Appropriate to ask for a refund? Trip report from my first salt water dive!

[Lorenzoid]

I don't think anyone on here disputes that no refund should be given for unforeseen weather delays or other such "acts of God" if you will. The disagreement in this thread seems to be whether a DM who cuts a dive short due to his leg cramp owes his client anything more than an apology. That's totally different.

 

[redacted]

Exactly I want the number of those two typhoons that bracketed my week in Saipan, making me loose more than half my dives... I had two tank boat dives planned every morning and two tank shore dives every after noon, but there was no were you could get a shore dive with one typhoon causing storm surge on the west side of the island, and another tearing it up on the east side.... nice place, but no one is going to be giving refunds for 'unforeseen difficulties and weather'

So, you paid for your planned boat dives and the shore dives that were cancelled due to the typhoons?

 

[GrandpaScuba]

The extra $20 you got back from the DM is pretty much all you should expect. There are no guarantees in diving. It sounds to me like you had a reasonably good diving day.

And as another respondent said: Anyone can call a dive at any time for any reason. And the other divers have to respect that. If you give them a bad time for calling the dive, you encourage them to take unsafe chances in the future, just because they don't want to be hassled.

 

[TMHeimer]

I think a lot of all this is based on the cost of a charter. Here in Hfx. it's $50 Can. for a 2 tank dive. Most places I've patronized in the southern US is double that. I know a charter has many costs--staff, gas, maintenence, etc., and I suppose if you figure it out $100 plus DM tip is a reasonable charge (I don't know how he does it here for $50). If someone spends over $100 they may have a different take on what should be refunded should something go awry. Not saying I agree, just a hypothesis.

 

[Wookie]

How far offshore are you running? There is good diving in Maine right off the rocks, I expect the Maritimes to be the same. North Carolina charters go out a minimum of 50 or so miles. They burn a ton of fuel. At $4 a gallon for marina fuel, and 2 gallons per mile for a relatively efficient boat, that adds up quick.

 

[hroark2112]

How far offshore are you running? There is good diving in Maine right off the rocks, I expect the Maritimes to be the same. North Carolina charters go out a minimum of 50 or so miles. They burn a ton of fuel. At $4 a gallon for marina fuel, and 2 gallons per mile for a relatively efficient boat, that adds up quick.

50 miles isn't correct. Most NC charters are 20-30 miles out. 50 is a long trip and there aren't many that far out.

There are also lots of "inshore" dives well under 20 miles. Those are usually in the 50-60' deep range.

 

[TMHeimer]

How far offshore are you running? There is good diving in Maine right off the rocks, I expect the Maritimes to be the same. North Carolina charters go out a minimum of 50 or so miles. They burn a ton of fuel. At $4 a gallon for marina fuel, and 2 gallons per mile for a relatively efficient boat, that adds up quick.

Of course it varies. Maybe 3-10 miles. Some are further out, but all charters are $50. A 10 mile trip in N. FL is still about $100.

 

[hroark2112]

I wish they were $50. The cheapest out of Wilmington & Morehead City start at around $75, and 2 tank charters to offshore dives run around $150-175.

 

[RandomGuy1]

Before someone gets the wrong idea about any of the NC charters (I guess a few people already have), I was not in NC when this happened. I was out of town for my anniversary.

 

[kelemvor]

I think a lot of all this is based on the cost of a charter. Here in Hfx. it's $50 Can. for a 2 tank dive. Most places I've patronized in the southern US is double that. I know a charter has many costs--staff, gas, maintenence, etc., and I suppose if you figure it out $100 plus DM tip is a reasonable charge (I don't know how he does it here for $50). If someone spends over $100 they may have a different take on what should be refunded should something go awry. Not saying I agree, just a hypothesis.

In much of the FL, USA charter prices vary greatly based on the distance to a site. I can go to the east coast and do 2 tankers to just about any site for around $50usd. On the west coast you're looking at a bare minimum of 10 miles out for any site. The charters here run closer to $100usd. If I charter a boat (with 6 other divers) for the Mohawk or middle grounds or something else far offshore it's $175-300 a head.

Key largo's a bit different. They get away with charging $80 for a close trip because there is sufficient demand.