Lahaina Divers and a question

[enigmata]

Went with Lahaina Divers on their Molokini Backwall trip. Good pair of dives, saw two white-tip reef sharks, a frogfish, and several lobsters. No complaints as to what I saw on the dives, but I did want to bring up a point of discussion about the dive op.

During the briefing the DM tells us that the first person to run low on air (800psi) will need to buddy up with another in the group and return to the boat. I was told the reason for this is so the DM isn't allowed to leave a diver alone by him or herself.

There are two buddy pairs in the group of divers I'm assigned to, a solo diver, and the DM. We start the dive without event. About 30 minutes into the dive, solo diver reaches 800psi and the DM pairs me with him to exit. I signal OK, and start heading out towards the solo diver who's about 50 feet away from me at that point. My buddy who's an instructor I arranged the trip with sees this and starts to follow. DM tries to get my buddy to stay with the rest of the group, but he signals he's going to go with me.

About 30 feet away from the solo diver, I stop to observe the diver do his safety stop, and the DM comes over to me with a slate written "please go with him." I signal OK, and approach the diver while the DM returns to the group.

I reach the solo diver, check to see if he's OK, and we ascend to 15 ft. He then shows me his computer isn't counting a safety stop timer. I start my stop. By the time the three minutes are up, he has 100 psi left, glances at his gauge, and stares at me. I signal to go up. We wait on the surface for about five minutes while he fumbles for his safety sausage that he's never inflated before (I tell him no, the boat sees us), struggles with the swell (3-4 ft, I tell him to remain calm and slowly kick to stay from getting further from the boat), and says he can't believe how fast he blew through his air. The boat picks us up without event, solo diver's OOA, I'm at 1200 and my buddy's at 1500. I find out on the boat that the solo diver was given 20 pounds of lead in a 3mil fullsuit as well as a larger tank than the regular AL80.

We brought this up to the DM and got placed in another more "experienced" group (somehow they didn't know he was an instructor) and had a good second dive.
My question still remains: were they trying to pass off the responsibility of supervising a diver to a paying customer? In this case, no harm was done, and three divers ended their dive when only one had to, but if I hadn't known what to do, I wouldn't have been able to help this guy out. Anyone else have similar experiences?

 

[DiveMaven]

The only time we did the backwall with Lahaina Divers was about 5 years ago and at that time, the first diver to 700psi meant the ENTIRE group had to come up. In your case, I would have been a bit peeved that I wasn't buddied up with the 3rd guy PRIOR to the dive, and instead randomly asked to cut MY dive short because of a solo guy.

We did a dive to Lanai a few years ago with LD where a big guy with an AL100 was down to 700psi after 20 minutes. Considering it's only a 60' dive, the DM was shocked when the guy signaled 700 and actually looked at his guages himself to verify. Since we were just over 1/2 way back to the boat, the DM put the guy on his octo to get back to the boat (we sped up just a bit on the way back). The DM wound up having to go back up to the boat right away since the guy sucked his tank down too. The rest of us poked around under the boat for about 25 minutes and it wound up being one of the best Lanai dives because of all the critters we found.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Before my wife was certified I got buddied up with a similar situation except when my air hog buddy was low I swam him over to the anchor chain and waved good bye to rejoin the group. My DM was furious with me. On the boat he started a 5 minute ass chewing in the middle of which I told him that he's already pissed away his tip and soon I'd treat him like any other jerk in my face. I had paid good money for that dive and wasn't about to cut my dive short. It was a Maui dive op and I won't say who it was as I'm sure that particular DM is long gone but I never dove with them again anyway.

 

[Gopherdown]

On other occasions that I've gone with LD, they have allowed a diver to go back to the boat alone when they run low on air. I have never been with them at the backwall though. I assume that their requirement to buddy someone up before returning had more to do with there not being a handy anchor rope for him to hang off of.

I'm guessing that their request of you was more about having a buddy than a supervisor.

In hindsight, it sounds like his skill levels were a bit low as well and he should not have gone on that dive. It occurs to me that there is more than one reason they list this dive as advanced. It's not only about there being no bottom, it's about a tricky possibility handling a free floating boat.

Sometimes when people get an "advanced" cert they think they are ready for anything. I believe it's difficult for a dive op to screen those. At the same time, I don't think that the ops even try to differentiate. They don't tend to ask enough soft questions about confidence and history - they stick with the hard edged questions about last dive date and how many dives.

I too would have been irritated to come back with half a tank for the sake of this one guy, but when I get philosophical (hopefully not often), I know that I have gone diving with friends of whom I had no previous experience with their dive skills. The rule has always been the same - no matter how much air is in anyone's tank, either person can call the dive for any reason and a promise of no recriminations.

The only difference here is that you didn't happen to know the guy or be his friend. It is clear though, that he desperately needed a buddy at the end of his dive and you provided that service at your own expense. You came through for him whether he thanked you or not. Hopefully he will keep diving and gain enough experience that he can pay it forward one day.

 

[enigmata]

Thanks for all the replies. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I was helpful to this guy, but what's dangerous is had my skill level been the same as the solo diver, we could have both easily been in trouble. A little more background checking on their part couldn't hurt.

I'm sure said solo diver got asked the same questions, date of last dive, how many dives, and got put onto the boat in the "least experienced" group... but at the same time their website description for the dive said "Divers should have recent diving experience, good buoyancy control, and be good on air consumption"

 

[DiveMaven]

Keep in mind that these DMs and operators hear all sorts of amazing stories of excellence when they question divers. Most of us have been on boats where there's a blowhard telling everyone how great he is, only to wind up being the worst and most dangerous diver in the water.

I'll never forget the DMs with our preferred operation telling us the story of the woman who had over 200 dives, advanced certification, etc, who went on one of their 3-tank advanced dives (deep and usually live boat). They come to find out before the first dive that this woman had only been diving in an AQUARIUM to 45'!! She had never been on a boat, never been in the ocean, and had never been diving where she couldn't see the bottom. She didn't belong on that charter AT ALL, but based on the information SHE gave them, she appeared qualified. People lie all the time......heck, I know someone who hadn't been wet for 3 years and told a dive op she had been diving 3 months prior so she didn't have to take a refresher or hire a DM.....stupid...

Boat crews have learned through extensive experience that they don't listen to a word divers tell them. They believe the skill of the diver when they SEE it for themselves.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I have a little experience as a Molokini guide and I have questions. Not really understanding "go back to the boat" because on a drift dive the boat comes with you, doesn't it? Perhaps you mean "go up to the SS?" And then if you and your buddy have over 1200 psi each, why would you surface? The guide didn't shoot an SMB? How far away was the guide/group when you surfaced?

I guess I am only speaking for how Pro Diver did the backside in '06-'07. The ascents need a little preamble; guide drifting at ~80' until first tank is down to 1500 psi, drifting gradually shallower from there intending to be ~50' when first ascent pressure reached. At that time guide, ascending diver and possibly their buddy swim away from wall 30-40', guide shoots SMB, ascending diver(s) head up to SS at 15' under SMB (no grabbing the line!).

Depending on the discrepancies in breathing the guide might go back in to the wall and then kick back out to allow ascents as many as 4 times; guests to the backside should be capable of doing a solo SS 30' above the guide, but true buddy procedures are also common. The SMB of course stays on the surface for the rest of the dive after the first ascent.

I kind of got the impression around the Kihei boat ramp that "divers ascending as needed" was a more typical policy with most operators on the backside.

 

[enigmata]

Instructions were to head out away from the wall in a buddy pair, do safety stop, and ascend. You would then wait for the boat to pick you up. Deploying the SMB was up to you. The guide didn't shoot one. The group couldn't have been more than 100 feet away, they were out of visibility distance but we weren't kicking for more than a minute or two away from the wall.

I stayed at the surface even with plenty of air because I didn't feel comfortable leaving the solo diver on his own.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Keep in mind that these DMs and operators hear all sorts of amazing stories of excellence when they question divers. Most of us have been on boats where there's a blowhard telling everyone how great he is, only to wind up being the worst and most dangerous diver in the water.
.

The more they brag the bigger the red flag becomes.

 

[Dive California]

Just got back...I was Enigmata's dive buddy. I saw "my dive buddy" being instructed by the DM to take the "solo diver" to the surface. The DM asked each of us how much air we all had...at the time I signalled I had 2000 psi and I saw her then go to the other divers...she then pointed to my buddy to take the solo diver to the service. I began to go out with my buddy when she signalled I didn't have to go...however, being the "good buddy" I went with him...hoping he would take him to his safety stop and we could continue our dive. My buddy had 1500 psi, even to continue our dive. I saw my buddy go to the surface...I stayed at 20 feet...I then observed my buddy boarding the boat; at which time I too ended my dive.

What I was pissed about, was how the DM passed on her responsiblity to a paying customer. She should have taken the solo diver to the service....or, since they knew he was an "air pig" because they gave him a larger tank (100), they should have paired him with a paid staff. What if my buddy was as inexperienced as the solo diver and something would have happened...the DM opened up my buddy to being liable.

This was wrong for LD to pass on this liability to a paying customer. I gave my 2 cents to the DM afterwards and she ended up moving us to another group...but I still paid full fare and only got to do 1 1/2 dives...not happy and would never recommmend LD to anybody. As an instructor I'm placed in a position to recommend outfits all the time to my students and customers at my shop. When I booked my dives with LD, like everybody else; they knew I was a "professional" with over 1000 dives.

I will however recommend Hawaiian Rafting Adventures...they are great and do provide service to the experienced diver...can not say enought about them....great job Hawaiian Rafting Adventures.