While on Vacation, Why don't u like other people changin your tank?

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Ladyvalea

Contributor
Messages
101
Reaction score
1
Location
Fort Worth, Texas, United States
# of dives
25 - 49
On my first Ocean dive! we dove with Del Mar aquatics in Cozumel....on another post, I read that some people don't like deck hands touching their tanks or hookin up regulator ...basicly no touching.. But it seem like this Del Mar deck hand was workin hard on a rockin and picthing boat... Now, I do set my own equipment up ..for shore dives.. But, I totally let this guy set me up! Is this a bad thing? I mean later I did check the fittings ...Plus, I'm on Vacation and want to relax and not lift the heavy stuff! Is this bad? Kinda like if I were super rich, and I rode horses....I would have the horse ready to mount with all tack secured by the stable master!! and they brought the horse to me:D "Here is your horse MaDam":blinking:

I understand the safety of your Life support and all ....but do most divers on vacation set there own gear up on a boat???
 
On my first Ocean dive! we dove with Del Mar aquatics in Cozumel....on another post, I read that some people don't like deck hands touching their tanks or hookin up regulator ...basicly no touching.. But it seem like this Del Mar deck hand was workin hard on a rockin and picthing boat... Now, I do set my own equipment up ..for shore dives.. But, I totally let this guy set me up! Is this a bad thing? I mean later I did check the fittings ...Plus, I'm on Vacation and want to relax and not lift the heavy stuff! Is this bad? Kinda like if I were super rich, and I rode horses....I would have the horse ready to mount with all tack secured by the stable master!! and they brought the horse to me:D "Here is your horse MaDam":blinking:

I understand the safety of your Life support and all ....but do most divers on vacation set there own gear up on a boat???

I prefer to set up my own gear, and the gear of family members/loved ones diving with me. It's just a desire to live kinda obsession I have.
 
Personal preference. Besides the safety aspect, I think as people get more comfortable and proficient with their gear, they develop certain systems and patterns of behavior, and having someone else put stuff together for them messes with that.

I prefer to set up my own gear as well, but mainly it's because there's not much time saved if someone else does it for me - I'd insist on checking it from the ground up before donning, in which case I might as well have done it myself in the first place.
 
The answer is, as in many cases; it depends. Personally i set up my own gear whenever i can, just becasue in general terms, I trust me more than i trust you. That being said, there are some times when it is just easier to let a dm or boat crew member set up your gear. Such cases might include a small boat where the captain doesn't want too many people moving around, or a boat configuration where the tanks must be chaged out in a small space (belowdecks on a sailboat for example). I'll certainly ask the crew to double check me after I set everything up, just in case i've done something stupid. I'd rather look uncertain on the boat and be certain it all works, than look supremely confident only to find i'd screwed up and be in trouble at 60 feet. Another advantage to setting up gear yourself is you generally have more time to correct slip ups from the shop....like getting a tank with 2,000 psi. Had that happen more than once.
 
I enjoy everything about diving, including setting up my gear. It's part of the experience. Plus, I really don't trust the crew to set it up.

Ladyvalea:
I totally let this guy set me up! Is this a bad thing?

I wouldn't do it, but it's your gear, your life, it's your call.

Ladyvalea:
Plus, I'm on Vacation and want to relax and not lift the heavy stuff! Is this bad?

I guess rock climbing on vacation is out of the question.
 
On my first Ocean dive! we dove with Del Mar aquatics in Cozumel....on another post, I read that some people don't like deck hands touching their tanks or hookin up regulator ...basicly no touching.. But it seem like this Del Mar deck hand was workin hard on a rockin and picthing boat... Now, I do set my own equipment up ..for shore dives.. But, I totally let this guy set me up! Is this a bad thing? I mean later I did check the fittings ...Plus, I'm on Vacation and want to relax and not lift the heavy stuff! Is this bad? Kinda like if I were super rich, and I rode horses....I would have the horse ready to mount with all tack secured by the stable master!! and they brought the horse to me:D "Here is your horse MaDam":blinking:

I understand the safety of your Life support and all ....but do most divers on vacation set there own gear up on a boat???

.....well, it's OK to let them do the heavy lifting...like moving BC over to fresh tanks...but after they're done, maybe at least double check your tank pressure
and make sure the tank is full, that the tank valve is fully opened....that the BC inflator hose is connected....and maybe put your ear near the tank valve after the reg is 'on' and listen for any blatent air leaks from the tank valve O-ring. It may better to let the boat crew do the heavy lifting, especially if you're on a small, crowded, heaving dive boat......so you don't trip/fall down/break your gear/break someone else's gear/hurt another diver.
 
I admit to being a little OCD -- why else would I post here after all :).

Setting up my gear to be just the way I want it is part of the ritual of getting ready to dive. Don't mess with my rituals :)
 
If someone else were to set my gear up, I'd end up going over everything and adjusting here and there as needed....in the end, I might as well set my own gear up. I just took my first diving vacation, and while we did almost all shore diving, we did go out on a boat for the manta and black water dives in Kona.

I talked with the DM before hand (after he saw my gear and kinda suspected I'd be the kind of person who'd want to set it up myself) and he said he was perfectly happy to let me do that. I know where I like my tank in relation to my cambands (for trim), I want all my gear clipped off so I don't have 7 feet of hose with my second stage on the ground to get stepped on, I want to be the one who sets up my reg, turns my air on, and checks everything....so for me, it's a matter of doing it right the first time (and not re-doing it to set things to my preference) and because it's part of my setting up and getting ready routine. I think I'd feel a little off if I didn't do it.

I'm sure DM's in diving vaction locales do a good job setting up gear, but I prefer to keep my life and my picky-ness in my own hands. You're more than welcome to let someone set your gear up, but I'd still recommend going through your own checks and your buddy check just as thoroughly as you normally would....it is your life, after all.
 
I enjoy setting up my own gear. Plus, I have more trust in me than I do in them.
I guess it is part of my nature, I don't even let a valet park my car.
 
I don't mind them schlepping my stuff onto the boat but like others have said, I'm very keen on setting up my own stuff unless I KNOW the person doing the setting up is gonna be thorough and do it right. However, sometimes these guys are rushed and no matter who it is I'm gonna go over stuff on my own anyway.

One example I have is there was a group of us getting into the water and had gone through the buddy gear check. As we were getting in one of the deck hands were checking to make sure air was turned on. For some reason, when they checked the guy in front of me dude must have had a brain fart but he turned the guys air OFF instead of on. There was a bit of a line to get in and the guy was rushed. Fortunately this diver in front of me had his BC inflated and before descent he realized his air was off. We got it turned on and enjoyed the dive but he was HOT when he got back on the boat!!
 
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