Open letter to boat dive masters

[Scuba-dan]

Dear the diver from this weekend that appeared to have forgotten to tip you at the end of the trip.

I understand your angst at having some stranger touch your gear. Get over it. Take a chill pill. I check 125 cylinders per day in the "on" position. I know what I'm doing. Of those 125 per day, 2 or 3 per day are in the off position. I understand I take the risk of pissing you off and losing your tip. If I fail to check your tank and the Captain sees me not checking it, he will fire me, and quite frankly, my job is worth more than your tip. Besides that, if you do forget to open your cylinder valve that one time in a thousand and it happens to be on my watch and you (God forbid) die because of it, your wife will sue my a$$ off and my proclamations of "he told me not to touch his tank valve" in court won't hold any water, because it's my job, it's the industry standard, and I'd be negligent if I didn't do it.

So, please find another charter boat to ride on, because I'll be as unobtrusive as possible, but I'm damn sure going to do my job to the best of my ability. I'm sorry that doesn't meet with your expectations.

Very Respectfully
The overworked underpaid Divemaster you just stiffed.

BRAVO !!!! I would expect nothing less than that in a good dive charter. I prefer to have someone re-check as something could of not caught my eye. Its doesn't hurt to re-check and re-check. Better be safe than sorry...

 

[Krazytomdiver]

Herb,get your DM cert...go to work as a professional guide...learn the what responsibility is...Or get your Solo cert & be happy. I'm so over cheapa$$ divers like you that find any excuse not tip the the dive shop staff.
" living life without a hard bottom"
KT

 

[redacted]

Herb,get your DM cert...go to work as a professional guide...learn the what responsibility is...Or get your Solo cert & be happy. I'm so over cheapa$$ divers like you that find any excuse not tip the the dive shop staff.
" living life without a hard bottom"
KT

and then there are DMs with a bad attitude

 

[ScubaSteve]

Herb,get your DM cert...go to work as a professional guide...learn the what responsibility is...Or get your Solo cert & be happy. I'm so over cheapa$$ divers like you that find any excuse not tip the the dive shop staff.
" living life without a hard bottom"
KT

So you believe that tipping is expected no matter if the service was satisfactory or not? I am not asking you to define what is satisfactory in this situation because that is in fact where the problem lies but you seem to expect your tip even if you do not perform. Not the kind of DM I want anywhere near me when I am diving. I want the DM that is there because they want to be there and that want people to enjoy themselves. That DM would explain why they had to check the air in such a manner that they would likely "win - (meaning get the diver to understand and allow)" in most cases. The DM that says "Eff you! It is my job and if you want to dive you'll let me do it!" should expect less of a tip (non-existent) IMO.

 

[nimoh]

I don't mind a DM checking my valves, and it certainly doesn't affect my tipping especially since they mean well. I would appreciate them letting me know they are about to touch my valves, and if they make any adjustment so that I can be sure to do a flow check before descending (or, in the case of negative entry, before entering).

When I first got my steel HP100s, I dove them as singles, but was planning on switching them to doubles soon after. As such, I had left and right valves installed. A couple of times when diving my "left" tank, I had DMs tell me that my valve was off when in fact it was on (they were a little confuses by the reverse orientation). I can't really fault them for this too much since I was diving an odd gear configuration, but they could have easily turned my valve off.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I don't really want a DM touching my gear but if they are going to, all I ask is to let me know about it. That way I can tell you I dive with my tank on all the way. Not the 1/4 turn back stuff that is still taught in many classes. So when you go to turn and it doesn't go anywhere ask me to breathe it while we watch the gauge before you start cranking it the other way and shut it down with a 1/4 turn open. That way you'll get tip.

Try to adjust my harness or weights and we will have a problem. I will do my best to let you know during the briefing that I am particular about having the air supply all the way on or hopefully before we even leave the dock. I may forget. So please just let me know you are turning my valve before you do so.

Other than that just give me a good site briefing and stay on the boat and we will get along fine. Or if you are required to be in the water don't expect me to match your pace or direction. But we will have worked that out beforehand as I won't choose an op that requires me to follow the DM. That's my responsibility though as part of the overall dive plan and I will have verified it before even booking.

I would question a DM that is confused by left and right hand valves. As professionals they should be familiar with anything like that. I can see a rebreather giving them fits, but 10 minutes to sit down and look at the difference between a left and right hand valve should not cause a problem so that in the future they would not be confused. To me that's like an instructor who can't adjust to a student using a BPW. They need some con ed themselves.

 

[Akimbo]

…I understand your angst at having some stranger touch your gear. Get over it. Take a chill pill. I check 125 cylinders per day in the "on" position. I know what I'm doing. Of those 125 per day, 2 or 3 per day are in the off position...

I appreciate both sides of this issue. I added Vindicator knobs to my cylinders several years ago and find that DMs are not so compelled to actually turn them for verification. Everyone on deck and in visual range underwater can see the valve status. The handles are also larger and easier on hands, which is a bonus for the crew that has to fill all those cylinders.





Vindicator Valve Handle

They are also available color coded:



In cases where I intend to enter the water with a valve shut I am sure to brief DMs accordingly.

 

[BUDMANOK]

If I am doing multiple days of dives same location I try to dive with the same dive op. After the first day the DM's get an idea that you kinda know whats what and let you do your own thing. By the 3rd or 4th day it's "Ready to go?" hit the water.

 

[Nemrod]

I have taken to just letting them do it all if they want. Switch my tanks, turn the air on and off, why bust my fingers and back? Of course I come back and check it all over and adjust as needed.

But it is true, that once the air is ON by me, checked by the deck hand, I too would really prefer it not be touched again and again and again because each time it is touched after I last checked it ON there is now doubt that it is.

This is like flying an airplane, after one becomes a pilot in command, he/she is in command, not anybody else. If a person, the diver in command, expresses a desire not to have his/her gear checked over and over, maybe it should be honored.

Over the years, I have had my air checked back OFF several times. But, I usually take a sip of air before jumping in while watching the SPG. That way I can thank them for turning my air OFF and then ask them to now turn it back ON. No big deal.

N

 

[nimoh]

I don't really want a DM touching my gear but if they are going to, all I ask is to let me know about it. That way I can tell you I dive with my tank on all the way. Not the 1/4 turn back stuff that is still taught in many classes. So when you go to turn and it doesn't go anywhere ask me to breathe it while we watch the gauge before you start cranking it the other way and shut it down with a 1/4 turn open. That way you'll get tip.

Try to adjust my harness or weights and we will have a problem. I will do my best to let you know during the briefing that I am particular about having the air supply all the way on or hopefully before we even leave the dock. I may forget. So please just let me know you are turning my valve before you do so.

Other than that just give me a good site briefing and stay on the boat and we will get along fine. Or if you are required to be in the water don't expect me to match your pace or direction. But we will have worked that out beforehand as I won't choose an op that requires me to follow the DM. That's my responsibility though as part of the overall dive plan and I will have verified it before even booking.

I would question a DM that is confused by left and right hand valves. As professionals they should be familiar with anything like that. I can see a rebreather giving them fits, but 10 minutes to sit down and look at the difference between a left and right hand valve should not cause a problem so that in the future they would not be confused. To me that's like an instructor who can't adjust to a student using a BPW. They need some con ed themselves.

I agree. I would rather they didn't touch any of my gear either, but if their checking everyone's gear prevents one new diver from descending without their air on, I am willing to deal with it. On a small boat, it should be fairly easy to keep track of which divers to check, and which to leave alone, but on a larger boat it can see it being difficult.

I also agree that left and right valves should not be confusing, but it seems that sometimes it is.

---------- Post added December 28th, 2012 at 10:50 AM ----------

I appreciate both sides of this issue. I added Vindicator knobs to my cylinders several years ago and find that DMs are not so compelled to actually turn them for verification. Everyone on deck and in visual range underwater can see the valve status. The handles are also larger and easier on hands, which is a bonus for the crew that has to fill all those cylinders.

View attachment 143193



Vindicator Valve Handle

They are also available color coded:

View attachment 143194

In cases where I intend to enter the water with a valve shut I am sure to brief DMs accordingly.

We recently had a tank with a vindicator handwheel that always showed green (whether on or off). I am not saying this is a common issue with the vindicator handwheels, it may well have been an improper installation issue (it was promptly replaced, and the old one discarded, so we will never know). My point is that I don't think the vindicator is fail safe, and is no replacement for a proper flow check.