Divemaster did NOT get in the water...

[Russjstewart]

Let me add my rambling thoughts.
1 if the advertising promises a dm/dg in water and there isn’t one, then that is reasonable grounds to complain. Especially if you booked the trip because there would be one in water. If the service was not advertised or yet u did not ask, then that is your bad luck. As the thread shows there is a lot of variation in how different charter operators work

2. The dm/dg or no dm/dg question is always interesting. In some place local regulations require one. In others ithe service is bundled into the price, in others it is an add on. i am more Han happy to use a dm/dg when diving somewhere new, they usually know where all the good stuff is.Otherwise I am more than happy to go along at my buddies and my own pace.

3.Valet service - I am happy to go with the local practise. It only takes a minute or so to check how your gear was setup, and if it needs changing, explain how you like it setup. If you do not want the staff to set your kit up then it is best to have that discussion with the manager when checking in.

4, Hire gear - if you need to setup hire gear that you are not familiar with then the best part time to get this done is when you pick it up, or if deliverec to the boat.Then ask, with a simple “I haven’t used this type of xxxx before what is the best way of setting it up”.

 

[BoltSnap]

Gotchya. I suppose if I was abducted by aliens during a dive trip I wouldn't tip the crew either.

No need since the the dive boat crew would have your wallet with all of your money anyways

 

[drbill]

Here in SoCal most boats will not put a divemaster in the water with you. It is expected that divers will be trained well enough to conduct a series of dives. A divemaster can be hired as a guide if you arrange for it in advance.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Interesting !

They are called "divers" when in actuality are just people who dive under the water with SCUBA,,,in the back yard swimming pool, a mud hole or crystal clear tropical water with the accomament of a "guide" -- they are people who dive - they are not divers !

Many years ago there was a gentleman by the name of Dr. Albert Tillman, I would assume at least some of you will recall that name..."Al" was instrumental in developing the LA CO UW Instructor's program in July 1954 and later NAUI in August 1960 and along with @drbills close friend Zale Parry founded the UW Photographic Society (UPS) and later the International UW Film Festival. His four books are often quoted by @boulderjohn John

Dr. Al Tillman primary profession was as a college instructor at Los Angeles City College (LACC), however he still allotted time in his busy schedule to establish one of the worlds first dive resorts the UW Explores Club in the Bahamas and publish a column for Skin Diver Magazine (SDM)

It was in one of his 1960 SDM columns that Al proposed the possibility of a underwater guide for divers. based on the German concept of a "Jägermeister " aka Hunt Master . As proposed by Al a diver who visits a new area could hire a UW Jägermeister as a UW guide...does the concept sound familiar ?

The word Dive Master has two origins;
a) Divemaster company --out of Chicago who was In business in the 1950s and 1960s
They also had a on line mail order diving course- (The Horror!) developed and administered by the late E.R. Cross of SDM Techni facts fame, @drbill , your friend Zale was Divemaster student number 10 !
b) LA Co UIA -- duriing UICC the program was divided into dive teams lead by a Dive Master

When Al proposed the Jägermeister concept diving had just began to migrate past Barstow via the recent creation of NAUI , the increased distribution of SDM and the then great American retailers Sears, Wards and Pennys who always had a section of the spring and summer catalogs devoted to diving. All were instrumental in spreading the word to the hinterlands of America in the 1960s and even into the mid 1970s.

Mean while back in California we questioned the sanity of Al Tillman -- A UW Guide ? Never! We enjoyed diving the never dove and exploring the unexplored.. --- and still do

If you visit SoCal do not expect a Dive Master -- Unless you hire a guide in advance you are on our own -- as was often expressed in the Korean era USAF "K-MAG YO YO"

It is so interesting - a so called trained card caring certified diver who requires a guide to be provided by a boat to hold their hand as they "dive" into the depths for their once a year adventure-- The most modern diver !


Sam Miller,III

 

[Scuba Scott]

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

LOL - understatement of the year.
That has been well established. Most vacation divers think about diving only while on vacation. Lots of Scubaboard members are on here every single day. Many of us dive hundreds of times per year and I am one of those don't touch my gear divers. I certainly get the sense that when I tell some boat crews I handle all my own gear they don't hear that very often but they always respect it.
The unique population here has certainly skewed some survey results but you won't find a better place to get an answer to scuba questions.

 

[seeker242]

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.

What dive boat was it? Most dive boats in South FL don't put a DM in the water and they don't specify that because that's the most common practice. For those that don't, guides are normally available but need to be hired, which is separate from the charter.

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...

Setting up your own gear is also the standard practice,even for rentals. They typically lug the rental gear on and off the boat, but you usually set it up.

 

[Diesel_Diver]

Up here in Canada, I've never heard of a DM being on the boat, let alone dive with the guests. In Tobermory, you can hire an Instructor or DM to come with you, but I don't think it happens very often.

Tobermory is on my list, but I had kinda hoped the charters I read about were guided. Makes a dive much more enjoyable if your not familiar with the site.

 

[Diesel_Diver]

I agree, that's why we drag everything down to the St. Lawrence a few times in Sept/Oct every year. I don't particularly like the dives and they never last longer than 25 or 30 minutes, but I do it.
In all fairness tho, it doesn't have to be a boutique op when diving warm. We usually set our own kit up, but I am happy to let the young guys cart the heavy stuff.
We also did our first few Canadian dives with our lds on group dives. You didn't have a DM directly leading you, but you weren't totally alone either.
If the fish were prettier I wouldn't mind the water temp so much. :-(

My thoughts as well until I tried a drysuit, changed my world!

 

[CathyE]

My thoughts as well until I tried a drysuit, changed my world!

I'm too old to spend that kind of money to dive somewhere I don't even like.

 

[Scuba Scott]

I'm too old to spend that kind of money to dive somewhere I don't even like.

I used to feel the same way until I figured out my cold water dives kept my skills up and made those tropical dives so much better, not only because I had the skill and recent experience to enjoy the dives but also the dives were just so much more different than my normal dives.
If you restrict yourself to one type of diving you cheat yourself of the wow factor of a dive in a different environment.