and y'all were blowing chunks over the side of the boat, maybe the Captain was thinking of y'all so his mate could help you guys get in the water more quickly.

5) Without confirmation of anchor being set, divers were sent over the side. Just because a diver doesn't pop his head out and say the anchor is set, doesn't mean it hasn't been confirmed. I crewed on a boat in Hawaii, and we just hit the purge button for a few seconds to let the capt know the boat was secure. In the keys I watched for my boat to pivot on a point. Many of even the larger boats in NC have 2 or more mates on board, one goes in and sets the anchor, does their dive, signals the Capt the boat is secure, divers enter the water, 2nd mate and capt get divers in the water, first mate gets out and second one gets in for a brief dive, and pulls the anchor as the last diver gets up the line.

6) Direction was given to the divers not to pull on the anchor line during the decent, just loop finger around the anchor line. You should have been taught that in your basic open water class.

7) Since the dive master didn't set the anchor, we didn't get a dive condition report. Nor was the anchor secured to the bottom. In those cases I count on a ripping current and zero vis, and hope to be pleasantly surprised.

8) Used my silent submerge scooter during the dive, found dive currents to be strong Its called the gulf stream for a reason.

9) When I arrived at the bottom, I saw the anchor with a couple of divers trying to set it while it was drifting away quickly. My scooter picked up a rock broke the clutch so I stowed it away. Then I saw a wreck reel line drifting by me in the direction the anchor going. So I caught the end of a wreck reel line and pulled myself up to the anchor and headed to the surface with the other 4 divers. Can you elaborate on this part, I don't know that I am following what the situation is. But am I correct to guess you were not using the scooter to dive but rather using it to blow up the silt in the Meg teeth bed?

10) 5 divers made it on board the boat while it was drifting away in the now 5-6 + sea state. So the seas increased by 3 feet in the time it took you to get to the bottom and back, and you are blaming that on the guy driving the boat?

11) The dive master asked one of the divers if he saw the last diver on the line and he said yes. Dive master did not confirm took the word of the diver.

12) After ten minutes did you check your watch? the captain figured out that the diver should have been on board. Meanwhile we heard screaming. You heard screaming, before or after the captain figured it out?

13) At a distance we barely saw the diver's safety sausage. I'd say it was a good quarter mile a way. Probably not if the seas were 5 foot and you could here him, especially if he was drifting on the surface with the wind capable of causing 5 foot waves, then his voice would have been carried away from the boat.

14) While the Captain was rushing to drive the boat to get to the drifting diver the dive master was trying to pull the anchor up. Wait, you said before the anchor was drifting..... if that was the case, the dive master would be able to pull up the anchor while the boat was in motion, also the captain was likely trying to get the boat headed in the directer of your buddy that screwed the pooch on the dive.

15) The anchor somehow became stuck on the bottom and the boat spun around the anchor line.

16) We eventually made it to pick up the diver. What? Not looking at your watch anymore?

17) Meanwhile (as in while the captain is trying to pull up the anchor, or while he is trying to manuever the boat to rescue the drifting diver?) I asked the captain why he chose the type of anchor he did over a different type that would have held better in the sand (Here, everyone uses a Danforth, they are versatile and works well with wrecks and hard bottom, the 2 most commonly encountered substrates at our dive sites. ) he got upset with me then the dive master honed in and exaggerated the situation and threatened to kick my butt and he said was serious! Considering the circumstances I would have said the same, and I would have been serious too. Nice, I thought dive masters were there for our safety?

I didn't do a second dive (Probably the first smart move you made that day) because I didn't trust the dive master or the captain especially after that statement. Even if it was for the wrong reason.

18) This is the type of dive operation should be closed down because the crew is unsafe and arrogant. Because of what you've wrote here?

19) The captain states on his website that he has been a captain for 25 years. Couldn't prove that to me on that day. I have a feeling Capt Tom has similar sentiments.

Signed Dive Master

So did you get the teeth you were coming for? make a fortune off of them?