DM responsibilities/another Q

[Desultory]

Thanks for all the replys.
Thank you in particular to those who mentioned the damaging the inside of the piston. I would like to see further proof from a tekky but it seems common sense that it will cause some sort of impact. I think definitely from now on I shall get into the habit of purging my own gear! - As for using the LP inflator - i would assume this has the same effect; I think I like this idea more as surely purging the reg your merely transfering the wear of the first stage to the regular instead?
At the end of the day though - Dive equipments gunna last a long time so i'm sure doing this doesn't make a big difference but for the little effort it requires and maybe give my equipment another year or something then i'm happy to do so.
The fact that PADI don't have a rule for this obviously means that its not of utmost importance in terms of life saving.

Equipment; alot of you are sayig 'no one will touch my equip etc'. Which is what I agree to. I just find it a little disturbing that there are divers out there with many dives but no equipment experience. One day these people may be looked up to by some newbies which is obviously not good! Maybe i'm being a lttle dramatic.
anyway, thank you for replies.
regards
luke

 

[TheRedHead]

The thing which now bugs me is having DMs check my valves on the way to the swim platform, sometimes without my knowing it. I *know* my air is turned on and they don't need to touch my valves. As far as setting up my recreational rig, I don't care. I go right behind them and adjust and check things. Some of the dive operators in Cozumel store your gear at their shop and have it set up when they pick you up. It's very convenient not to have to lug your gear back to the hotel and store it in your room. With doubles, it is a different story. I've never seen this kind of service, not would I want any setting up my doubles gear.

 

[Lead_carrier]

Also, I've never seen an spg explode!

I didn't either for years. Then I had 2 "explode" and was around 3 others in a matter of months. It's more like a big rupture than an explosion, but it can blow the faceplate off with quite a bit of force. That's one reason I teach my students to hold it facing down and away. A face plate would not be my choice for a moring kiss.

 

[miketsp]

On the spg issue, it would seem silly not to take the precaution. What does it cost you?
I saw one go once and externally it was in perfect condition. But somehow some water had got into the spiral tube and gradually corroded it from the inside out until it couldn't take the pressure any more.

 

[LavaSurfer]

It’s not a PADI THING
it’s not a SSI THING
it’s not a YSCUBA THING
AND it’s not a CMAS or a NAUI THING

It’s a Dive operator thing!

I love the “blame PADI for everything" attitude.
It makes me laugh! :lol:
Just tell the boat DM you handle your own gear. They SHOULD respect that.
I have never been refused the request to assemble my own gear.
I ALWAYS let people set up their gear if they want.
If asked, I will set it up for them but I don't like to do it.
If I set it up, how can I evaluate their skill level?

I think any DM should have the divers set up, it takes a little longer but you can assess the divers and get a feel of their competency level. If they are having trouble its an opportunity to teach them and then watch them underwater if you have the opportunity.

I have had many DM's offer advice or criticism after a dive. I take it and use it if it applies.

 

[Damselfish]

I've seen some places that set gear up for people most of the time, but have you do it the first time so they can see how someone wants it and if the person has a clue. Or sometimes where you set it up first dive of the day and they switch tanks for later dive(s). I prefer to set up my own gear, and would have a problem with a place that insisted they do it no matter what I wanted. But I don't really mind when a place washes and stores my gear and it appears on a tank the next day, or magically moves to a fresh tank between dives - after all, none of that prevents me from checking it, redoing it, or whatever I want.

The only time I have a problem is with some ops that have boats that are not well set up for diving where it is difficult for everyone to set up gear, and they do the gear thing to make up for the boat. Some of these want to set up the gear and people to stay away from it all, or sometimes there's just no chance to check things out until you're about to put it on because the assembled gear is traveling in a big heap. But if your gear is accessible to you, and they're competant and not apt to damage something, I don't see it as a big deal.

 

[pir8]

If I have to set it up for them that will influence my evaluation of them, I doubt that I will consider them very competent if they can't set up their own gear. I would then have to plan the dive for them as such.

 

[boulderjohn]

With doubles, it is a different story. I've never seen this kind of service, not would I want any setting up my doubles gear.

This rang a bell for me. I sought out my old DM book, but I can't find what I was looking for in it. Perhaps someone else can find it, or perhaps it was a narcosis-related illusion.

Anyway, what my befuddled brain recalls is a general statement in that book that DM's should never touch a tech diver's gear.

 

[Storm]

I have no experience with the whole dive sherpa thing, nor having someone else set up my gear, but for those that have a use that type of servoce, how would be able to ensure screw it up, or inadvertanly damage your gear.

What do you do if it's their rental gear?

Personally no touches my rig, (my wife I trust to assemble my gears, but I still double check it before getting wet.

 

[TheRedHead]

I have no experience with the whole dive sherpa thing, nor having someone else set up my gear, but for those that have a use that type of servoce, how would be able to ensure screw it up, or inadvertanly damage your gear.

From my experience in Cozumel, I've never found any errors. The guys setting up the gear aren't sherpas, but PADI MSDTs acting as guides. One of them is even a TDI instructor. The boats there are so small there is no place to store the gear and it is more convenient to have it set up. I had an experience in Belize similar to DamselFish where all the gear was stored forward and the divers were asked to don before back flipping. They actually tried to "dress" you there. I didn't like that at all.