WHERE'S THE FIRE???

[360GUY]

Can someone please help me to better understand the DIVE TRIP environment?

I've just completed my 25th dive. I will admit that the things I've seen, while diving, have been unbelievably beautiful, mysterious, bizarre, etc...HOWEVER, every one of my experiences have been soured by this one component, that I have found on EVERY SINGLE DIVE TRIP I've undertaken, which have been about 12.

WHAT THE H*** IS EVERYONE RUSHING FOR???

1. Meeting time 8:30a
2. Boart departs 9:00am
3. Everyione RACES to put on their wetsuits and gear.
4. The DMs are frantically attaching everyone's regulators to the various tanks.
5. The DMs race through the dive briefing
6. We arrive at the dive site.
7. Everyone is frantically putting on their floppy flippers.
8. There's now a RACE to slip into your BC and get in the water.
9. NO SAFETY CHECKS - NO SURFACE WEIGHT CHECKS
10. Everyone gives the "OK" sign, and down we go.
11. Dive ends
12. DMs frantically switch out everyone's regulators with new tanks - YES, ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, I HAVE BEEN GIVEN AN EMPTY TANK!
13. Fruit, sandwhiches, and water bottles are passed out as the boat RACES to the next dive site.
14. We arrive - SEE #3-#10
15. 2nd dive ends as we RACE back to the shop.

Am I totally missing something? It wouldn't be the first time... I undertstand I'm entering an environment as a total newbie, but here's my conclusion: THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE TRIP WAS TO GET TO THE DIVE SITE - GET THE DIVERS IN THE WATER - GET THROUGH THE DIVES - END THE DIVES - GET BACK TO THE SHOP - ALL IN WORLD RECORD TIME!!! It's like the boat and all divers will suddenly turn into LAND CRABS if the whole process doesn't get completed in 3 hours!!!

Listen, I realize, underwater, ya can't stop at every little fish and hold a seminar...LOL...And that you have to keep going, because of nitrogen buildup and air consumption...

But, this has been my experience on EVERY SINGLE TRIP...All different operators. At the end of the day, the most prominent memory is the harried and hectic dive trip I undertook...

My goodness, as divers we enter such an alien world, with signts and experiences that are so magnificent and bizarre they can only been seen while doing what we do, wearing the gear we wear, headfing to the sites we visit...BUT, NONE OF THAT MATTERS...What matters is only that we get out and back in 3 hours...and that everyone gets some fruit.

I don't know! Maybe I'm complaining about NOTHING, and it's ME that needs to "catch up." It's just the race into water that seems so off-putting....Sorry for long posting...

 

[lexvil]

Who are you diving with?

 

[Newdiv]

Simple answer, is that it’s a business for the dive op and have a schedule to adhere to. They possible need to get back in for an additional trip in the afternoon.

 

[kelemvor]

The rush is generally about the boat wanting to get back and take out the next group of divers so they can make their expected income. If they let group1 spend an extra hour in the water, group2 is going to be pretty pissed when the boat is an hour late.

If you want to avoid it, ask the operator their policies on this stuff before you book. In Florida, there are still plenty of captains who will take you out on your timeline. Most (that aren't cattle boats) will accommodate you within reason. If you want to spend all day in the water, you're probably going to have to pay for more than a $60 two tank trip.

Things you can do to make it better without spending money:
When you get on the boat, immediately set up your gear. Don't sit around while riding to the dive site, use the time wisely. Then when everyone else is frantically getting ready, you're good to go. You can get more time in the water by being the first diver in if your SAC allows for it.

 

[drrich2]

It might help to know what places you've dove, and how many different operators. You're fairly new to diving, and it sounds like you're diving with op.s that cater to tourist divers (since staff set the tanks up). A few thoughts:

1.) Safety and weight checks are on you. If you have a specific buddy and want to go over it with him/her, that's between the 2 of you. Can be done pretty fast.

2.) If your gear is set up before you get to the dive site, and your air on, you can get your fins on and get in your BCD without a big rush. Never mind what the other people are doing. Waiting till you get to the dive site to do everything is not the best approach.

3.) Putting on wet suits can be an awkward hassle.

4.) Tourist divers often prefer rather cheap trips. You can book with smaller '6-pack' op.s that cater to more seasoned divers, but you may be assembling your own gear, and you might not have a dive guide unless you care to pay for one.

5.) Surface weight checks might be needed for a few. If you don't know your weighting needs, talk to staff well before you get to the site.

6.) Some people aren't just diving on their vacation, and want to get back to non-diving family and friends for afternoon activities. Typical scenario - Dad's diving, Mom and the kid are back at the hotel.

7.) Some op.s offer morning and afternoon trips, and need to stay on schedule.

8.) When you step off the boat and get out of your gear, you may be done. The staff are not. They were also working before you got on the boat.

9.) As you get more seasoned, you'll get more efficient and need less time, and the typical boat schedule won't seem as rushed because it will be plenty of time for you.

I think a mix of getting more seasoned at boat diving, diving with an op. that caters to a more seasoned clientele, and caring less about what's going on with other people will improve your experience over time.

You might try shore diving in Bonaire...take all the time you want. No need to pace yourself to a boat schedule.

 

[Degenerate]

9. NO SAFETY CHECKS - NO SURFACE WEIGHT CHECKS

Is this really a big enough of a deal to warrant all caps?
I've never done one outside of classes, everyone checks their own gear and we'll do a bubble check before descending.
This has been the case on both tech dives and rec dives with the local club boat.
Come to think of it, I the times I've seen divers outside of classes here do a safety check can be counted on one hand easily.
Never seen a surface weight check outside of a class either, do you not know how much weight you need for certain dives?
If you rent gear then yeah, I can see the point of a weight check, but you should still have gotten a rough idea of what you need when you did your OW class.

I will agree about the stressing people are doing during dive trips though, it's not a good way to prepare for a dive and too often it leads to people forgetting stuff like hooking up inflator hoses, checking if their tank is on, forgetting their fins before jumping in etc etc...

 

[scubadada]

Hi @360GUY

I feel sorry for you. I dive off boats quite frequently and generally feel relaxed and calm.

I get to the boat in a timely manner and see that my equipment is loaded. I set up my own gear in a leisurely manner and do all my own checks. I nearly always dive solo, so do not have a buddy to deal with. By the time we get to the dive site, I'm completely ready to go and dive. I switch over my own gear as soon as I'm back on the boat and then just relax until the next dive. If I'm done for the day, I break down my gear and pack it up. I very rarely feel rushed to do anything and find the whole day out on the boat a good experience.

I hope your experience improves, you can help yourself by giving yourself enough time and being organized in your activities.

 

[AdivingBel]

Just like in many other sports/hobbies, things can seem to move fast when you're just starting out. With a bit of experience you'll develop self-awareness that will allow your perception to change and "slow down." That's not to say there aren't crappy dive ops out there. Experienced divers recognize them for what they are, follow their own routine and enjoy their dives. They then vote with their fins on their next dive or dive trip. Keep diving and you'll understand.

 

[Fishyhead]

I remember feeling this way when I went on my first overseas trip nearly 30 years ago. For me, part of it was that as a certified diver, I was expected to know what to do without being told which is very different than in an OW class setting. Things got a lot easier once I got my own gear and familiarized myself with it.

Depending on the locale, there might be a "rush" if it's a short ride to the first dive spot. Between dives, there's got to be a surface interval and it's usually more than 15 minutes so the rest of the dives that day should be more relaxed. Some places bring you back to shore for the SI since the diving is so close. There's no way you should ever be given an empty tank. That means the dive op doesn't have a system to mark full/empty cylinders. Where/when did that happen?

The DM is not your OW instructor so you're responsible for your own safety checks. You and your buddy should be communicating as you don your gear. I normally go over the gear with my buddy during the ride to the first site. That's the time for you to get to know each other and share any gear variations. Once the gear is on, I'll go over my buddy's gear and they go over mine - it takes a minute or two at most.

As far as weight checks, you too are responsible to check it. Jump in, do a weight check and call for more or less weight as needed. You should have an idea of what you need depending on your gear configuration by now. If not, start writing it down in your log book.

 

[ontdiver]

@scubadada has it right regarding time management. As you get in more dives you will see that some folks struggle to get organized whereas others - because of experience and discipline - are methodical in setting up and breaking down their gear. It takes some time to get this straight but the more you do it the better and more relaxed you will become. Don't get discouraged....