Diving advice ? Carnival Cruise

[msedivingdoc]

Well I hope anyone who decided to bash me read the posts I made.... I am not trying to be an all knowing, pompus *****. I made a mistake earlier with a dive buddy after 10 fresh water dives and having OW for 4 months. It was my 1st Ocean dive, and the mistake could have cost my buddy's life.... so what I say is to point out the fact that new divers are ignorant. Now I didn't say stupid. Ignorant means they have a lot to learn. The problem is most everyone goes, "Yeah I 'm going to see fish and coral on my first ocean dive." (Include my buddy and I) Hardly ever will you see, " Ohhh shi*, I'm about to partake in something that can kill me...think I'll take some other risks and pile that on top of a new environment and lets add a dash of inexperience." Now you see why new divers get hurt. So yes I'm sarcstic, yes I'm blunt, no I'm not a DM or even in the business.
But this I do believe if everyone here says ohh boo ohooo I feel sorry the DM screamed at you...booo who your nose was bleeding then what happens is she gets back in the water feeling she did nothing wrong and will make the same mistakes. So there it is and if you don't like how I said it tuff.

 

[ekremer]

I think the biggest issue here is the fact that the dive master didn't give enough time to the original poster to adjust her weights. I haven't done a dive excursion from a cruise yet, however from experience with other excursions, it works like this, the cruise ship parks and you get off at your assigned time to meet a bus to take you to the shop where you get outfitted then off to the dive boat.

there would be no time beyond after getting to the dive site to adjust weight.
The original poster told the dive master she had not done a ocean dive and didn't know how much weight, they should have given her time after getting to the site to properly adjust weight before they all went down.

at least thats the way I imagine it. top that with a desire to partake in the experience instead of going oh crap they left me better let all of thoese other people ruin my trip and force me to hang out on the boat, she attempted to catch up with them, at witch time she couldn't equalize and came up anyway.

When your on a cruise ship its not like you can come back tomorrow, so there is a sense of urgency to do stuff, especially on shore excursions.

However in my experience cruise lines are very reseptive to complaiints, and the fact the consierge called you a liar is disgusting, and I hope you write directly to the head activities directer of Carnival, but sadly it doesn't surprise me, of all the cruise ship companies i have been with Carnival has had the rudest employees.

 

[Hex]

But this I do believe if everyone here says ohh boo ohooo I feel sorry the DM screamed at you...booo who your nose was bleeding then what happens is she gets back in the water feeling she did nothing wrong and will make the same mistakes. So there it is and if you don't like how I said it tuff.

I think your tough love approach might work in the marine corp. or something. However in this case the woman was obviously traumatized by the whole situation already and I don't think it warranted you making her feel more like crap. I highly doubt she makes the same mistake again, if she does indeed decide to go back in the water. I think thats the message you should be sending, to learn from her mistakes. Not to make fun of her or scare her even more by telling her she is going to die. I said it before and I'll say it again, you need to learn how to talk to people. There is not always a one size fits all answer for everyone.

 

[deneenthom]

To MSE Diving Doc - Your private email apology is accepted, however your attitude and mean spirited comments are not acceptable. Trust me sir - I can read perfectly well, and am fully aware of the dangers of this "sport" including death. Before you start commenting on my ability to "read" - please learn how to spell yourself.

To Rustyrig - Some of the things you have said make sense - and I have taken a few bits of the advice you have given for future use - but your attitude, and God Almighty Know it all behavior leaves me astounded as to how mean spirited people can be. Rustyrig, you seem to be very concerned about the Dive Operator - I welcome comments from Don Fosters - I will give credit where credit is due. . . Nice dive shop, clean. All rented equipment was in fabulous shape, (scubapro), Dive boats were immaculate, and in fabulous condition, lots of tanks, and 3 other nice employees from the facility. . . My concern was with the Short Tempered, young DM, Long Haired with dual nipple rings, and a really bad attitude. There were 3 DM's on board, I asked for assistance from the Lady DM, and she was the one who told me I would be fine with the weights. The DM for the Dive was the short tempered Hippy Boy.

To everyone else who sent good messages and private emails - thank you, someday I hope to get back into the water.

I have learned a few things from this experience: Know dive Operator better, know dive buddy and discuss dive with DM and Dive Buddy - Ask Questions, even if they are "stupid". I realize that my diving is my responsiblity, Dive within my personal limits,
and chalk this one up to "experience".

 

[Corigan]

I don't know about ya'll, but when I dive with someone new I watch them like a hawk. If someone came up to me and told me they were inexperienced and needed help, that would be the person I watched the most.

 

[1RUSTYRIG]

To Rustyrig - Some of the things you have said make sense - and I have taken a few bits of the advice you have given for future use - but your attitude, and God Almighty Know it all behavior leaves me astounded as to how mean spirited people can be.

I don't think that I am a "know it all", but I do take diving seriously (as should we all). I might have come off as "harsh", but I felt that your situation could have been avoided by you. I know that you had a bad experience and I hope you take away from it something positive. But you have to face the facts: There are bad dive operators out there and buddys who are more fool of poo than god knows what. The crap they teach in OW these days doesn't prepare you for the harsh realities of OW diving.

Rustyrig, you seem to be very concerned about the Dive Operator

I participate in other sports besides scuba diving where a vendor's reputation is made and broken on forums such as these. I have also seen many times a vendor get a bad rap from someone who skewed their story when really it was the consumer who was at fault. That's the only reason I give the benefit of the doubt before charging up to the castle with pitch fork and burning torch in hand....

 

[Trwmodela]

Please take the time to make a written report to PADI. If you have the DM name that would be nice. Also, provide the time and date of the dive. Report the complete incident in detail and give the Dive Shop's name. PADI can pull certifications and this will wake someone up. PLEASE TAKE TIME TO WRITE TO PADI.

Tim

 

[msedivingdoc]

To MSE Diving Doc - Your private email apology is accepted, however your attitude and mean spirited comments are not acceptable. Trust me sir - I can read perfectly well, and am fully aware of the dangers of this "sport" including death. Before you start commenting on my ability to "read" - please learn how to spell yourself.

Well as said earlier this was not a personall attack on you. So "mean spirited" skews the intentions. I meant to make your folly a lesson to fellow new divers. BTW yes i'm a smart ***. Finally i am truelly suwrry tat I din't use spell chek too corret iny errorrs tha May hive occurred.
"y-o-u-r-s-e-l-f" there i did it. My appology can formally be withdrawn since you decided to persoanally attack me

 

[spabula]

I own a travel agency, travel very frequently, but never have traveled with someone else that dives. First lesson learned long ago, no cattle boats! Most warm destinations have tons of dive shops/operators. I very rarely make reservations for diving, I do it when i get there, then I can meet the people before making a decision, plus then you have some leeway with when you want to dive. All these places run boat constantly, it's not like you won't get to dive. I am not saying dont research anything before you go somewhere, just dont set it in stone. I know about the stessfulness of trying to dive from a cruise ship, all the timing and crap. But you can still do it there. The last few dives I have done in the caribbean was just me and a DM, not another single diver even on the boat, well the captain but he wasn't diving.

AS far as your situation Dee, I think you did just fine. the most important thing is that no one got injured ( minus the whole ear thing ). I am surpurised the would even allow you to go on a 90+ dive being a new diver. But they can because you should be able to do it as a certified diver, BUT if you dont feel comfortable that it is within your diving limits than you shouldn't do that particular dive. Every dive and trip presents a new situation and learning experience.

Just my $0.02

 

[Web Monkey]

I am surpurised the would even allow you to go on a 90+ dive being a new diver. But they can because you should be able to do it as a certified diver, BUT if you dont feel comfortable that it is within your diving limits than you shouldn't do that particular dive.

It wasn't within her limits. OW is 60', in conditions similar to the certification dives.

Terry