A Few trips with Silent World

[Jim Lapenta]

Sounds like some are used to not doing things for themselves. I see a bit of this from the people who take classes so they can do one dive on their honeymoon, vacation, etc. After first night on scuba I do not set up student's gear. I do not allow parents, husband, boyfriend, etc to set up student's gear. Self sufficiency is the name of the game. If a smaller person has trouble with the cam band then maybe an extra hand is ok. I don't allow anyone to touch my gear at any time no matter where I am. I don't want a hand holding guide in the water. Tell me where the stuff is, give me compass headings, and leave me alone to dive MY plan. I strongly suggest to my students to do the same if they feel comfortable diving that way. I try to train them so they do. If they want a DM starting out or in a new area fine. But set up your own equipment, carry your own gear, and wipe the snot off your nose yourself. I'd be a nervous wreck letting others set up my stuff. There would always be the nagging question of what did they screw up?

I'd dive with Chris's op any day. I just have not made it back to the keys since we went to Bonaire. And it might sound crazy but I like the keys better. Only one wreck in Bonaire. Lots in the keys. Maybe next year. Especially since I know he rents doubles and does mix.

 

[JRScuba]

Silent World IMHO is a great operation.

In O/W class I was taught to set up my own gear and DO NOT let anyone
on the boat do it for me. It is your life support system and no one should be trusted to do it for you.

Last December I dove in Tortola, on the wreck RMS Rhone ( The Deep was filmed on it ).
On the SI a DM changed my tank before I was able to get to it. When I got back to the Good Ole USA I found that he bent one of my hose fittings on the first stage. Cost me a new hose. Lesson learned.

Now NO ONE touches my gear no matter how good they are. Of course there are a few exceptions.

 

[cavdeb]

I about bust a gut laughing at the original post. There's nothing I hate more than a dive op that insists on babysitting you and playing "follow the leader." It's tough for me to see such a great dive op dissed by someone who didn't do their homework. Your rig is your life, are you gonna let someone else set up your rig? :11: Foolishness!

 

[Fish Food]

I about bust a gut laughing at the original post. There's nothing I hate more than a dive op that insists on babysitting you and playing "follow the leader." It's tough for me to see such a great dive op dissed by someone who didn't do their homework. Your rig is your life, are you gonna let someone else set up your rig? :11: Fool!

That's what many divers are accustomed to. No need to name call.

Besides, I think the OP get's it now after 8 pages...

 

[Jim Lapenta]

People accustomed to that are not "divers". They are underwater tourists. Let's not confuse the two.

 

[beachlawyer]

If you don't like carrying your own gear, tanks, and weights and setting up your rig and changing it out during the SI, please don't come to NC! You may take a seat on a charter that some of us self-sufficient divers are on a waiting list for!

 

[beachlawyer]

Oh and I did 8 dives with SW in June with Pat as my DM (yes, I paid extra), and it was worth every penny. She is wonderful, patient, funny and safety oriented. SW is my first choice of who to dive with in KL, hands down. JMHO.

 

[I Dive]

This is my first post, and I am not writing this to name names, that's not the point, I just want people to know what they are getting in for. Would I go back to Silent World no, would I go back to the Keys, maybe, but I would definitely want to dive with another operator.

After reading the reviews here on scubaboard I decided to book with SilentWorld for a few trips in the last couple of weeks. I know there are several diveshops to choose from in the Key Largo. I have been diving for many years, and have done many trips to Mexico, Hawaii, and other Caribbean locations, but never to Florida. First off I have to say that I wasn't impressed with the diving here. Most of my dives were only to 30-40 feet not because I didn't want to go further, but because that's as deep as the divesites were. As for the days I was on the boat, we never did go to the same divesite, but on one dive I was able to cover 2 or 3 of the sites.

As for the people, that's were I was the most disappointed. For a customer service industry I just didn't see very much customer service. Most other places I have dove the DM would set up the gear, or at least offer to do so, not here. Most other places there is a guide in the water, nope not here. The shop and the dock were several miles apart, so I had to drive from one to the other, which isn't very convenient. At the beginning of my trip I had to sign the boat release and pick up weight. Then I had to lug my gear and weights to and from the dock everyday. After my last dives I again had to go back to the shop and return the weights.

Were there good people working there, yes, but overall I can't say I had a very good dive trip with them. Thanks for letting me rant.

It's funny how different people's perspectives can be! I am the ONLY person who will ever set up my gear, there is no way I would want much less permit anyone else to do it. It's my life support and I'm kind of funny about wanting to make sure it is properly assembled... As far as the dives only being shallow, as far as I'm concerned, that's great! As long as the sites and viz are good shallow means more bottom time. I have no problem with deep dives, and given the site, I certainly do seek them out from time to time, but I am not automatically a "depth seeker". I don't feel I have to get to a certain depth to enjoy a dive, I am only concerned about the site and viz. If I can get that in 30 or 40, I am perfectly content and actually prefer it because of the increased bottom time. If I need to go deep I will go deep. As far as having to lug gear around every day, I really got a kick out of that complaint. I have never once cared in the least about having to carry my gear. I've never given it a second thought, it just always seemed to me that if it's my gear I need to carry it. I guess that way I see it is, if you aren't willing or able to carry it, you shouldn't dive with it either.

 

[kidsdream]

When I want to hit the more northern sites off of Key Largo, my friends and family often choose Silent World. A couple of days before Fay came through Chris agreed to have one of their boats (their other Island Hopper was down for a repair to a motor mount) take us up to Carysfort. Yea, we lugged our own tank filled and handled our gear by ourselves - wouldn't have it any other way.

When you have Chamber of commerce weather, the world is good. I thought I would share an over/under image of my son from that day. That's the Carysfort Light in the background.

Nothing more needs to be said.

 

[deeper thoughts]

When I want to hit the more northern sites off of Key Largo, my friends and family often choose Silent World. A couple of days before Fay came through Chris agreed to have one of their boats (their other Island Hopper was down for a repair to a motor mount) take us up to Carysfort. Yea, we lugged our own tank filled and handled our gear by ourselves - would have it any other way.

When you have Chamber of commerce weather, the world is good. I thought I would share an over/under image of my son from that day. That's the Carysfort Light in the background.

Nothing more needs to be said.

What an amazing shot!!!