Dear DM's around the world...

[charlier]

Did you bring the DM from Australia with experience in Thailand, or did you hire someone loca (e.g., freelance local). I am curious.

 

[CJS]

Did you bring the DM from Australia with experience in Thailand, or did you hire someone loca (e.g., freelance local). I am curious.

The boat organised it for us, as they have done in the past. It is a service advertised on their website and I think the website of pretty much every liveaboard / dive shop in Khao Lak. It cost us 2000 baht for a private guide for the whole 5 days of the trip (although I tipped him). Not 2000 per day, for the whole trip. That's $AUD 75. He was an experienced instructor and working for the boat company. Last time we did it, the guide they organised was a freelancer (a Welsh guy who was one of the best dive guides I have ever met).

 

[Land Fish]

I dive primarily in SEA and I can only speak on my experience.

I've had DMs from US and Europe as well as locals where I dived, and they were quite attentive generally speaking, and I'm very fortunate not to have any issues so far. Most DMs I came across were wonderful people, and one of them on my recent LOB trip actually shared sudafed with me from his personal medicine cabin after I run out the prescriptions and still had congestion. He was very patient with me during descend, and kept checking on me and my ear throughout the dives (I had major issue with equalising thanks to congestion).

For me, it's more about selecting a reputable dive shop/operator, especially when I sign up a LOB as a solo traveler. As a visitor new to town, it's hard to know which DM is good or just a cowboy/girl who only wants to make some quick money to fund the rest of their trips and/or free dives, which I'm in no position to judge the practice. But local shops would know.

My two cents.

 

[Marie13]

DMs, don't diss the equipment a diver is using, just because you don't like it/don't use it. I've run into two DMs recently. It's one thing to suggest a diver might want consider different fins. Quite another to say "Who the heck put a new diver into a BP/W?"

 

[Wingy]

I've got a few things to add if this is an open letter to DMs around the world. I'm that solo diver who turns up on the spot in stupid locations so the DM usually is my buddy. On LOBs, DMs are again, usually my buddies.

I'm not a DM. Never will be. I dive because it's my zen place.

Of course I've dived with DMs who were absolute muppets I'd never speak to or encounter other than them having been the only option on X island - they probably feel the same way about me for all I know and probably were glad to see the back of me but overall -

Thanks for getting up filling tanks sorting gear organising staff making sure the oxygen is there while I'm still sleeping waiting for you to pick me up from my hotel.

Thanks for showing me the best of what your country or location has to offer in the time you can. You paid attention when I said I'd never seen a disco clam and took me straight to one the next day.

Thanks for pretending to be having fun when I decide on a night dive even though you were kind of expected at your child's school concert that night.

Thanks for showing up and not making up some excuse about weather when you've been up all night because your boyfriend or girlfriend dumped you - you did a good job of pretending to be enjoying yourself until I was gone.

Thanks for passing me the menthol you are using on a LOB because even though you're getting a cold, there are divers on board relying on you - 4 times a day.

Thanks for scowling at me then laughing as you were making sure I realised weight belt was twisted. You remembered from the last trip I'm not a morning person.

Thanks for laughing at me and giving me a hand up while I was flopping around like a turtle upside down on those bloody stones at tulumben, at night, in the surf...

Thanks for grabbing my ankle at bad bad batu giving me a chance to grab the reef in a downcurrent.

Thanks for going and finding the school teacher who translated a full and proper dive briefing for me and the drawing because on land, we couldn't communicate and that's not your fault, it's mine. I chose to go to your country so why would I expect you to speak my language? Under the surface we could communicate just fine.

So to the DMs and all the players we sometimes overlook in the industry - thank you for letting the greatest show on earth go on, for my amusement. Hats off to you.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Awesome Wingy, so very well said and representative of my POV! I'll add, and now that my body parts are breaking down, thanks for being there and offering a hand when I need it to stand up, for taking my gear before I climb the ladder back aboard and when there's no pier, helping me off the boat into the surf after the dives are done. Thanks for respecting me and my diving ability despite how decrepit I may look up on shore.

 

[AlexL]

Quite another to say "Who the heck put a new diver into a BP/W?"

someone should do a print run of 'I <3 my BP/W' stickers!

oh oh oh, ever had a DM snag your stowed primary second stage, pull the long hose tight and jokingly ask 'where were you planning on going this dive?'

 

[charlier]

I've got a few things to add if this is an open letter to DMs around the world. I'm that solo diver who turns up on the spot in stupid locations so the DM usually is my buddy. On LOBs, DMs are again, usually my buddies...

Thanks for scowling at me then laughing as you were making sure I realised weight belt was twisted. You remembered from the last trip I'm not a morning person...

Wingy- as a part time DM, I am usually the first up in the morning, drinking tea at the bow or with the Captain. It's the best time of the day for me - my personal time in paradise. On occasion, I deliver coffee to customers and friends while they wake up.

 

[Peter69_56]

I've got a few things to add if this is an open letter to DMs around the world. I'm that solo diver who turns up on the spot in stupid locations so the DM usually is my buddy. On LOBs, DMs are again, usually my buddies.

I'm not a DM. Never will be. I dive because it's my zen place.

Of course I've dived with DMs who were absolute muppets I'd never speak to or encounter other than them having been the only option on X island - they probably feel the same way about me for all I know and probably were glad to see the back of me but overall -

Thanks for getting up filling tanks sorting gear organising staff making sure the oxygen is there while I'm still sleeping waiting for you to pick me up from my hotel.

Thanks for showing me the best of what your country or location has to offer in the time you can. You paid attention when I said I'd never seen a disco clam and took me straight to one the next day.

Thanks for pretending to be having fun when I decide on a night dive even though you were kind of expected at your child's school concert that night.

Thanks for showing up and not making up some excuse about weather when you've been up all night because your boyfriend or girlfriend dumped you - you did a good job of pretending to be enjoying yourself until I was gone.

Thanks for passing me the menthol you are using on a LOB because even though you're getting a cold, there are divers on board relying on you - 4 times a day.

Thanks for scowling at me then laughing as you were making sure I realised weight belt was twisted. You remembered from the last trip I'm not a morning person.

Thanks for laughing at me and giving me a hand up while I was flopping around like a turtle upside down on those bloody stones at tulumben, at night, in the surf...

Thanks for grabbing my ankle at bad bad batu giving me a chance to grab the reef in a downcurrent.

Thanks for going and finding the school teacher who translated a full and proper dive briefing for me and the drawing because on land, we couldn't communicate and that's not your fault, it's mine. I chose to go to your country so why would I expect you to speak my language? Under the surface we could communicate just fine.

So to the DMs and all the players we sometimes overlook in the industry - thank you for letting the greatest show on earth go on, for my amusement. Hats off to you.

Wingy, you may be a muppet but you are our muppet and we luves ya !

 

[Peter69_56]

DMs, don't diss the equipment a diver is using, just because you don't like it/don't use it. I've run into two DMs recently. It's one thing to suggest a diver might want consider different fins. Quite another to say "Who the heck put a new diver into a BP/W?"

Well said, its one thing to discuss the why and why not, but another thing to stuff ones opinion down another's throat.