To me a boat is a ride to the site. Obviously it should be sea worthy and have any safety equipment that makes sense for a dive boat to have. Other than that it's nice to have enough room for gear and suiting up along with a good setup for entry and exit. I don't want any one touching my gear or trying to run my dive.
What makes a GOOD dive OP to you?
- Thread starter HowardE
- Start date
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OP
I notice several people mention that for a dive boat for it to be good should have a DAN (or at least AN) O2 kit. Isn't that required? I've never seen a dive boat without Oxygen.
I also agree with Mike - I don't want people touching my gear. I don't want them to switch my tanks for me...It's MY gear and MY life support... I don't want someone else messing with it.
I also agree with Mike - I don't want people touching my gear. I don't want them to switch my tanks for me...It's MY gear and MY life support... I don't want someone else messing with it.
Walt1957
Contributor
Since I consider safety the first priority, I will never go on a boat again without finding out how it is crewed. I was very unahppy when in the Bahamas I found that the DM/Captain of the boat was instructing a class while we were diving. Nobody topside at all in case of an emergency. And not even anybody near us under water either, so we were totally on our own. I want a crewmember of some type who knows rescue and first aid techniques on the boat while I am diving, with the standard equipment such as O2 and a radio and the knowledge of how to use them.
I don't need, or even want anybody to set up for me, I consider that somewhat like having someone else pack your parachute ... if my last seconds are going to be spent cursing some fool who caused me to die, I want to be sure I will not forget his name name (not likely to forget my own ... at least not for a few more years).
A guide to show the area the first time at a site is nice, though not essential unless there are safety issues. But the flexibility to do my own thing if I decide to is essential.
A good pre-dive briefing, though I am not sure how you ensure that unless you have recommendations or prior experience with a particular op.
A small number of divers, so that the crew can have enough fingers to count and make sure we are all there before leaving, and a sense of security in knowing that they will make sure.
I don't need, or even want anybody to set up for me, I consider that somewhat like having someone else pack your parachute ... if my last seconds are going to be spent cursing some fool who caused me to die, I want to be sure I will not forget his name name (not likely to forget my own ... at least not for a few more years).
A guide to show the area the first time at a site is nice, though not essential unless there are safety issues. But the flexibility to do my own thing if I decide to is essential.
A good pre-dive briefing, though I am not sure how you ensure that unless you have recommendations or prior experience with a particular op.
A small number of divers, so that the crew can have enough fingers to count and make sure we are all there before leaving, and a sense of security in knowing that they will make sure.
Prerequisites: O2, first aid, and radio on board; enough room on the boat for you, your gear, and enough room to gear up without tripping over another diver; appropriate safety procedures (check-in, check-out procedures, exit and entry procedures, site selection based on current conditions); drinking water provded; good dive briefing.
Better dive ops have, in addition to drinking water, other drinks and snacks. I prefer a boat with a head and some shade. I want to set up my own gear, but some help schlepping things around and changing tanks is appreciated. Separate rinse tanks for masks and cameras, and better yet, a camera table, are a real plus.
All staff, from the office, to the boat captain, to the dive master, to the mate, should be friendly and helpful. Divemasters should be able to direct you to points of interest or help find interesting critters. Allow appropriate freedom for individual divers. I think this varies based on location and dive site. On a wall dive in Coz when the current is ripping, you need to stay together as a group. You should not have to surface when the first diver runs low on air - buddy teams can ascend separately. In very calm water, open the pool and let us go. I don't mind a reasonable time limit, say 50-60 minutes. It's a business and they need to get the next group out. Just don't schedule them so close together that I have to cut dives too short. Dive sites should be selected to meet the needs and desires of the divers.
I am not as concerned about grouping divers by experience/ability. I am often diving with a group trip from the dive shop and there are often divers of different levels of skill and experience. This means there are some sites we don't visit (like the southernmost sites in Coz), but that's the trade-off and I like the social aspects of group travel. When I want to do those sites, I will go without a group. I also think it is good for less experienced divers to dive with more experienced divers, so they have good examples to copy.
I don't much care where we spend the surface interval, but if the boat's too small to provide a reasonably stable platform, we probably ought to hit the beach.
Mostly, it's about attitude - are they taking care of the customers?
BTW, what do you consider a "cattle boat?" What is it that makes it a cattle boat? Size, procedure, the way they treat customers.
Better dive ops have, in addition to drinking water, other drinks and snacks. I prefer a boat with a head and some shade. I want to set up my own gear, but some help schlepping things around and changing tanks is appreciated. Separate rinse tanks for masks and cameras, and better yet, a camera table, are a real plus.
All staff, from the office, to the boat captain, to the dive master, to the mate, should be friendly and helpful. Divemasters should be able to direct you to points of interest or help find interesting critters. Allow appropriate freedom for individual divers. I think this varies based on location and dive site. On a wall dive in Coz when the current is ripping, you need to stay together as a group. You should not have to surface when the first diver runs low on air - buddy teams can ascend separately. In very calm water, open the pool and let us go. I don't mind a reasonable time limit, say 50-60 minutes. It's a business and they need to get the next group out. Just don't schedule them so close together that I have to cut dives too short. Dive sites should be selected to meet the needs and desires of the divers.
I am not as concerned about grouping divers by experience/ability. I am often diving with a group trip from the dive shop and there are often divers of different levels of skill and experience. This means there are some sites we don't visit (like the southernmost sites in Coz), but that's the trade-off and I like the social aspects of group travel. When I want to do those sites, I will go without a group. I also think it is good for less experienced divers to dive with more experienced divers, so they have good examples to copy.
I don't much care where we spend the surface interval, but if the boat's too small to provide a reasonably stable platform, we probably ought to hit the beach.
Mostly, it's about attitude - are they taking care of the customers?
BTW, what do you consider a "cattle boat?" What is it that makes it a cattle boat? Size, procedure, the way they treat customers.
OP
divingjd:
I was wondering the same thing.
If I'm on a boat that's doing a drift dive. I could care less how many people they dump on the reef... I'm diving my own dive, with either with my wife, or by myself.
If I'm doing a wreck dive, and it's a small wreck... More than 10 people kind of sucks. But if it's a large wreck... I don't care either if 4 or even 20 people are on the boat. I'm diving my own dive and/or profile. I ask the DM if I can be one of the first in the water, and I assume I'll be one of the last ones out, so I don't worry about a traffic jam on the line.
Why are so many people concerned with the "cattle boat"??
Actually, IMHO - I am more afraid of small 6 pack boats than large cattle boats, because I need a bit of room for my camera. I won't put it in the rinse bucket, so I want a boat that is roomy enough for me to be able to spread out a little. My 6 pack experiences haven't been as pleasant for me as a larger "cattle" boat.
The dive boat is my taxi to/from the site so i expect a reasonable chance of them managing to shot the wreck.
Full diving equipped first aid equipment (although having someone to deliver it isnt essential).
Ease of boat <> shore loading and unloading.
Comprehensive dive site brief allowing me and a buddy to formulate a dive plan
Being able to dive the above plan and NOT having to follow a guide/be herded or limited.
And get me there/back in something approaching the time frame they quote.
Thats pretty much it.
Full diving equipped first aid equipment (although having someone to deliver it isnt essential).
Ease of boat <> shore loading and unloading.
Comprehensive dive site brief allowing me and a buddy to formulate a dive plan
Being able to dive the above plan and NOT having to follow a guide/be herded or limited.
And get me there/back in something approaching the time frame they quote.
Thats pretty much it.
LiteHedded
Contributor
lots of water with paper cups LARGER than those cone things
no limit on bottom time and NO SPEECH BEGGING FOR TIPS!!! if you want a tip give good service and s t f u about it and it will work itself out
no limit on bottom time and NO SPEECH BEGGING FOR TIPS!!! if you want a tip give good service and s t f u about it and it will work itself out
divingjd:
Size, procedure and attitude, individually don't make a "cattle boat". To me, it's all of the above combined.
Caicos Adventures in Provo has a boat that takes 20+ divers. However, they split their divers into small groups with a separate DM. After seeing us dive, they suggested to me and my buddy that we go off on our own, even told us we should get in the water 1st so we could have a longer dive.
In Aruba, I was on a boat with 12 divers. All 12 divers had to descend and dive together. 1 DM at the front, 1 at the back. Not exactly fun waiting for 12 divers to giant stride in the water and descend together. Nor was it fun playing follow the leader with 12 divers.
I think the term "cattle boat" refers to large groups of divers being lead around like brainless cattle.
howarde:
Because on a large boat, the chances increase that you will be diving with newbies which limit your options for sites or even an OW class with students kicking the reef.
On a large boat heading out to a deeper wreck, you're more likely to encounter unsafe divers or an AOW class. I want the best possible experience because I've already invested a substantial amount of money just to get on the boat. If I spend $1000 on travel for a week, which yields 5 days of diving (or 5-1/2 if I can arrange the flights and aftermoon dive), I've already invested $200 just to get on the boat each day. So, if I spend $90 for a 2-tank dive with 2:30 of BT with an experienced small group of divers with similar interests, it's a lot better than $50 for cattle boat with 1:30 min BT and a crushing rush to get off and on the boat because if I have a bad experience on the cattle boat, I've wasted $250 not just the $50 for the boat. Most of the 6-packs I dive with have boats in the 30-38 foot range and there's plenty of room for everyone and anything. The crew is much more attentive to your needs and will make sure you have a very safe place to store your camera or do it for you if desire. The kind of experiences I get on cattle boats are not worth $250 a day.
djanni
Contributor
howarde:
Howard: In addition to all the things "TheRedHead" said there is another reason and to me, it's the most important one of all.
The chance that a boat will leave the dive site without you onboard increases in direct proportion to the number of divers aboard.
Unless you're a gas-guzzler, in which case you'll be among the first back on the boat.
I'll add that Florida's operators are the worst I've seen about having proceedures to eliminate leaving someone behind. I was left behind while diving in Ft. Lauderdale. Hollywood to be exact. Head counts don't work. Amazing as it may seem, I've yet to dive from a boat where a roll-call is taken.
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