Rudeness at Joe's Quarry by another lds

[icyman]

I was recently in a class, because I need to get refreshed on current methods and I was amazed at the audacity and rudeness of another dive shop.

When we arrived another dive shop setup shop in the hut our LDS built, we just went about setting up our gear in the area they were not currently occupying. After a few minutes our instructor arrived, and began to get everyone ready for the dive. We dressed and geared up and entered the water.

This other dive shop was running a cattle operation with many divers to certify, therefore we had to find an area to go practice rescuing skills away from them. The other dive shop had the area roped off as if it all belonged to them. They took up all the platforms and space around the dock, therefore our instructor took us over to a section near the swim through pipes away from everyone else.

Everyone made their decent and stayed about 2 feet from the bottom, except that is for the instructor who barely let his fins touch. Several other members being somewhat newer divers also touched the bottom lightly with their fins. We all did our practice maneuvers and visibility was still quite good.

We then did a swim through the big pipes and that’s when the vis went to crap. Evidently there was a lot of silt in those pipes. After going through some of the pipes doing some other maneuvers we surfaced to talk about our next steps.

Our instructor was talking about procedures for rescuing distressed divers when this female diver came over and read us the riot act. She interrupted our instructor and asked him if he was teaching a class, he said yes, then her unprofessional behavior began. She started to tell us that she had done a swim by and saw some of us standing on the bottom and that the vis had been better than it had been in months, yet we messed it up for everyone. We had ruined they dive and their day. She continued with alot of stuff telling him how a mud milkshake does, and I totally lost all concentration upon what she said. Our instructor said yes mam, and no mam , being as I have no position of authority said nothing, yet I watched as this women berated our instructor in front of our class, and I had to say something to someone. As a marine I always fought to protect the guy that wouldn’t speak up, I guess it’s coming over to civilian life.

Whats you alls opinion of this incident, do you all think it is professional to berate an instructor in front of his class?

Would you have done this for an unintended incident?

I appologize for the long rant but I had to ask some other people in the scuba world? I dont think it conveys the overal spirit of the scuba scene!

 

[PonyBottle]

I agree with you 100%, SHE was unprofessional! And this might be carrying over from the Army, but I would have felt compelled to give HER my 2 cents!

 

[icyman]

I agree with you 100%, SHE was unprofessional! And this might be carrying over from the Army, but I would have felt compelled to give HER my 2 cents!

:kopfab:

 

[brssmnky]

I realize that this is not a funny situation... but I had to laugh when I read because I was at joes this afternoon and heard about the incident. In my opinion it's one of the most unproessional things a dive instructor (and she was the instructor) could do. If there was a problem, it should've been brought up in private. Unfortunately for your instructor, not getting into it was probably the more professional thing to do. We heard about it this afternoon and thought it was pretty crappy. Anyways, I've heard bad things about that particular dive shop before (we won't name names ) Well, if I was in your instructor's place I would've sunk to the same level of non-professionalism.:wallywink

 

[Maladryne]

we won't name names

Pity. One of the reasons I come here is to learn from the shared wisdom of all of you folks; I'm needing to learn who the operators in this area are, who to deal with, and who to avoid.
At the very least, I'd hope the diveshop owner gets word that the diving community in this area is talking about the unprofessional behavior of this instructor.

 

[icyman]

Pity. One of the reasons I come here is to learn from the shared wisdom of all of you folks; I'm needing to learn who the operators in this area are, who to deal with, and who to avoid.
At the very least, I'd hope the diveshop owner gets word that the diving community in this area is talking about the unprofessional behavior of this instructor.

Unfortunately the instructor is the dive shop owner. I myself couldn’t believe this behavior. I was considering writing a few papers and seeing what happened. I also planned on calling or visiting Joe tomorrow to talk to him about her behavior. If it comes out, so be it. But I am trying to keep with the owners beliefs. Again I am still a student at the current time until I get my refresher courses.

I stood by today, without making a sound and I feel bad about it. I wont sacrifice my integrity again. I will speak out in the next few days.

 

[ZoCrowes255]

I was standing in the one of the nearby pavilions and heard what she said.

It's one thing to pull a person aside and say something it's another to do it in front of their students and customers.

 

[DiveTyme]

ICYMAN,
If you know what agency this instructor is afilliated with you could contact them. Must agencies take such complaints seriously.
Tim

 

[tndiveinstruct1]

Perhaps the instructor of Icyman's rescue class is going to report this person, but he is acting like the professional should by not wrongly disparaging the other dive professional in public.

Us instructors are bound by a code of ethics that states we are not to "wrongly disparage other dive industry professionals." I believe, and hope, that this is what will happen.

Icyman, I would report the facts as you saw them to the other instructor's agency. This should be enough to get the agency to investigate it.

Just a questions however. Are the 2 instructor's members of the same agency?

Randy Cain

 

[jbd]

......the vis had been better than it had been in months, yet we messed it up for everyone. We had ruined they dive and their day.

It is pretty much a routine occurence at places like Joe's(i.e. quarries). It is a place to train students and for new divers to practice what they have learned once certified. People will stir up the silt in the process and the viz will go down hill as soon as classes get in the water. She should have known that in the first place. Secondly, being aware of this she can use it to her students advantage by taking them in and out of areas where there is a distinct change in the viz. This helps them develope coping skills i.e. remaining calm, not losing control of breathing and therefore not losing bouyancy control, staying on course while swimming through the area. Thirdly, she can point out to her students examples of how even inadvertent contact with the bottom can have a significant affect on the viz. She missed some training opprotunities IMHO.

Whats you alls opinion of this incident, do you all think it is professional to berate an instructor in front of his class?

It is unprofessional to berate ANYONE in public. Her upbringing as a child should have taught her that.

Would you have done this for an unintended incident?

I would not have done what she did, but, I do call attention to every fin touch a fin stroke of my students that stirs up silt. With silt you need not actually contact it to stir it up. Improper finning techniques near silt will stir it up quite well from quite a surprising distance from the bottom.

I stop my students as soon as I see the "infraction" and make them turn around at look at the billowing mushroom cloud they just created. Then make my disatisfaction plain to them.