Divemaster did NOT get in the water...

[Ghosty]

All my dives in the Keys were with Rainbow Reef in Key Largo. All of them had a DG in the water with us. We setup our own gear, transferred between tanks, etc. For my dives off Pompano Beach, with South Florida Diving HQ, they also had a DG. All my dives in Maui (Ed Robinson and Bubbles Below) had a DG. All these places setup our gear.

In Belize (Island Divers Belize) all trips had a combo DM/DG in the water with us, while the deckhand stayed onboard. Same with Placentia and Gladden Spit (Seahorse Dive Shop), combo DM/DG, deckhands stay aboard. Both these places setup our gear.

 

[shurite7]

Really? 6 foot waves? May have appeared that way but I am pretty sure you would not get in the water with 6 foot waves...
But that might just be me...

The side of the island I lived and worked on was the windward side. There were only three dive operators on that side and all three took divers out when the sea state was as high as eight to ten feet. So long as the captain was comfortable taking the boat through the channel, the dives were a go. I couldn't believe when I first moved there, but I got used to it. During the summer we joked with the customers when the waves were less than a foot stating it was too calm to dive, we were not used to it. The average sea state on the east end was three to six foot swells.

 

[nuts4corals]

ok I think that was the first time that I EVER reread the waiver and emails sent by the dive ops. there was no mention that the dive would be self guided or that a DM would not be accompaning the dive... there was however specific mention that a Divemaster and a Captain are on board and specific mention of a dive guide diving with you. there was a DM as introduced by the captain but no dive guide.

no one asked me if I needed help with my own gear and we were all asked to set up the gear despite that some even rented the gear... they did switch the gear to to a new tank during the surface interval... yes there was joking around and disreguard. not worth delving deeper as i feel comfortable with all of my decisions made... and yes 5 average and 6 foot were observed and mentioned by the crew. i have a nice bruise on my leg from the swinging ladder to remind me how high the waves were... most on here are really helpful and i appreciate the input... thanks again.

 

[scubadada]

Operators in Florida vary widely. I haven't dived in the Keys for quite a while, when I did, it was with Ocean Divers I, they did not put a DM in the water. I dive 5 operators from my home in Boynton Beach. The three operators in Boynton Beach, Underwater Explorers, Loggerhead, and Starfish, do not put a DM in the water. Narcosis, in West Palm puts a DM in the water. You are free to follow the DM with a flag or ascend on your own on your SMB. Jupiter Dive Center puts a DM in the water, again, you are free to follow or ascend on your SMB. With all these operators, you set up and are fully responsible for your own gear. All the DM/guides are happy to help with a problem or question.

 

[uncfnp]

It's funny how I hear many people here on SB say things like, "paws off my gear", and yet the people I've seen diving in Cozumel were fine having their gear assembled, disassembled, taken care of by the DMs. I was going to say that "paws off my gear" is an American attitude, but then realized everyone I dived with in Cozumel were Americans!

I think SB members are not necessarily representative of real world divers.

Eric and I cut our scuba teeth drift diving South Florida. I developed that same paws off attitude and had to adjust a bit my first valet diving trip. It did take some getting use to but all you need do is just double check their work. No big show needed and its not uncommon for me to have to readjust the height of my BPW even after requesting “put it as high as you can.” Some learn, most don’t. Otherwise lets face it, my gear is not all that complicated and managable by most any crew. The critical key is air on and that’s just a few breaths through the reg looking at the SPG and that is toutine no matter who sets up the gear.

My bigger concern was for the care of the gear post dive but now that I can DIY most all of it that worry is no big deal either now.

 

[Ghosty]

No big show needed and its not uncommon for me to have to readjust the height of my BPW even after requesting “put it as high as you can.”

I'm the same way, I want it as high as possible because I hate bumping the back of my had on the 1st stage when you suddenly spot cool stuff above you. If they setup the gear, I ask them, otherwise I'll move it up myself.

 

[scubadada]

The side of the island I lived and worked on was the windward side. There were only three dive operators on that side and all three took divers out when the sea state was as high as eight to ten feet. So long as the captain was comfortable taking the boat through the channel, the dives were a go. I couldn't believe when I first moved there, but I got used to it. During the summer we joked with the customers when the waves were less than a foot stating it was too calm to dive, we were not used to it. The average sea state on the east end was three to six foot swells.

Hi @shurite7

What island is this? 8-10 foot seas are quite large. In SE Florida, this generally makes it unsafe to go out and back in to many or most of the inlets, to say nothing of getting beat up on the boat and having a potentially difficult, dangerous climb up the ladder. 6-8 foot swells is often the biggest I can get out in, and that requires going out of the West Palm inlet rather than Jupiter or Boynton Beach.

 

[Kimela]

@nuts4corals - if the literature for the dive op says they put a dive guide in the water I'd be upset as well and I'd probably be making a phone call for a credit or money back. Presumably, you chose that dive op because they offered a dive guide. Most of the dive ops in the Keys do not put a guide in the water - and I think it's assumed that unless they specify that they DO (like Rainbow Reef), they don't. Having a guide in the water is so much better when you're not familiar with the dive sites.

I've learned that there are seas that I won't dive in - because of that nasty, painful ladder. Unfortunately, if the boat decides to go, you still have to pay for the trip if you cancel last-minute.

Regarding gear assembly, my husband and I both prefer to assemble our own. I'm short, and the crew never gets my BC high enough to keep my head from banging into the tank. And we feel we take better care of our gear. I always assume the crew will not be touching my gear unless we're paying top dollar.

 

[aldertyler]

I had expected none of this in my dive training, where DMs are not even mentioned. I assumed I was learning how diving was done in the "real world."
QUOTE]

I had never heard of DMs until I started reading scubaboard.

 

[Steve_C]

Just because there is a DM in the water does not mean you have a good guide. I like to look around, peer under stuff, etc. I have done only a few group guided dive and they never went at a reasonable pace. I have been on some slow drifts (Caymans and West Palm) where there was a diver with float but not really a guide. More a reference point. In new waters I will more often hire a private DM and even then I find that half the time I have to get them to slow down. Easy to do. I stop and look around as I go. They get the idea and come back.

I can see why having a guide might be useful to some. But if there are any kinds of seas I do not want a DM in the water at boarding time. I want somebody to pass my camera up to before I get on the ladder and then to give me a hand coming up off the top of the ladder. Sometimes that last step is a bit harder especially in a pitching boat and not all boats have good convenient hand holds.