How to piss off a Divemaster?

[Eric Sedletzky]

I'm very surprised to read this. Japanese are the most considerate people as a group that I've come across in my travels. Those in my country even form volunteer groups to clean the beaches here.

Not tipping is a cultural thing, perhaps cultural ignorance. It is an insult to tip someone in Japan, its saying they won't do a good job unless you offer them money.

I honestly don't know much about Japanese tourists. In San Francisco there are quite a few Asian tourists that visit and I hear this and that from people (my daughter that used to live there when she was in college). However I don't know what the makeup is or percentages are of ones from China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, etc.
I have never had any direct dealings with any of them proffesionally. I live an hour north and am not in the service industry that deals with tourists. I did get shoved out of the way in Japan town once, and on Clement street a few times by them, but I just figured that's how they are in their countries and don't know any different.

The free-for-all I witnessed in Australia apparently was not a one-off event, this happens all the time according to the DM.
If there was just a few maybe it would have been different, but since there was a whole group that seemed to know each other like they were part of club or something could have made the difference.
They weren't nasty or anything, just inconsiderate and oblivious to everyone on the boat except their own group.
I would think that keeping your crap off the deck and put away like they said to during the briefing would just be a natural common courtesy.
As far as tipping, I always go with the custom of the country and find out what the locals do.
If I'm ever in Japan I'll know not to tip. If Japanese go to other countries where tipping is customary they should do their homework and think about tipping since it could make them look cheap and unthankful. Tipping in many places is part of how the crew gets payed.
And there was a tip jar on the lunch counter that had a sign on it saying "Tips for the crew are gladly appreciated", so that was a clue to me that they like tips in Australia.

 

[Tigerman]

I have encountered a few busloads of asian tourists (mainly from japan, singapore and hk) and they've got a bot of a duality thing going on..
In one way they are VERY polite and in another way our cultural differences are VERY transparent as burping and farting loudly in public doesn't phaze them at all and they don't even seem to make any attempt to avoid it..
They are easily pleased though as long as you find something for them to shoot with that camera they always carry around their neck

 

[supergaijin]

So who is who? I can pick a middle-aged Japanese tourist pretty well, Koreans and Chinese can be trickier. The younger generation are much harder to tell apart IMO.

Many people say 'Chinese' or 'Japanese' to describe any nationality of Asia. I regularly was told that a Japanese group had checked in at the hotel, only to find that their last names were Yee, not Kobayashi.

 

[Tigerman]

They could all be american or german without knowing anything other than what you see in a picture...
However I know for a fact the nationality of the asians I deal with

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I have to hear them talk.

 

[george_austin]

Fair enough.



If this had been an innocent mistake that could have happened to anyone, then maybe so. This incident was quite preventable. Simply diving with a buddy or following other people in the group might well have prevented it.



My feeling is that this diver's quietness and reticence kept him "off the radar" of the DM. The water was clear enough, the DM might have paid a little more attention and noticed earlier he was headed off in the wrong direction. The DM could have encouraged him to join/follow an existing pair/group if she had gotten a better read on his inexperience.

Heck, if I had known, I would have asked him to join me and my wife. My default assumption is that solo divers have strong reasons for doing so, and believe they have the knowledge and experience to do it safely. Clearly not true in this case.

One time I got on a boat in a foreign land - Day one of a 12 day trip - I was so taken aback by the DM that I put my whole kit on "my tank" upside down - she was that stunningly gorgeous. She dove even better than she looked too. A real life mermaid. I have never put my rig on upside down before or since. Anyway, I'm standing there wondering what's wrong with my assembly and another customer comes over next to me and she starts putting her stuff on upside down too - just like me. Her boyfriend starts yelling at her in German and I know enough German to know that he's asking her what the hell she's doing - she replies, "well, that's what this guy's doing!" (pointing to me)

Anyway, I dove with that DM for the whole trip because I was traveling alone and "really felt more comfortable with buddy diving" (LOL) - She worked as a DM subsequently in many lands and I, for years, followed the Sun with her.

I never regretted a minute of it. Why I did not insist we be married I'll never know but she was the independent type and eventually she disappeared over the horizon like that leaky old boat I met her on.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

One time I got on a boat in a foreign land - Day one of a 12 day trip - I was so taken aback by the DM that I put my whole kit on "my tank" upside down - she was that stunningly gorgeous. She dove even better than she looked too. A real life mermaid. I have never put my rig on upside down before or since. Anyway, I'm standing there wondering what's wrong with my assembly and another customer comes over next to me and she starts putting her stuff on upside down too - just like me. Her boyfriend starts yelling at her in German and I know enough German to know that he's asking her what the hell she's doing - she replies, "well, that's what this guy's doing!" (pointing to me)

Anyway, I dove with that DM for the whole trip because I was traveling alone and "really felt more comfortable with buddy diving" (LOL) - She worked as a DM subsequently in many lands and I, for years, followed the Sun with her.

I never regretted a minute of it. Why I did not insist we be married I'll never know but she was the independent type and eventually she disappeared over the horizon like that leaky old boat I met her on.

You should have asked her. The worst it could have been was "no", but that's exactly what you got anyway by not asking her.

Oh yeah, and your post is worthless without pictures!

 

[george_austin]

Of course I asked her - I'm not daft - I said I did not insist.

Pictures? No, those are mine

 

[bakodiver391]

There are some interesting viewpoints on here. One thing to remember is that a dive boat is not a democracy, you are by law under the captain's orders, usually implemented by the divemaster. If boat policy is to check your valve, suck it up and let them do it, you can always recheck it yourself afterward. We had a near fatality last year because a diver didn't turn on his doubles and obviously didn't inflate bladder or do a reg function check, neither was this lack picked up by his buddy. Quick intervention by a crew member and another guest saved the man's life. The possible results of a no air splash are so disastrous, and the irritation of having a DM touch your valve is so petty, there is no downside to letting them do it. The only exception is if the diver is using the doubles independently, ie breathing one side down at a time, and a quick explanation to the crew will suffice.
One more thing. DM's are usually very busy right before a dive, so don't be offended if they cut you off in mid conversation so they can attend to their duties.

 

[flots am]

Quick intervention by a crew member and another guest saved the man's life. The possible results of a no air splash are so disastrous, and the irritation of having a DM touch your valve is so petty, there is no downside to letting them do it.

The "down side" is that I don't trust anybody to turn my air on because there's a good chance they'll actually turn it off. Happily, I don't actually care because I have redundant air and can reach my own valves.

As for your guy in doubles, if he can't reach his own valves and didn't do a pre-dive check, remind him that "Darwin is patient."

flots.