A day in the life!

[mjatkins]

oxygen provider course done. It was fairly stressful to try to teach to a bunch of co-workers who have been signed up to a mandatory class. It is especially stressful when you don't speak their language very well. I'm thankful for the support that I got from them. I think when they realized that I was planning to fumble my way through in spanish, they became more accepting of my role in the situation. I think it went well, and I feel good that all the divemasters, boat captains, first mates, and some of the hotel staff are now qualified, either for the first time or as a refresher, to assemble and administer emergency oxygen. I hope they won't have to use it, but experience tells me that at some point some of them will.

Now I'm looking forward to my new CPR dummy arriving, so that I can teach emergency first response to those who don't already have it. : )

 

[Karibelle]

We do indeed love dolphins! Thanks for letting the boat stop, both times.

 

[kiming]

I'm looking forward to your insights. I'll subscribe to this thread and follow your story!

 

[MMM]

We do indeed love dolphins! Thanks for letting the boat stop, both times.

I know that in many other locations, boats are REQUIRED to cut their engines when whales appear nearby. Do you know if same rules apply to dolphins? Both are mammals, so it would make sensse.

 

[mjatkins]

I know that in many other locations, boats are REQUIRED to cut their engines when whales appear nearby. Do you know if same rules apply to dolphins? Both are mammals, so it would make sensse.

I am not familiar with that, in fact in the two countries that I have worked in that have dolphins, we have usually driven the boat at a moderate speed with the dolphins racing and jumping along side the bow.

 

[mjatkins]

Today's trip was interesting. We took a group to Santa Rosa wall by request of a "guide" from the mainland. He had brought 4 divers to dive with us, and even though we asked him if he was teaching, he insisted he was not. For those who don't know, it is against the rules for people to work inside the marine park unless they are certified to do so. He knew that, so he lied. When we called him on it he became very defensive and embarrassed. He swore he wasn't teaching, so we asked him if it would be ok if we reported him to the park officials if we caught him teaching during the dives. WOW!!!! He was not very happy. In the long run he didn't seem to impress his students very much, who were now being disappointed and having it explained to them that this guy had lied to us and to them. Today's thought is that it is never a good business practice to lie to your clients and to the people you are supposed to be working with.

p.s. He was a freelance guy, and when we asked the owner of the shop who sent them, it became clear that this guy was acting on his own behalf, not under the shops direction. The shop knows better and had simply sent them as fun divers. The instructor had upsold them on the ferry coming over.

 

[captbillncostarica]

Matthew,,, sounds like a great article,,,,keep them coming,,,,,

 

[MMM]

He swore he wasn't teaching, so we asked him if it would be ok if we reported him to the park officials if we caught him teaching during the dives. WOW!!!! He was not very happy. In the long run he didn't seem to impress his students very much, who were now being disappointed and having it explained to them that this guy had lied to us and to them. Today's thought is that it is never a good business practice to lie to your clients and to the people you are supposed to be working with.

p.s. He was a freelance guy, and when we asked the owner of the shop who sent them, it became clear that this guy was acting on his own behalf, not under the shops direction. The shop knows better and had simply sent them as fun divers. The instructor had upsold them on the ferry coming over.

Wow, very interesting. So if the owner hadn't intended the guy to do any teaching, what exactly did these people sign up for? And what did they think they might be buying as the result of conversations on the ferry? A deep dive cert? I actually don't think the shop owner on the mainland is being honest.

 

[Dr Wu]

He swore he wasn't teaching, so we asked him if it would be ok if we reported him to the park officials if we caught him teaching during the dives. WOW!!!! He was not very happy. .

If you knew he was lying why did you let him dive?

 

[mjatkins]

Wow, very interesting. So if the owner hadn't intended the guy to do any teaching, what exactly did these people sign up for? And what did they think they might be buying as the result of conversations on the ferry? A deep dive cert? I actually don't think the shop owner on the mainland is being honest.

It looks as though he had signed them up for a deep adventure dive. The same dive you would do on your way to gaining an adventure diver or advanced open water diver certification.

I don't know the dive shop owner, but folks at our shop who do tell me he is not that sort of guy. In fact, when he has sent over students in the past, he has always called to let us know, and to make sure we could have one of our instructors available to deal with his students.