What would you have done?

[Xanthro]

I had a strange experience this last week on a dive trip. It was a short trip while in Maui with some friends. None of whom dive. The boat was 99% snorkel and I went only because I wanted to watch two friends try out snuba. One loved it.

First dive was to 75 feet. Honestly, the dive master was horrid. I kept thinking his BC was going to fall off. I could see under the BC and his back. At least 8 inch seperation. I signaled him to turn back, because I really didn't trust him at depth. Rest of that dive was fine, and watching my friend snuba was worth it. The DM did leave me in the water, because he was out of air, but there were two other divers with the snuba people.

Second dive, another diver joined us. Someone who hadn't dove in nearly three years. He was first in the water, I was second. When I got to him, he couldn't find his reg or remember how to locate it. I got his reg for him, and he seemed ok.

DM arrived, we descend, guy pops to surface, descends, pops to surface, descends, pops to surface, all from over inflating his BC. At this point, I was ready to bail on the dive, as both the DM and he really didn't appear able to help if there was an emergency, but I was afraid to leave the guy with the DM. Visibility was poor, about 20', there was current, the other diver kept dragging his knees across the bottom. He got seperated once, and I had to chase him down.

When we surfaced, I had 1300psi, DM had 400 other guy had 400.

Now, since the depth was only around 20 feet, I never really felt in danger myself, since I kept track of my own heading and could make it back to the boat, or the surface if there was a problem. I was concerned about air, because the DM ran out during the first dive, and I figured if I was at 1300, he had to be low.

Should I have asked the other diver about his PSI, or simply taken his guage and looked and aborted the dive earlier?

I still fairly new to diving and didn't want to overstep my bounds, but I was honestly concerned about the person being left with that DM. Who, I would never dive with again, and wouldn't have done the second dive with him if it hadn't been in 20'. I was afraid that me stepping in might confuse the diver and make things worse. I was always close enough to give him air, but I'd just like to know how others would have reacted.

Xanthro

 

[Diver0001]

On the first dive it sounds like the DM was acting as your buddy. In that case both of you should have finished the dive together. This is a fundamental mistake that both you and the divemaster made. If you're going to buddy dive then you do it from start to finish.

On the second dive it's unclear to me what the buddy team(s) were. Can you elaborate please. In my mind it matters who Mr. pop-to-surface's buddy was to answer the question.

As for the DM making an unprofessional and inexperienced impression. I can only assume that it was an incident but I think the best advice to give you is to follow your intuition like you did the first dive when you called the turn early. Any nagging feeling you get that something isn't right should be acted upon in my opinion. It's better to abort a dive where nothing has gone wrong yet than to ignore that feeling until something goes wrong.

R..

 

[Flood]

what dive company was it? i am going to maui to dive, and hope i dont have the same experience as you did.

 

[underwater daphne]

you could have the same experience with any dive center. more important is to think about what you would do. it could happen anywhere.

 

[Xanthro]

On the first dive it sounds like the DM was acting as your buddy. In that case both of you should have finished the dive together. This is a fundamental mistake that both you and the divemaster made. If you're going to buddy dive then you do it from start to finish.

On the second dive it's unclear to me what the buddy team(s) were. Can you elaborate please. In my mind it matters who Mr. pop-to-surface's buddy was to answer the question.

I don't view DM as dive buddies per se. I'm paying them to dive. I'd be furious if I pay someone $80 and I have to end my dive when I have 1700 PSI and I'm at 20 feet, because that person burned through his air, and I'm at the only spot where I really wanted to be on the dive.

I promised my friend, I'd be there when he did snuba, because he was nervous, which is why I told the DM it was okay for him to surface.

In the second on, there were two divers and the DM, so I worked on the assumption that the other diver and I were buddies, and I told him at the surface that I'd stick close to him.

It was very disorganized, and I wouldn't have done the dive had the depth not been so shallow. The bottom was at 24 feet.

The company, Island Scuba, really caters more toward those discover scuba dives and snuba than for certified divers. I did shore dive earlier with them, and it was fine. Plus, the DM overseeing snuba appeared fine. It really seems limited to this on DM.

In the second dive, I saw myself as the other divers buddy, and I think I did ok, except I think I should have inquired as to his air.

Xanthro

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

what dive company was it? i am going to maui to dive, and hope i dont have the same experience as you did.

There are many excellent dive operations in Maui. Ed Robinson is among the best, and are very customer-friendly. If you're staying in the Kihei area, I can personally recommend B&B Scuba.

Many operations place limits on their dives based on the least experienced diver in the group (typically 10 or so on a boat). The above named two operations make an effort to team up divers relative to experience level, and therefore you can get more bottom time for your money.

That matters, because boat diving in Maui is expensive, and you will want to get your money's worth. So whoever you go with, ask in advance what criteria and limits they place on buddy teams and bottom time.

Otherwise, you might be forced to end the dive at 25 minutes, with 1700 psi in your cylinder.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Flood]

you could have the same experience with any dive center. more important is to think about what you would do. it could happen anywhere.

yeah it could happen anywhere, but when your spending the money to dive through a professional business, you should expect professionalism...(call me crazy) and not someone who sounds like they were not comfortable in the water......

NWGRATEFULDIVER... Thanks for the info, i will def. look into those two.. I appreciate it..
FLOOD

 

[scubabamatxn]

I guess the warning signs are there---- this op sounds like they will put any combination together to make money --SNUBA, snorkeling, etc. This does not have to be a recipe for problems, but consistently, it seems that the best ops focus on execution -- separate diving groups, careful evaluation of skill differences and experience, and of course-- safe diving practices.

 

[yknot]

Xanthro- first of all, you didn't go on a dive trip, you went on a snorkle/snuba trip. That's why they were in 20' of water. As this was known from the start, did you really expect anything different? I'm not aware of a boat dive op that won't tell you what the general plan is for the day, such as the amount of divers expected, the dive sites planned for, including depth, if a current is expected, etc. All you have to do is ask. If 90% of divers are once a year, on a vacation type divers, expect 90% of those you just met on a boat to be the same. How can you expect someone you just met and don't know anything about to be a good buddy?

 

[mstudley]

Visibility was poor, about 20'

This is a little off topic, however I would love to complain about 20' being poor vis.

I know I know, we're talking Maui here but it just makes me jealous.