Allowable Bottom Time

[Bubbles below]

Went on a group cruise trip and most was taking Padi Advanced Course on the trip and one taking a nitrox course which happens to be my buddy for the next two days.
The pre-dive briefing before the trip stated that we would have 1 hr bottom times in every dive and could do 3 dives in every port and snacks and water would be provided, not!
Things was disorganized in Jamaica so I was okay about the allowable bottom times. However, I did make a fuzz about maximum depth which they accommodate and change site locations. Jamaica: 85ft/35 mins, 54 ft/50 mins w 1:05 SI and 37ft/41 mins w 35 mins SI
First dive: it was my buddy who is already Padi Advanced and 2 other divers who's taking an Advanced Course during the trip but haven't done a deep dive, however went to 91 ft, and I had to tell them to slow their ascent!
Day 2 Grand Cayman: Requested a wall dive so it was my buddy and the guide while the others was doing their Padi deep course.
First dive 106/46 mins, 62ft/52mins w 1:05 SI, 54ft/56 mins w 35 mins SI
The operator/crew didn't have a problem of my bottom time and my air. The least I had was 900psi. The second dive the operator went to the dock to switch out empties and bring more nitrox so our group leader can have it too beside me and my buddy who I had to teach how to analyze his nitrox who is going for his DM.The crew nor my dive leader had an analyzer. My group leader said its all 32% . I bring my analyzer w me when I'm diving nitrox, hate waiting for my turn to analyze when there usually one or shared by other boats.
#3 was the problem, I over exceed my bottom time by 6 mins. I came back to the boat at 56 mins when I was finishing up my safety stop when a dive recall was implemented.
My original dive buddy was taking another diver up on a safety line w the others, so I stayed behind w a diver who is DM from the group shop. We decided to hang near the coral head ,30ft,just near the boat and wait for the traffic to clear. Once the last diver went up, I notified my new buddy we needed to go. We did our safety but was interrupted by the banging and got scolded by my bottom time by 6 mins which I came back w 1300psi. No emergency; no one was sick, or hurt, or storm coming. Both days we came back to our cruise w 1:30-1:45 before our cruise check-in time!
Our 3rd port Cozumel: My hubby is taking a break from watching our kids and dove w me. My original dive buddy for 2 days was disappointed, however, he did dive w us and penetrated the wreck.
Dive #1 72ft/38mins , 70 ft/38 mins w 1:05 SI, and #3 47ft/38 mins w 1:08SI . All those dives I came back w more than 1300psi. Dive#2 and #3 my group leader put a newly certified Jr Diver w a newly certified mom in my group,however, Dad was DM but he stayed way behind the group and his family. The sites was great but limited on bottom times and I didn't make a fuzz!
Very disappointing group trip, especially when scolded by 6 mins. And non of my dives did I ever go into Deco and I have 2 conservative dive computer, Atomic Cobalt and Oceanic Geo w a back up pressure gauge.
I'm I wrong that I shouldn't be scolded for my dive time or am I wrong? I watch my gauge carefully but not constantly that I missed the sea life that goes by! I'm the one that notify my DM buddy we needed to go!
If I was 15 mins late, I can see that I might be pushing it! Grand Cayman visibility is 100+ so he could have looked down and noticed we were doing our safety. Also, I lost my weight pocket w all the scolding, but the crew retrieve it in 30 ft of water. The group leader made a smart remark that I was 5 lbs lighter now. I told him I would have pop up like a cork if I lost it during my dive. I lost it when I was coming up and the yelling!
Maybe group trip is mainly for new divers. Trying to squeeze 3 dives is too much when you don't get your bottom time! I would have enjoyed 2 tanks w 1 hr bottom time and 45SI. Is it because their Padi and I'm SSI that have 200+ dives within 2 yrs time? This is my 3rd group trip w the shop. The 2 trips I was disappointed. The 1st , I thought they were the best cause I see how they deal w new divers and put me w my own guide w another buddy so I wasn't thrown in w the group. Why did they change in a short period of 2 yrs?
Maybe am over analyzing the situation. What's your view especially from DM or Instructor?
I'm just a fun recreational SSI Century Master Diver w 200+. Dove in San Carlos, Bali, Hawaii, Florida,Cozumel, Bonaire, Cayman Islands Belize, and Roatan. Only 3 of those sites are group trips...hmmm

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Short answer is book your own trip to Bonaire . That way you dive the way you want to when you want to. Group trips are always going to be problematic unless you are with a group of advanced divers.

On our Bonaire trip only 2 divers were doing open water checkouts. The rest of the group were all well over 5 years of experience with half of them tech divers. Half of those were also DM's or instructors. When the new divers checkouts were done everyone was free to dive as they wanted.

The rest of the week some did boat dives, some shore, some a mix of the two. One hour bottom times seem to be pretty much standard. Provided you are not a on a deep site or one where something happens.

I am having trouble deciphering the dive where you got scolded. Not sure if that was two or three dives, multilevel on dive one, etc.?

In recreational diving 6 minutes may or may not be a big deal. Don't know the circumstances. If the planned bottom time was in fact one hour you were allotted I'd have told the guy complaining about 56 minutes to shut up.

Has nothing to do with the agency you were certed with. It's all how you now see the dives. Doubtful the shop changed any at all. You did. You learned now to not rely on them for your enjoyment. It's on you so you now have to do the work of organizing your trips to suit your preferences.

 

[Lorenzoid]

You don't get a lot of choice when you're tied to a cruise. Shrug it off as a learning experience as to what poor service can be like. Next time, book a dive trip that isn't during a cruise. You can choose your dive operator more carefully, searching for reviews here and on other sites. Choose one that suits how YOU like to dive and gets good reviews from people you can trust.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Did your dive computer go into deco? How exactly were you scolded? If you didn't, and it was just 6 minutes, I would probably be less than friendly in my response.

 

[KDAD]

Problem is that during the predive briefing he was told to limit the dive to 50 minutes or a certain turn pressure. Maybe the boat starts to get pissed after 5 minutes past your due time. At what point would you expect them to start to consider that there might be a problem? Come up at 50 minutes means come up at 50 minutes, not whenever you feel like it or you hit your rock bottom if already passed the dive time limit.

A 5 minute window is understandable. As a captain once it gets past that I can understand them banging on the boat.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I'm reading 60 minutes of dive time. I'll admit the OP is a bit hard to read.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Problem is that during the predive briefing he was told to limit the dive to 50 minutes or a certain turn pressure. Maybe the boat starts to get pissed after 5 minI utes past your due time. At what point would you expect them to start to consider that there might be a problem? Come up at 50 minutes means come up at 50 minutes, not whenever you feel like it or you hit your rock bottom if already passed the dive time limit.

A 5 minute window is understandable. As a captain once it gets past that I can understand them banging on the boat.

I would agree with that. My advice to the OP is pick a dive operator next time that doesn't limit you to a rigid "50 minutes" if the OP doesn't want to be limited to a rigid 50 minutes. If not restricted by being on a cruise, there are usually multiple dive operators in any given place to choose from.. Typically, some may be known for their rigid limits, while others are known for their flexibility. But I agree with you that if you are given a rule to follow during the briefing, you have to strictly follow their rule. If you are told to be back on the boat within 50 minutes, that means within 50 minutes--not 55 minutes.

 

[scuba5150]

The OP being a cruise may be the problem with the dive operator being strict with the time to return to the boat. I.e. the operator may have needed to get the group back to the cruise ship by a certain time based on when the ship would being leaving port.