Diving operators have rules for a reason. That reason may not be clear to you and some divers take the attitude that the rules no longer apply to them because they have this cert, or this brand of computer, or this number of dives. Boat etiquette is something quite different and are very much subject to change from operator to operator, region to region.
All the rules that I ask guests to obey are there for a reason. Some of those reasons are also promoted through agencies like PADI, some are regional (Maldivian Law) and some are local. It pretty much boils down to respect:
For people's lives,
For the health of the sea.
Some are hard and fast:
Depth limitations: Maldivian law is 30m max depth. We are not allowed to guide beneath 30m, divers choosing to dive below 30m are breaking the local law and the operator (me) will be the one to suffer when the ministry make their rounds checking rental computers, diving logs etc. Some divers more than others seem to have a problemski with this rule in particular.
Time limitations: All dives from the boat in the Maldives are drift dives. Some drift dives involve current and the proximity to open ocean. A 60min time limit is there so the boat can expect when divers will ascend. If there was no time limit people would potentially be popping up at random locations increasing the risk that the boat cannot see them. An inflated SMB at the surface is next to invisible when the sun is low. This is probably the second rule that divers don't understand, mainly IMO because they haven't thought about all the 'what ifs'. For example, how long should a diving boat wait before alerting the authorities of a missing diver(s)? 15mins? 30mins?
Diving in Fiordland, New Zealand
had a time limitation to the dives as we needed a certain amount of time to decompress before driving out (3000ft pass). Divers disobeying that time limitation would be forced to stay overnight at the one hostel in the marine park. If the hostel was full, the only other option was a very expensive taxi ride.
Touching the reef: Touching the reef is banned under Maldivian law. However, I personally have no problem with photographers for example, finger-pinching dead coral to steady their shot. Reef-crawlers will be held to account, warned once and if they do it again, I will refuse to give them a tank. Photographers the same- I don't care if you've got a $4000 rig; if you can't take a photo without degrading the reef, you will have to move further away. Some critters live inside small overhangs and are virtually impossible to get at without breaking something in the process. Let it be. I saw this once in a DC and it has stuck with me: "We will treat your camera the same way you treat our reef".
These are a couple of examples of the 'rules' for diving with us. Unfortunately, often time constraints in a busy DC make it impossible to explain the reasoning behind every rule. Right now we are not busy so I have the luxury of talking to guests and making sure that we are all on the same page.
All the rules that I ask guests to obey are there for a reason. Some of those reasons are also promoted through agencies like PADI, some are regional (Maldivian Law) and some are local. It pretty much boils down to respect:
For people's lives,
For the health of the sea.
Some are hard and fast:
Depth limitations: Maldivian law is 30m max depth. We are not allowed to guide beneath 30m, divers choosing to dive below 30m are breaking the local law and the operator (me) will be the one to suffer when the ministry make their rounds checking rental computers, diving logs etc. Some divers more than others seem to have a problemski with this rule in particular.
Time limitations: All dives from the boat in the Maldives are drift dives. Some drift dives involve current and the proximity to open ocean. A 60min time limit is there so the boat can expect when divers will ascend. If there was no time limit people would potentially be popping up at random locations increasing the risk that the boat cannot see them. An inflated SMB at the surface is next to invisible when the sun is low. This is probably the second rule that divers don't understand, mainly IMO because they haven't thought about all the 'what ifs'. For example, how long should a diving boat wait before alerting the authorities of a missing diver(s)? 15mins? 30mins?
Diving in Fiordland, New Zealand
had a time limitation to the dives as we needed a certain amount of time to decompress before driving out (3000ft pass). Divers disobeying that time limitation would be forced to stay overnight at the one hostel in the marine park. If the hostel was full, the only other option was a very expensive taxi ride.
Touching the reef: Touching the reef is banned under Maldivian law. However, I personally have no problem with photographers for example, finger-pinching dead coral to steady their shot. Reef-crawlers will be held to account, warned once and if they do it again, I will refuse to give them a tank. Photographers the same- I don't care if you've got a $4000 rig; if you can't take a photo without degrading the reef, you will have to move further away. Some critters live inside small overhangs and are virtually impossible to get at without breaking something in the process. Let it be. I saw this once in a DC and it has stuck with me: "We will treat your camera the same way you treat our reef".
These are a couple of examples of the 'rules' for diving with us. Unfortunately, often time constraints in a busy DC make it impossible to explain the reasoning behind every rule. Right now we are not busy so I have the luxury of talking to guests and making sure that we are all on the same page.