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Dive one: 30M dive to a well traveled wreck. ABT 32 minutes(multi-level). Dive two: 10-12M dive ABT 52 minutes. All data is approximate as I do not have my dive computer or log book sitting in front of me.
Ana:
I'm not sure why you think it's difficult or important to know the particulars of the dives in this case. I'm happy to provide them, my original point of the post was to encourage people not to blow off their dive guides when it comes to underwater signals, hence why I did not include much data, in fact I only added in the ABT for the second dive because I was reading between the lines on your first or second post that they may have felt they were getting "ripped off" as far as their dive time.
I think you are doing your dive partners (insta-buddies) a service by letting them know ahead of time you don't buddy dive. I am of the opinion that diving is an activity people are welcome to pursue solo, and if a dive boat or dive operation is okay with you going off on your own during a boat/guided dive that is a decision between you and them -- and I honestly hope you can find operations that give their divers that much freedom. Out here on Oahu most dives are group dives and it is rare to be allowed to dive your own profile. I am against this practice and had I not gotten a heads up about these two particular muppets and then watched them struggle on the first dive I wouldn't have insisted on them staying close. I think safer divers are those who can plan and execute their own dives. Most operations out here are a little gun shy as most of our clients are once a decade vacation divers whose egos write checks their skills can't cash.
One particular incident that happened a week ago (not to me thank the gods) illustrates this: a diver who was low on air decided to head to the surface by ditching all of his gear at 70 feet and swimming like hell for the surface. Luckily he was uninjured, but his dive guide was a mess -- the DG couldn't get to him in time. While something this extreme is rare the fact is most dive pros out here see more stupid then smart and since we're in the entertainment business it's a constantly moving grey line about how much lee-way to give people. This also means that most dive boats out here insist on group dives and forbid solo diving off their boats.
As far as dealing with the general public, if I didn't mostly love it I wouldn't do it. I love to teach people how to dive, help them become better divers, and show off our endemic species.
I know this is long winded, but I'm still puzzled by your dismissal of common safe diving practices when diving in buddy teams /groups, and why you'd instantly feel that customers who get told to surface are being ripped off.
If you'd like to I'd love to know your answers to those questions.
Michael
Michael,
I think you have brought up an important issue for most major Dive Destination vacation spots... "How does a dive operation deal with the group that shows up on the boat each new time out on the water"....
Here in Palm Beach Florida, we have some similar issues with groups that will come in from all over. Most of the boats have their own plans to handle this, but commonly they will ask that each "first time on this boat diver" will stay with the dive guide/dive master, unless they declare themself a very experienced diver.....For the "first time on the boat divers", with limited experience, if they show good buddy skills and good air management skills, for subsequent dives they are allowed to be off on their own, pulling their own float, if this is what they prefer.
Most of these divers though, will prefer to remain with the dive guide.
Divers that feel they are very experienced, are allowed to take their own float--to do their own dive, and not forced to dive even the first dive with the group. Every one will get the 1 hour max duration request, and be expected to follow this if they want to be diving on the boat in the future.Some divers have an active distaste for enforced baby sitting, and Palm Beach only offers it to those who want it
I think it is the boat's responsibility to help a diver that wants help.
If a diver does not want to be part of a group, then most boats will want them to have a buddy, but solo diving is still up to the diver, not the boat...all that we mandate is that they pull their own dive flag/float, so the boat can keep track of them, and protect the area for them.
Since we have a drift current, we do know divers are all going in one basic direction, along a reef that covers a specific width in a north/south orientation--making it fairly easy for a boat to cover a group of 20 divers--even at different swim speeds. Divers are told NOT to swim up current, and this is rarely a problem, as most would not be happy going up current very far