Divemaster did NOT get in the water...

[nuts4corals]

Ok so I am in Florida and most of the diving here is 15-30 feet with little current but big waves at the surface. in fact bigger than any other place i have been. Group of 4 including myself get un the water but divemaster stays behind. I felt comfortable to continue the dive but could see 2 of the group were beginers with one sea sick were looking a bit nervouse. is it customary that the divemaster stay behind on the boat? i had a hard time justifying tiping these guys. please advise.

 

[Wookie]

Yes, many Florida boats do not put a Divemaster in the water. In that case he isn't the divemaster, but the deckhand, which is a required position for Coast Guard certified boats. In Florida, many shops expect you to be able to independently plan and execute your dive.

OTOH, many shops will put a DM in the water with you. Rainbow Reef is probably the best known, but there are plenty of others.

Personally, I don't want a dive guide, unless I'm in a new place. Then I expect to pay for one.

As far as tipping, there are myriads of threads on the subject, but if the crew called you names and laghed at your gear, I wouldn't have tipped them either. But, if they provided anything above a "taxi ride" to the site, including helping you on and off the boat, handing you your fins when you jumped off without them, or swapping your gear on the SI, then a tip is appropriate.

I'm not at all sure where you are, 15-30 feet doesn't sound like any part of Florida I've ever dived from a boat.

 

[luscioman]

As Wookie said not all DMs will get in the water and are deck hands. You could have requested a guide if you wanted one. I assume that you were all certified as well. What part of the state did you dive?

 

[stuartv]

is it customary that the divemaster stay behind on the boat?

I don't think there is any "custom", other than possibly regionally. E.g. in Cozumel, they all put a DM in the water with you. I think it's required there, by law, in their marine park. But, in NC, they never (that I've seen) put a DM in the water with you - unless you request and pay for one.

Even in NC, where no DM gets in, I still tip a normal amount (for me, usually $20/day).

 

[The Chairman]

Always ask if they are going to put a DM in the water. It's better than even odds they won't be joining you.

 

[ScubaJCBS]

Just like everyone else is saying. I've never seen DM go in with us in Florida, but you can pay for someone to do that job in advance.

 

[Steve_C]

15-30 ft could be the Keys. Big waves are in the eyes of the beholder. Also some days are rougher than others. Group of 4. Was it a six pack? Smaller boats are more susceptible to nausea inducing waves, at least that is my experience. But some folks can get sea sick anywhere.

 

[shurite7]

While living in the islands the first dive was offered as a guided dive, but the second was offered as an unguided dive. Where I lived rough seas was very common, especially during the winter. It was better to have the staff remain on the boat to help people get in and out where the risks were greater.

A couple of DMs, one in TX and the other in CA, that I have trained have told me they usually remain in the boat instead of guiding. They only get in the water when a diver pays for a DM when booking the boat.

 

[tursiops]

In my experience, in-water DMs are common on the East coast of FL,, but not in the Keys.

 

[TotDoc]

Also an important thing to know - a DM in the water doesn't make them your buddy, nor are they specifically responsible for your safety, unless YOU specifically hired the DM for that purpose. Most dive ops that I have frequented will put a DM in the water for a specific task: they set and pull the anchor, they do a guided tour for folks that want one, or they tow a dive flag or shoot a bag for drift dives. Places like Mexico (and elsewhere with marine parks) put a DM in the water to keep you from touching things you're not allowed to touch. If those things aren't needed, they typically do the topside briefing, help manage the juggling of gear in the boat, and make sure the counts in and out are correct.