Appropriate to ask for a refund? Trip report from my first salt water dive!

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RandomGuy1

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Ok so here is the story. I am about to go on my first salt water dive after about 20 dives in a quarry. The dive was paid for by my wife as an anniversary present, and I also chose to hire a DM as it was my first ocean dive and I figured I would be short on air and didn't want to cause an instabuddy to cut their dive they paid for short. I also wanted someone who knew the site and would be concentrating on me to make sure I didn't have any issues. I am diving 120's so I should be able to get good long bottom times.

Well, on the first dive of a two tank dive, we end up back on the boat @ about 25 minutes with me having >1500 psi in my tank because the DM had a cramp. I understand that things happen, but this was an easy dive in very mild current. He then tells me that another DM who was the actual DM on the boat would be going down with me on the second dive. Shortly there after once everyone is on the surface for their SI, I see the second DM go in the water for a dive on his own. Once he is back on the boat, I ask if he was going to be the one doing the second dive with me, and he said that he could, but it would be a short dive as he had very little SI, and that I could just find someone to buddy up with if I wanted.

I ended up asking two guys if they minded and had a nice second dive with them, although we did get separated when they went through a swim through, that I didn't realize was a swim through. Apparently they signaled me to follow, but I didn't see it. I got a little nervous at that point and definitely began sucking down some air. At this point I decided that I was going to head to the anchor line and make my way up, but swimming up and over the wreck, I saw my instabuddies and rejoined them. I followed them around for a little bit more and then signaled that I was starting to get low on air and would be going up. We did agree before the dive that I was fine going up the anchor line by myself, so no fault on them for that. I ended up back on the boat with about 900 psi in my tank at about just over 40 minutes. I did enjoy the second dive very much so, but for sure felt ripped off on the first dive. I did get the extra $20 back that I paid to have a DM dive with me, and I did ask for a partial refund on the first dive, but the person at the dive shop when I got back said they couldn't do that and I should call later to talk to the captain of the boat.

So general consensus; Should I be entitled to a partial refund since the first dive was cut short by the DM?
 
I'm surprised they didn't offer a refund for the DM charge for the first dive. I personally wouldn't really expect a refund for the dive itself.
 
I think you're nit pickling. Assuming a proper fill of 3500 you burned 2000PSI. Of the 1500 you came back with some was off limits reserve. Your "loss" was negligible and in the grand scheme of things a rounding error.

How well did you tip?

Pete
 
Oh I understood it was just refunded for the second dive, sorry for misunderstanding.

Well if it were me, I'd probably be happy with not paying for the DM. I know it's not what you were hoping for, but that is kind of how things work out sometimes. If you don't have regular dive buddies, you end up with instabuddies and sometimes you can end a dive with a lot of extra gas (and sometimes your buddy does!). With regular buddies, you at least know before the dive if that is going to happen, and/or can plan for it!
 
It wasn't so much that the first dive was cut short, but that was part of it. It just seemed like the crew had a laissez-faire attitude toward my request. Maybe I had my expectations too high, hence the reason for the post.
 
I think that dives can be and are cut short for any number of reasons. If you're going to be bummed about missing 10 minutes of a dive and want a refund, how will you feel about sitting g on a liveaboard for 4 days waiting out weather? It does happen, and it's just a part of diving, or any sport. Paying for an expensive ski vacation and it doesn't snow, going on a cruise and it's cloudy, etc. you paid the boat for transportation to and from a dive site with no warranty expressed or implied that you would even get in the water. I don't see any basis for a refund.
 
Anyone can call a dive for any reason. On your first dive it was your buddy the DM's turn.

When I've had to call a dive short my more experienced buddies have all been really good about it. On my last AOW dive (without an instructor since we were signed off by then) my buddy went through his air a lot faster than I did and I was back aboard with around 1100 pounds. It all comes out in the wash.
 
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