Comments on: Dive Guides From Hell http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/2010/04/10/dive-guides-from-hell/ Diving opinions from top diving experts in the dive industry Thu, 24 May 2012 23:52:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: mike http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/2010/04/10/dive-guides-from-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-944 mike Wed, 02 Jun 2010 21:54:09 +0000 http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/?p=657#comment-944 The dive boat was being repaired and we were going to go on a six pack boat. There were 5 divers and 1 bubblewatcher. I was a new diver, but very comfortable in the water. The couple in the group and their son and his friend all were certed. The husband has some medical issues and the dm/guide was told. The wife hadn't dove in over a year and had some ear issues on her last dive. The package we had all chosen was full service however almost no assistance was offered getting gear or tanks on the boat. DM was smoking on the way out and dropped his butts in the water so I told him not to. The rest of the group had been cautious to say anything but we had asked if it was non smoking and they had said yes. I asked him to stop chain smoking and he finally did. He informed us that it was his boat and he could do what he wanted, the wife told him yes he could and told him to bring us back. The dm stopped smoking and convinced her to continue. DM had us all get in and hang on to the mooring line. Then we all dropped down together. We were then given the signal to go up, don't know why. Back hanging onto the mooring line we were told to drop again. I asked the dm to look at my pressure gauge since it dropped to 1000psi. He asked why and I explained the drop. He shrugged his shoulders. Everyone dropped but me because now I couldn't dump air from my bc. I should point out here that my bc and reg set up was brand new, I did tell the dm I was diving with brand new gear. We were only in 30' of water but current were pretty strong. When I looked back the boat was moving! I was a bit surprised. I decided to snorkel and follow the group. We went over the reef and I then noticed that the dm was about 40' away going in his own seperate direction. The couple was assisting the son with something tangled. The dm didn't pay attention at all. He didn't even notice I was on the surface even though I had used my noise maker. The couple then started just swimming around and looking around. So did the 2 kids. The dm was now not in sight of anyone. I decided that this was probably not a good situation and started back to find the boat. I did find the boat by looking for it's name and the colors since it had moved to another mooring. I was the first one back to the boat after 40 min and the rest of the group was back 10 min later. When ready to hand my fins up the other captain was not watching for any of us and the bubble watcher assisted us by grabbing our fins. After another 15 min the dm came back. While he was gone the other captain told us that the dm liked to drink a lot. The wife said she thought she had smelled alcohol on him when he shook her had. When the dm came back he asked if we liked the site. I wanted to throttle him. The couple wouldn't even speak to him and I called the dive and told him to bring us back. He looked surprised that we didn't want to do the 2nd dive. He said he had a great spot picked out for us tomorrow and was suprised when we all declined! He never gave a briefing or gave us any info about the dive site. I had been there before so at least I had a slight clue. I did learn a couple lessons in this - if you're not comfortable with the dm it's time to call the dive, it's not going to get any better. Alway make sure to look at the boat, colors and the name-the wife had asked the name of the boat on the way out. Needless to say I would not dive with them again. Once back at the hotel during the week we had heard about 3 other groups who were not happy with their dives either with the same outfit. The scary part is that they are very "famous" in Florida and I alway thought they had a great reputation. I ended up using another dm/guide that week fromt the same place since they would not refund our money. I was very happy with him, great dm, great guide, different boat different captain and crew. I told him about the problems I had the day before and we did a shallow dive and told me to have my inflator kit replaced and he put another 0 ring on my pressure gauge. Now that great dm works for another shop and we alway go to them and tip him very well. One other thing, when we were waiting for the boat to be fixed before leaving we heard one of the owners of the dive shop yelling at the guy filling nitrox tanks to "hurry up already you're filling too slow, why do you all fill so slow that hurts our business we have customers waiting". All in all very eye opening! The dive boat was being repaired and we were going to go on a six pack boat. There were 5 divers and 1 bubblewatcher. I was a new diver, but very comfortable in the water. The couple in the group and their son and his friend all were certed. The husband has some medical issues and the dm/guide was told. The wife hadn’t dove in over a year and had some ear issues on her last dive. The package we had all chosen was full service however almost no assistance was offered getting gear or tanks on the boat. DM was smoking on the way out and dropped his butts in the water so I told him not to. The rest of the group had been cautious to say anything but we had asked if it was non smoking and they had said yes. I asked him to stop chain smoking and he finally did. He informed us that it was his boat and he could do what he wanted, the wife told him yes he could and told him to bring us back. The dm stopped smoking and convinced her to continue. DM had us all get in and hang on to the mooring line. Then we all dropped down together. We were then given the signal to go up, don’t know why. Back hanging onto the mooring line we were told to drop again. I asked the dm to look at my pressure gauge since it dropped to 1000psi. He asked why and I explained the drop. He shrugged his shoulders. Everyone dropped but me because now I couldn’t dump air from my bc. I should point out here that my bc and reg set up was brand new, I did tell the dm I was diving with brand new gear. We were only in 30′ of water but current were pretty strong. When I looked back the boat was moving! I was a bit surprised. I decided to snorkel and follow the group. We went over the reef and I then noticed that the dm was about 40′ away going in his own seperate direction. The couple was assisting the son with something tangled. The dm didn’t pay attention at all. He didn’t even notice I was on the surface even though I had used my noise maker. The couple then started just swimming around and looking around. So did the 2 kids. The dm was now not in sight of anyone. I decided that this was probably not a good situation and started back to find the boat. I did find the boat by looking for it’s name and the colors since it had moved to another mooring. I was the first one back to the boat after 40 min and the rest of the group was back 10 min later. When ready to hand my fins up the other captain was not watching for any of us and the bubble watcher assisted us by grabbing our fins. After another 15 min the dm came back. While he was gone the other captain told us that the dm liked to drink a lot. The wife said she thought she had smelled alcohol on him when he shook her had. When the dm came back he asked if we liked the site. I wanted to throttle him. The couple wouldn’t even speak to him and I called the dive and told him to bring us back. He looked surprised that we didn’t want to do the 2nd dive. He said he had a great spot picked out for us tomorrow and was suprised when we all declined! He never gave a briefing or gave us any info about the dive site. I had been there before so at least I had a slight clue. I did learn a couple lessons in this - if you’re not comfortable with the dm it’s time to call the dive, it’s not going to get any better. Alway make sure to look at the boat, colors and the name-the wife had asked the name of the boat on the way out. Needless to say I would not dive with them again. Once back at the hotel during the week we had heard about 3 other groups who were not happy with their dives either with the same outfit. The scary part is that they are very “famous” in Florida and I alway thought they had a great reputation. I ended up using another dm/guide that week fromt the same place since they would not refund our money. I was very happy with him, great dm, great guide, different boat different captain and crew. I told him about the problems I had the day before and we did a shallow dive and told me to have my inflator kit replaced and he put another 0 ring on my pressure gauge. Now that great dm works for another shop and we alway go to them and tip him very well. One other thing, when we were waiting for the boat to be fixed before leaving we heard one of the owners of the dive shop yelling at the guy filling nitrox tanks to “hurry up already you’re filling too slow, why do you all fill so slow that hurts our business we have customers waiting”. All in all very eye opening!
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]]> By: linda rollins http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/2010/04/10/dive-guides-from-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-825 linda rollins Thu, 06 May 2010 16:05:05 +0000 http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/?p=657#comment-825 It is important for divers to make sure that the Dive Company who sign you up for a dive trip and organize the trip are going to make sure basic safety standards are met while you're diving with them. Find out if your dive company is going to "out to lunch or on vacation" when they are profiting from you in Fiji. I will never sign up to dive with Maui Dreams Dive Co again. It is important for divers to make sure that the Dive Company who sign you up for a dive trip and organize the trip are going to make sure basic safety standards are met while you’re diving with them. Find out if your dive company is going to “out to lunch or on vacation” when they are profiting from you in Fiji. I will never sign up to dive with Maui Dreams Dive Co again.
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]]> By: linda rollins http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/2010/04/10/dive-guides-from-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-824 linda rollins Thu, 06 May 2010 16:01:59 +0000 http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/?p=657#comment-824 Hello; I was permanently injured by the dive ladder on the Beqa Lagoon Resort boat while diving with Maui Dreams Dive Co. I was shocked by the lack of safety on this trip. Neither Beqa Lagoon, nor Maui Dreams took any responsibility for the safety of their paying customers. Hello; I was permanently injured by the dive ladder on the Beqa Lagoon Resort boat while diving with Maui Dreams Dive Co. I was shocked by the lack of safety on this trip. Neither Beqa Lagoon, nor Maui Dreams took any responsibility for the safety of their paying customers.
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]]> By: Jane H http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/2010/04/10/dive-guides-from-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-812 Jane H Tue, 04 May 2010 22:59:21 +0000 http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/?p=657#comment-812 Burt and Maurine have taken a lot of time to write a message which is useless. It's just a story because they have chosen to eliminate any information that would be valuable to the reader in making future travel plans or to a dive operator who needs to know that his dive guides are not doing their jobs properly. What I like best about Undercurrent is evaulations of a dive destination complete with name of dive operator, location and dive conditions. I have 850 dives all over the world and have run into every kind of dive guide and operator. I'd love input that would help me plan my next trip! Burt and Maurine's blogs would be useful if they stopped trying to protect the identity of the offenders. Burt and Maurine have taken a lot of time to write a message which is useless. It’s just a story because they have chosen to eliminate any information that would be valuable to the reader in making future travel plans or to a dive operator who needs to know that his dive guides are not doing their jobs properly.

What I like best about Undercurrent is evaulations of a dive destination complete with name of dive operator, location and dive conditions. I have 850 dives all over the world and have run into every kind of dive guide and operator. I’d love input that would help me plan my next trip! Burt and Maurine’s blogs would be useful if they stopped trying to protect the identity of the offenders.

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]]> By: Robert Wilkin http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/2010/04/10/dive-guides-from-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-810 Robert Wilkin Tue, 04 May 2010 20:56:44 +0000 http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/?p=657#comment-810 I have been diving for 31 years. When you find a dangerous dive master or operation, you have a duty to name the names! I have had many years of safe, enjoyable diving. And I am not shy about trying to help a fellow diver avoid a potentially dangerous group. One of the first things I do when diving with a new shop is to go online and look for comments from other divers. If no one will give the name of a dangerous dive master, then we all have a lot more of this to look forward to. I have been diving for 31 years. When you find a dangerous dive master or operation, you have a duty to name the names! I have had many years of safe, enjoyable diving. And I am not shy about trying to help a fellow diver avoid a potentially dangerous group. One of the first things I do when diving with a new shop is to go online and look for comments from other divers. If no one will give the name of a dangerous dive master, then we all have a lot more of this to look forward to.
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