Oriskany Report, Dive Op Review

[sandersondiver]

Where to start?
For what it is worth, I'm sorry these people had a bad experience with Down Under. The canceling party had a sickness in the family, and it, IMO, was unethical to charge the 50% deposit. Other than that, tanks are delivered by trailer 10 feet from the boat deck. From what I understand, MBT was called prior to canceling the trip to make sure there was room on the H2O Below. I would trust Douglas and his crew with my life. The Down Under burns 2 gallons per mile, plus a captain and 2 deckhands, therefore running with less than ten people is like shooting yourself in the foot. It simply doesn't make any sense.
I can only say that, to my knowledge, Down Under makes every attempt to run the 46' Newton to make their customers happy. That is the job of every dive op I know and dive with.

For future reference, I would suggest, to minimize the risk of cancellation, booking on a busier holiday weekend or booking a trip with extra people of your own so that you are sure that your trip will go out as planned (weather notwithstanding).

 

[Oriskany Divemaster]

I've known the guys at Down Under for years, and for years they've run a top-notch operation. This is the first time I've ever heard anything like this. I don't like the part about, "Try calling Bottom Time" when he should've said, "Try calling the Oriskany Divemaster," but that's another thing altogether. When it comes down to it, it seems like it was a judgement call that was shortsighted.

I have a feeling that everyone at Down Under was given strict instructions that in the future to not leave the shop until any stranded diver is confirmed on another's boat.

I know I've made a couple of bonehead mistakes, and most likely will continue to do so. My only hope is that it's not the same bonehead mistake over and over....Like just last Sunday I covered myself in honey and started swinging a bat a this beehive in my back yard....Who knew? So I'm sure the Down Under won't do this again.

As for me, most likely I'll probably think twice about the baseball bat, and maybe use a tire iron instead.

 

[GLENFWB]

I am betting that somewhere in the "longer" version of this story, that some volume of Rum was involved....just a guess.

I know I've made a couple of bonehead mistakes, and most likely will continue to do so. My only hope is that it's not the same bonehead mistake over and over....Like just last Sunday I covered myself in honey and started swinging a bat a this beehive in my back yard....Who knew? So I'm sure the Down Under won't do this again.

As for me, most likely I'll probably think twice about the baseball bat, and maybe use a tire iron instead.

 

[mike_s]

WOw... I've used Down Under in the past and have had good trips....

but I've never heard a dive shop say "book on a busy holiday weekend so your trip doesn't get cancelled..."

 

[walrus2]

How do trips to the Oriskany typically work? Are charters limited to weekends or do they run on weekdays to? I'm going to Alabama end of October and could rent a car to get to the Gulf. Are there trips in October? I'd probably have a Sunday/Monday/Tuesday period.

Thanks,
Peter

 

[evensplit]

How do trips to the Oriskany typically work? Are charters limited to weekends or do they run on weekdays to? I'm going to Alabama end of October and could rent a car to get to the Gulf. Are there trips in October? I'd probably have a Sunday/Monday/Tuesday period.

Thanks,
Peter

The boats will run any time they have their minimum, which is usually 4 on the 6 packs and 6-10 on the bigger boats. Right now we have the H2O Below scheduled for 5-7 trips per week through late August, with the minimums already booked for most days. The Season usually runs pretty strong through October, and there should be opportunities for you to get out. Trips are scheduled throughout the year, but trips in the winter are usually arranged around the weekends.

If we're not able to get the minimum for the H2O, we work with several other smaller boats that will run with 3 or 4 divers. The shops all work together to try to keep all of the boats running and to make sure that all of the customers get out.

Some shops own their boat, so obviously they're going to book theirs first.

 

[deeper thoughts]

How come the dive op has not chimed in to give there point of view? The thread was sent to them by a SB member.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

sandersondiver is an instructor at Down Under Dive Shop, he's at the top of this page.

 

[diver918]

Thanks for the write-up. I'm glad you at least got to make the trip.

 

[sandersondiver]

WOw... I've used Down Under in the past and have had good trips....

but I've never heard a dive shop say "book on a busy holiday weekend so your trip doesn't get cancelled..."

The point I was trying to make is that 2 to 3 weeks after Memorial Day are the slowest of the summer due to the fact that everybody has just come down for the big weekend.
Down Under has been running trips everyday for the last week, and will continue to do so, weather pending, until the second week in August. It just seems to slow down at that time of year. My guess is that people are saving up for the upcoming Labor Day weekend.
That is my 2 psi.
By the way, this is not the dive op saying this, this is my personal opinion.