First observed incident

[The Iceni]

B for buoyancy (air in and out of BC & dry suit)
A for air (All regs work and contents adequate)
R for releases (straps secure and releases work)

 

[jepuskar]

In cozumel my DM's always insisted they put my BC, reg, etc all on for me. I felt weird by letting them do this...the DM told me, relax..your on vacation.

I just dont look at it like that. Yes, it was my vacation, but it was also my gear he was putting on wrong. I am very particular about how I want my gear setup....tank needs to be low, etc.

Every dive I did, when the time was right I always went over everything the DM did...sometimes I had to do nothing, but most of the time something wasnt right.

Something I didnt like was they insisted that the tank band did not have to be wet when you put it on. This was news to me..I was taught that your tank band should always be wet or it could stretch during the dive. So, I always poured water on it and retightened the strap.

Well anyways, im glad everything worked out well for this lady. Lesson learned.

 

[scuberd]

I'm glad to hear that everything worked out in the end, but...
it seems like the victim had inadequate training or was out of practice. The OW classes that I have been part of, the stundents were required to take their gear off underwater, and I once was able to fix my bc when the tank slipped...on a night dive...with insuffecent (no) light... and a buddy who was just watching and not helping. I belive that she should have been able to fix her tank without even thinking about.

And nobody sets up my gear but ME!

 

[RICHinNC]

I dont think it matters if she was solo or with a group....her tank would have come off anyway. But, it is true had she had a buddy....actually close by.....he/she could hopefully have spotted the situation and rectified it earlier preventing the incident.

She was clearly not prepared mentally to dive solo and had obviously never practiced the various situations that can occur.

I would think her tank strap got wet .....was put on dry.....stretched out and then the tank slipped.

No one puts my gear together but me....vacation or no vacation....and if they get snooty about it....I change dive ops. I saw a similar incident happen at St. Thomas when the boat crew did everything and everyone (but me) let them. One lady almost paid very dearly for not checking her gear properly.

 

[Scubamedicjoe]

me my self and I all three of us put my gear together no matter where we are, again if the dive operations dont like they may watch me but i will assembly my gear etc !!

 

[Jonathan]

reminds me of the time myself and my buddy were walking out onto the pontoon before going off to do some mapping. The threesome (instructor and 2 ow students) were about to take the plunge and I noticed that the tank on one was just hanging by the hoses and the cam band completely undone!

We walked up and tapped the student on the shoulder - said "do you mind?" and proceeded to reattach the tank properly...

Needless to say a very embarassed instructor but we did not stick around long - they started doing a full buddy check and we jumped in.

Jonathan

 

[bug]

The dive operation that we used last weekend does not put the gear together for you. They are there to drive the boat, provide gear if rented from them, and provide DM's for saftey and guidence if requested. The captain is allowed to administer 02 if needed and provide simple medical assistance.

But if you do not put your own gear together, then you are dead in the water.

I have been on a couple of dive boats in the carriban that had all the rental gear assembled before we even got on the boat. (this was before I owned my own gear). Eventhough they put it together, and it was their equiptment I double checked the entire rig. Now that I own my own gear, I will be the only one that sets it up. I have told DM's not to bother with touching my gear, and I would handle it. They can watch if they feel the need, I will even let them double check me. However, if there is something that they want changed, let ME know and I will take care of it.

-Matt

 

[Northeastwrecks]

Anyone boat crew, DM or other person that touches my gear will get one, and only one, warning that they are to leave my gear alone until and unless they are cutting me out of it. After that, they should be prepared for two things.

First, the sudden feeling of flight as they loft gently through the air into the water. Second, the sight of me leaving their boat as soon as it docks so that I can find another operator.

The only people I trust enough to touch my gear are my dive buddies. And they are usually busy setting up their rigs.

I let the crew hand me deco bottles that I secure to my rig. All other assemblies, particularly including valve manipulation, are my responsibility.

After hearing all the bad DM stories, particularly in the Carribean and overseas, I cannot understand why anyone would be so lazy that they can't deal with their own rig. In fact, given the fact that Carribean divers use AL80's and almost no weight, I can't see why anyone competant enough to get in the water would even need the help.

Which part of your life support are you going to trust to someone else? And why?

As for one of them watching me, they are welcome to do so. However, I don't talk during my setups and will not change anything on my rig regardless of their opinion, so the only point would be to find a setup error.

Finally, let's be clear that Bug didn't do anything wrong. Bug was not obligated to buddy up with this walking disaster. She did it to herself and got precisely what she deserved.

 

[dc4bs]

I just got home this afternoon from a tech trip to Key West... We spent 3 days diving the Wilkes-Barre (170-260 fsw top to sand).

The briefing on the dive boat the first day was that the crew would not touch anyones gear unless directly requested to by a diver.

At this announcement there was general rejoycing among the divers.

 

[Diver0001]

Northeastwrecks once bubbled...
<snip>

The only people I trust enough to touch my gear are my dive buddies. And they are usually busy setting up their rigs.

You're more trusting than I am. I can't stand it if someone else touches my gear. I think even *if* my buddies were to set it up I still wouldn't be able to suppress the urge to double check it all. Likewise the idea that my buddy would want me to set up his gear for him sounds weird. I think I'd say "it's ok, I'll wait for you".

After it's all down my buddies are welcome to hump my stuff, though ... but somehow they never seem to offer.

I can understand DM's on boats in Cozumel doing this, however. I've been to Cozumel a couple of times and you invariably see people who have obviously never learned how to kit up and/or divers who haven't been wet for a year and are fumbling with it. I once got buddied up on a boat with a diver who literally couldn't figure out how the regulator went on the tank. He had it on backwards. I laughed out loud because I thought he was joking with me and he looked at me and said "like what?". My jaw dropped. He told me that he was certified the previous week in Cozumel and they were never shown how to assemble the gear. Go figure.

R..