Ever been told to do something unsafe?

[ktomlinson]

I have often said when talking about charter boats that I will follow their rules and if I don't like them I will just have to dive with someone else...

Yesterday I had something happen that made me rethink this. My wife and I were being picked up after a drift dive (no tag line) she was making her way up the ladder and I was floating near the back of the boat..not too close and not drifting off. The boat was in a bit of chop and the back of the boat was moving up and down by at least two feet...enough that my wife had a little trouble getting her fins on the ladder (christmas tree style). The deck hand says to me, grab the back of the boat, and I tell him that I'm ok where I'm at, it's not a problem. At that point I thought it was a suggestion...he then says to me "no you have to". I thought about it for at least 5 or 10 seconds and then politely told him "no I'm sorry, I won't grab the boat and hit my head or something". I boarded by myself while he was taking her to her seat, and nothing was said to me about it.

In those 5 or 10 seconds I really felt like I should just do what he said since he was crew, but having been in water where other divers were mildly injured because of boats moving up and down I ultimately said no.

Has anyone else been told to do something by a member of a charter's crew that you thought was unsafe? Did you do it or refuse? If you refused, what was the reaction/consequences?

 

[TSandM]

On my very first trip to somewhere far away to dive, I was on a RIB in Australia. I went to check my equipment, and wanted to make sure my gas was on. I couldn't turn the valve knob -- it just wouldn't turn either way. I said something to the DM about it, and that I was unhappy that I couldn't be sure my gas was on, and he said, "Oh, it's on, just get in the water." (In retrospect, of course, all I would have had to do was take a few breaths off a regulator to see if it was on, but I didn't think of that, and I didn't know about breathing and watching the gauge at that point, either.) At any rate, I stood up, and then I just really wasn't comfortable, so I sat back down and said, "No, I'm not getting in the water until that valve knob moves and I know it's open."

It was closed, and it took a WRENCH to open it. The results of jumping in the water with that tank that way could have been unhappy, indeed.

I've also had boat crew try to get us to get in the water without finishing our buddy checks -- and I'm not talking about places where a precise drop is critical, just impatient crew.

 

[Scuba_Noob]

I've had a case where the valve/yoke connection on a rental tank was not set right (it was set up by the dive op - as was everyone else's on that dive boat), and I could hear a very tiny hissing noise coming between the yoke and the tank valve. The DM said it was all right and I should go dive anyway. I decided to readjust the connection a few times until the hissing noise was gone; I just didn't feel safe diving with a minor leak that could turn into a major one.

Not a very serious thing, but if you don't feel safe about something, don't do it.

 

[eelnoraa]

I have done it in a few ocassions, all involved DM/guide on a charter.

In Thailand, the trip leader specifically told us start to ascent at 70bar. When my spg showed 70, I noted the DM, he told us it was OK. When my spg hit 40, I noted the DM again. He again gave a OK signal and keep diving. I then ascend to safety stop by myself, shot a bag, completed safety stop, get to surface and followew the group on surface. They reach the surface with less than 20bar.

In Kauai, the charter analysed tanks for everyone and asked us to signed the log book. I asked if I could do a quick check myself, they said htere is no analyser on the boat. I just had to take their words for it as everyone else did. So I just dive that 32% tank.

 

[grandizer52]

There's a few "favorite" dive locations where the captain and or crew get impatient, or some false sense of urgency to get people in the water...mostly cause the $$$ driven aspect of getting as many customers a day as possible... seen numerous times divers drop with no air on cause the crew was like..."comeone, lets go"...or hea,,,new guys, can you haul the flag?

 

[TSandM]

I just had to take their words for it as everyone else did. So I just dive that 32% tank.​

Wow. That's one place I'd stop. If they didn't show me the readout on the analyzer, I am not diving that tank. Period. Ever. There are very few survival stories from oxygen toxicity, and I also would prefer not to get bent.