Drop Tanks - Where do the responsibilities lie?

[Nudibranch Diver]

Thank you all for your help.

The issue I had was that it was a deep dive scenario, the Boat Captain put the dive tank through the boat windscreen, the resort owner blamed me and the instructor suggested I contribute to the repair.

 

[Searcaigh]

The issue I had was that it was a deep dive scenario, the Boat Captain put the dive tank through the boat windscreen, the resort owner blamed me and the instructor suggested I contribute to the repair.

How can the resort owner blame you for something the boat captain did?

And your instructor is a Tw@t for siding with the resort owner.

 

[Diving Dubai]

I agree with being helpful as a trainee of course but I'm struggling with the 'no need to be told / instructed'. What is the instructors role?

The Dm course is the 1st where they dynamics change from purely Instructor student, through to Mentor ship

While there are times when there is the instructor student element i.e. you need to be shown and taught formally, there is equally a lot where you'll learn on the job by observing and then doing as part of day to day operations.

A DM (t) also needs to take their own initiative by asking if they should/could do something rather than constantly waiting to be told what to do.

A good example is the skills circuit. Your first evaluation, obviously will need improvement. I'd expect you to take the initiative and get in the pool to practise yourself, if you need help with a skill, then ask for assistance, but in yoru free time get in there and practice yourself (or with other DM (t)s )

The Practical assessments (see Divemaster course guides section 4) aren't a tick box thing. You don't complete by doing it once, it's continuous assessment.

For boat divign (as an example) you can't be expected to be able to run a boat on day 1. But by the end of the course, I would expect you to be able to take the lead, run the boat and take charge of the complete trip with no intervention by me (although I'll be on board as support and evaluating)

Also pay close attention the Professionalism section of the DM course in the Instructor Manual . Look at each of the 7 points and ask yourself if think you meet the grade. Ask you Instructors for their opinion too - to be fair if you are underperforming you should be counseled. But at the end of the course if you're underperforming you won't (shouldn't) pass

 

[Diving Dubai]

Thank you all for your help.

The issue I had was that it was a deep dive scenario, the Boat Captain put the dive tank through the boat windscreen, the resort owner blamed me and the instructor suggested I contribute to the repair.

Not your fault. Not your responsibility. And no way should you be contributing.

 

[Centrals]

Thank you all for your help.

The issue I had was that it was a deep dive scenario, the Boat Captain put the dive tank through the boat windscreen, the resort owner blamed me and the instructor suggested I contribute to the repair.

JOKE.
Ridiculous.
Who was in charge of the dive on the boat? Certainly NOT DM trainee!!!!!!!!
Pathetic.

I have been diving all over Philippines for many many yrs. So I am quite familiar with the usual set up on a dive boat. Tanks are usually kept quite a distance from the wheelhouse(if there is such a thing on a banca). What kind of boat is it? Where did you dive?

 

[Nudibranch Diver]

JOKE.
Ridiculous.
Who was in charge of the dive on the boat? Certainly NOT DM trainee!!!!!!!!
Pathetic.

I have been diving all over Philippines for many many yrs. So I am quite familiar with the usual set up on a dive boat. Tanks are usually kept quite a distance from the wheelhouse(if there is such a thing on a banca). What kind of boat is it? Where did you dive?

It was a small cuddy type boat, loads of room to drop a tank from the stern, instead the boat captain goes over the top to the bow in choppy conditions. The boat was tied up to a mooring line at the bow.

 

[Centrals]

It was a small cuddy type boat, loads of room to drop a tank from the stern, instead the boat captain goes over the top to the bow in choppy conditions. The boat was tied up to a mooring line at the bow.

LOL.
Quite obvious who was the guilty person!!!!!
Walang pera(assuming happened in Philippines).
Resort owner is "kuripot".

 

[GF99/99]

What I would like to understand is whos responsibility is it to ensure the Boat Captain knows how to deploy a drop tank on the boat that he is captaining? There are many instances where accidents could happen as a result of the incorrect deployment of a dive tank, e.g. it falls on a diver below, is empty, is too shallow, is not properly secured etc. Perhaps there should also be some guidance as to where from the boat it should be dropped so as not to interfere with the mooring line, too near the propeller?

Who is responsible for ensuring the Boat Captain knows? Is it the DM trainee? The instructor? The Boat Captain? The Dive Shop owner?

Since there are so many scenarios, environments, operators, agencies, diving styles you are going to get alot of different answers, but as a general IMO to answer your questions they would be;

The diver operator that manages the boat should be responsible to having a trained and professional boat captain working for them that knows how to deploy a drop tank. Everyone that is relying on using the drop tank in an emergency is responsible for ensuring that the tank is full, they analyzed and know the mix, and have testing the reg to ensure it works.

Generally when I require a drop tank it is double clipped off to a 9m long rope on a buoy. The trained captain once he see a yellow emergency SMB will deploy the drop tank by driving next to the yellow SMB and attaching the drop tank and making sure it freely sinks down. Everyone knows that drop tank is at 9m so if you call in at drop tank on a yellow bag then you know to look out for it so it does not hit you plus you can hear the boat driving overhead.

 

[SlugLife]

Diving Dubai's response is fantastic.

IMO, my life is my responsibility, and to that extent I would want to check all of the equipment I'll be using before a dive. This is true regardless my role, DM, assistant, student, vacationer, customer, etc. If tanks are attached to the boat, ensure the boat captain knows to not move the boat (or attach them to a buoy). The short-story, is I don't want to die or suffer injury, because someone else didn't do their job right. The "I told you so" after I'm injured or dead isn't a game I want to play.

In terms of whose liability it is or who is supposed to do the work might depend on a number of factors and I don't know the "correct" answer to that. It probably varies depending on what you pay for, and who you're with. In your shoes, I'd treat everything as a learning opportunity, if it has any educational or practice value. If you're at all unsure you're doing it correctly, ask the DM to supervise while you perform the task.

 

[SlugLife]

Thank you all for your help.

The issue I had was that it was a deep dive scenario, the Boat Captain put the dive tank through the boat windscreen, the resort owner blamed me and the instructor suggested I contribute to the repair.

I just saw this. That's between (1) The boat captain and (2) resort owner.

I'd honestly be extremely put off by the idea of doing any further business with (1) the greedy resort owner, and (2) your instructor who clearly doesn't have your best interests in mind. It's obvious you have zero-liability in this scenario (unless there are major details missing), because you didn't do the damage, nor give instructions that would result in causing that damage.

I'd have to guess the dive-instructor would rather throw you under the bus, than cause any tension in his relationship with the resort owner. Do you really want to work with someone who thinks so little of you? Perhaps complete your training, but beyond that I'd cut off this dive-instructor.