Rude Divers Can Ruin Trips: Undercurrent 09/2022

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In last month's travel story on the Caribbean Explorer II liveaboard, our author described the frustrating behavior of two divers who spoiled an otherwise great trip. These divers steadfastly and repeatedly refused to follow the established procedures for returning on board after a dive.

"To avoid crushed skulls, divers were instructed to ascend to the dinghy line, take off their fins while holding the line, pull themselves to the platform, hand up their fins, and then stand on the ladder, hold tight, and climb up. In the ocean swell, if one were to hang onto the ladder while removing fins as the platform went up and down, it would be easy to lose footing and get sucked under it."

Unpleasant words passed between them and the boat captain. "Luckily, neither was hurt, but it dampened the trip as these two miscreants sulked and complained."

More important, because of the divers' behavior, the captain selected more protective, and therefore, less adventurous sites, dumbing down the dives.

On a liveaboard, everyone is literally in the same boat. Nobody wants anyone else to have a bad time, and indeed, nobody wants anyone else to have an accident that hurts a diver and possibly curtails the trip. But when it comes to dives, no diver should be self-serving....

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