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

[clifftondiver]

I've only been on one live aboard trip, but many local boat trips out of Monterey (all on 2 different operations). On every single trip, all the boat staff did was fill tanks and, frankly, no diver complained. I think, as diving passengers, we just assume we'll be setting up our own gear. I'm not sure I'd like someone else mucking around with my gear.

Not wanting to call anyone out, but not ALL scubaboard posters are cheap (at least when tipping boat staff). I'd rather skimp on the name brand clothes I wear before I skimp on a hard-earned tip for a job well done!

 

[Sas]

Hey I want to go to Hawaii for my next holiday then! No neurosis and plenty of palm trees!

Seriously though, many people do forget that where safety and organisation is concerned, they have to listen to the staff and crew of dives. Divers may feel their equipment is precious but sometimes, they are not the final voice.

No, I am the final voice on my own safety and equipment actually. If a boat does not let me set up my own gear I would not dive and never use that charter again.

I really fail to see what the issue is with letting someone set up their own gear.

Also I am not sure what wanting to set up one's own gear has to do with how much someone will tip. But then, the charters do not set up people's gear here nor expect tips...

I have worked for 3 op's with boats, and the first also sent groups out with many other operators boats on the other sides of the Island. In my 8 years of off and on part/full time boat and shore instructor/guiding I have only had one customer with 7' hose and he let me set up his gear just like everyone else. In thousands of customers I have only witnessed less than a handful of picky divers who demand to set up their own gear. We know that even though we don't argue and let them set their own gear up the tip will be really low, because that type usually finds some reason no matter how hard we try.

Seeing as you've only seen one 7' hose setup clearly your location has very different diving to what I am used to. Many on the boats here have BP/W setups, can lights and long hoses. YMMV depending on where you are obviously but I would still want to set up my equipment if I ever travelled to Hawaii (and yes I could afford to go there if I wanted )

 

[Tigerman]

I check my gear twice when Im out diving. One of them is when im setting it up the way I want it to be set up. The other is as I don and get ready to jump in.
Its partially routines that I have gotten into solo diving, where I dont have any buddy double-checking my gear.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Not wanting to call anyone out, but not ALL scubaboard posters are cheap (at least when tipping boat staff). I'd rather skimp on the name brand clothes I wear before I skimp on a hard-earned tip for a job well done!

If you re-read my post you might notice I qualified my slam in such a way as to not denigrate ALL SB members, just the CBD's that demand to set up their own gear. If you are not a CBD that demands to set up your own gear then I am not slamming you.

When I go on fun dives with other operators I allow them to do what they do. If they set up my gear I just check it over to make sure it's right before I get in the water. How hard is that!

For what it's worth I have never seen a fair tip from someone who demands to set up their own gear, and I have always said "sure, here you go."

 

[Sas]

For what it's worth I have never seen a fair tip from someone who demands to set up their own gear, and I have always said "sure, here you go."

Well in your own words you've only seen less than handful of people request to set up their own gear so not a good sample size for relating tipping to those who set up their own gear

But yea if you are doing less work for them as you don't have to set up their gear, why do you deserve the same tip as the other passengers where you have to do work for them? I don't live in a tipping country so not sure about the whole tipping rules

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Seeing as you've only seen one 7' hose setup clearly your location has very different diving to what I am used to. Many on the boats here have BP/W setups, can lights and long hoses. YMMV depending on where you are obviously but I would still want to set up my equipment if I ever travelled to Hawaii (and yes I could afford to go there if I wanted )

If you re-read the words you quoted you will see that I never said I had only seen one 7' hose set up. I have dove with divers with such gear and I have seen divers in shore dive parking lots with same. Our charters here run $120 - $150 for a 2-tank trip (dozens of operators for Maui - maybe hundreds in the State). Very few if any see 1% long hose configurations. Not that I'm complaining

 

[Sas]

If you re-read the words you quoted you will see that I never said I had only seen one 7' hose set up. I have dove with divers with such gear and I have seen divers in shore dive parking lots with same. Our charters here run $120 - $150 for a 2-tank trip (dozens of operators for Maui - maybe hundreds in the State). Very few if any see 1% long hose configurations. Not that I'm complaining

Seen on a charter is what I was replying to not seen in general. I was referring to long hose setups I've seen on charters here - there are a fair few (not the majority though) but more often with experienced divers and/or those after crayfish, than newer divers. Charters here are about $110-$116 for two tank trips. Think there are about six charters

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Well in your own words you've only seen less than handful of people request to set up their own gear so not a good sample size for relating tipping to those who set up their own gear

What I'm saying is the set my own gear up divers I've seen are pissed already 'cause the price of the trip was more than they wanted to pay and they are looking for any reason not to follow local customs with regards to even over the top, beyond the call of duty service.

Competition for customers here is fierce; 95% of our clientele recognizes and rewards the extra we put into the service we provide. If you look at the first sentence of my first post you'll see that this thread amuses me. My guests are not CBD's from SB

 

[Supershark]

I have read this thread at length and feel I should make a comment.

I run a liveaboard boat, and before we leave the pier I have the customers set up their equipment. This is done under supervision of the diving and deck staff. I have found it very beneficial to watch a customer set up their gear as an aid to checking how competant they are. I have seen divers with 100+ dives putting their regs on the tank before the BCD! I have seen divers putting 7 kilos on their weight belt when they need only 3 kilos. Myself, the dive staff, and the deck staff are always on hand to help if it is needed. I find that on every trip we will have to assist at least 2 people in their equipment set up.

In between dives we ask the customers to remove the first stage from the tank so that we can fill it up. The deck staff fill the tanks and reconnect the regs. Before entering the water I ask all divers to do a buddy check. On the dive platform itself, the deck staff check that everybody's air is switched on, including the dive staffs.

Many of the posts on this thread seem to relate to people not trusting the deck staff/DM to know what they are doing. If you do not trust the deck staff/DM, why are you diving off their boat, do you ask for a tour of the engine room to ensure all the parts are working? Do you check the kitchen for a health and safety sign?

All of my deck staff are Rescue Divers and have intimate knowledge of scuba gear. They service my regs for me! They have fixed customers regs free of charge.

At the end of the trip, the staff assist customers in packing their dive gear. If the customer wants help we give it. If the customer wants us to do it all, we do it. If the customer does not want any help, we leave them alone, we do not take offence. We are being paid to take care of the customer and give them a great trip.

If you want to set up your gear, you should be able to. If you want someone to take care of it for you, that should not be a problem. The most important thing is to do a full pre-dive safety check, no matter who sets up the gear.

Dive Safe

 

[vladimir]

1. I am a generous tipper. I generally tip $300 to $600 for a liveaboard trip. Somebody is going to argue that that's not generous. More propaganda in the ongoing tip campaign. I know it is generous because divers talk about how much they are going to tip at the end of a trip, and very few tip that much. And I know because crew have always been extremely appreciative.

2. I am fine with crew setting up my gear, swapping tanks, etc.

3. I am continually amazed at how Halemano will take every opportunity he sees to bang the drum for more or bigger tips. Give it a rest. As you say, the cheap bastards on Scubaboard don't dive in Maui anyway (I have, by the way--nice crater). Those of us who do tip get tired of the sense of entitlement among an ever-widening circle of tipees pleading for money every opportunity they get and abusing people who choose not to tip.