Maui dive shops

[Oside Jimc]

The way I conduct myself here is above reproach both in terms of immigration status and beach park access.

Hey Kris, I can't wait to get back in Sept so we can go diving again.

Let's just say it would be unpatriotic for people to use the services of a foreign national on a travel visa who has no CORA permit or green card. You know you are making money offering diving services however you structure your payment. People who want to support Maui residents should only patronize legal, law-abiding instructors. If you bring up providing your diving services again I will have to refer them to this post...

Don't they need dive instructors in Canada?

Sean

A pretty idiotic stance if you ask me. Kris went out of his way to help me out when I was there last October and had issues with my 35 year old certitication (boat op didn't know what a 35 year old PADI card looked like), and no other OP (Except Maui Dreams) would do anything but lie and try to say my cert was worthless because they wanted to rip me off for a full certification. Only Kris was willing to take the time to call PADI to find out the real story, then dropped everything to help me out. He did not ask for compensation of any kind, just a really plesant guy that made my trip one to remember and is a large part of why I can't wait to get back to Maui.

Sean, by your line of logic perhaps we should also limit instruction on Maui to native Hawaiians? Or limit diving there to some few select group that has paid off the county comissioners to get an exclusive premit to rape unsuspecting tourists? When that happens I (and many like me) will not be back, good luck earning a living outside of the 7-11 when that happens.

Frankly nasty, unwarranted personal attacks like this casts serious doubt on my part as to the professionalism of the so called "legit" sources on the island and is a far cry from what I've seen in "so called" backwards places like Playa Del Carmen where the dive ops work together to make sure everybody goes home happy because they have figured out that unhappy customers don't come back at all.

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

Oside Jimc, if you view things out of context I could see your point but it's actually the exact opposite of what your viewpoint is. Perhaps you could go back many many month or even years and look at the history of this person. I'd like you to count how many times this individual is trying to denigrate and belittle a dive shop that he has never even dove with...All my actions have been in defense of the facts.

Please explain how using US citizens or legal residents who have the required permits for commercial diving is not the better thing to do than to use the services of someone who has absolutely no legal right to conduct commercial services? I'd like to know how that's idiotic (is that a personal attack? ) It sounds like he was nice to you in your time of need, but to say he is a nice guy and all the dive shops are mean and unhelpful has to be a gross generalization.
It's nice of you to stand up for your "friend." I'm sure he appreciates it!

Also by my same logic we will restrict driving to people with drivers licenses and insurance, surgery to those with medical degrees and hospital privileges, and commercial diving activities to those who have the proper permits and work permits? I think my logic is quite sound... I don't get your point in this case...

Jim, I am not a Hawaii representative and don't work in the dive industry but I'd like to see the nastiness and slander cease myself. I just try to defend my friends by stating the facts while others misrepresent them deliberately.

Sean

 

[KrisB]

Please explain how using US citizens or legal residents who have the required permits for commercial diving is not the better thing to do than to use the services of someone who has absolutely no legal right to conduct commercial services?

Let's go through this again, Sean.

1. I'm not doing commercial diving. Technically speaking, very few individuals here are doing "commercial diving" -- that refers to diving where work is done underwater (e.g. welding, ship repair, etc.)

2. I'm not operating a commercial enterprise, neither in terms of the county's redefinition of "commercial" in the beach park permit legislation (current or proposed), nor in any other definition. This means that there is no need for a commercial beach park permit (n.b. "CORA" is a term that is proposed by the new rules and doesn't exist in the old ones).

Also by my same logic we will restrict driving to people with drivers licenses and insurance, surgery to those with medical degrees and hospital privileges, and commercial diving activities to those who have the proper permits and work permits?

Again, Sean... what I am doing here is above reproach in both of these senses that you keep coming back to. I've answered you with more detail in a PM earlier.

Your comparison of a commercial beach park permit to a driver's license is an interesting one, but it falls apart: you can get a driver's license or a license to practice medicine by showing evidence of training and passing an exam. You may also have to show proof of insurance. Incidentally, while an individual may meet all the requirements for a commercial beach park permit, they haven't been issuing new permits at all in the last 2+ years.

By the way: I meet or exceed all the requirements for the beach park permit even though I don't need to. I hold the required liability insurance and have Maui County named as additional insured. My first-aid training (especially when it comes to dive-related injuries) exceeds that required of the lifeguards that you see only a handful of beaches.

I'd most certainly love to go out and get a commercial beach park permit so I could charge for my services when I choose to -- but that's not even an option allowed since the county isn't issuing new permits.

You'll note a significant tempering of the comments I've made lately regarding various operators -- including your favourite. Yet it seems you've chosen to turn this into a venue for personal attacks based on things that you know little to nothing about. That's sad.

 

[rectec]

I just came back from Maui and had a great time with B&B. I am a Rebreather diver and they took care of all my needs. While it was busy with spring break and the boat was full, they always have 3 Instructors onboard, (most only have 2), and you could dive according to your experience and comfort level. Blesi's cookies are the best! In talking to Brad, the Owner, there is controversy over beach permits for shore diving Instructors and this will impact alot of businesses. I fully recommend B&B to all my diving buddies.

 

[ibgordo]

I just came back from Maui and had a great time with B&B. I am a Re breather diver and they took care of all my needs. While it was busy with spring break and the boat was full, they always have 3 Instructors onboard, (most only have 2), and you could dive according to your experience and comfort level. Bliss's cookies are the best! In talking to Brad, the Owner, there is controversy over beach permits for shore diving Instructors and this will impact alto of businesses. I fully recommend B&B to all my diving buddies.

Thanks to everyone for their comments.

Rectec,

When you were on did they split up the divers according to there experience on the boat or did it just happen as the dive progressed?

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Thanks to everyone for their comments.

Rectec,

When you were on did they split up the divers according to there experience on the boat or did it just happen as the dive progressed?

It doesn't just happen by accident. If you think you may be a little nervous and think they didn't notice your nervousness (they did) just let them know how you feel. I've seen backwall dives and they had two groups of 6 with two instructors each.

You'll be in great hands.

 

[Charlie99]

When you were on did they split up the divers according to there experience on the boat or did it just happen as the dive progressed?

All of the 12 passenger boats on Maui attempt to group people by ability, while working around things like groups of 3 or 4 divers that came together but have widely different experience levels. A wide mix of experience level is more of a problem on a 6 pack, where you all dive together.

Many dive ops ask "how many lifetime dives?" and "When was your last dive?" when you book. On the better dive ops, including B&B, during the boat ride out to the dive sites the DMs actively engage passengers in conversation about their experience level and what sort of things they'd like to see (sharks, turtles, etc.).

Boats also work out ways to handle different levels of air consumption. Most work on the "loose buddy" system. If you came without a buddy, and are going up before the DM, he will attempt to pair you up with one or more other divers that are also ready to ascend. Many boats (including B&B ??) do require that buddy pairs that came together must stay together. As one Capt briefs: "We won't buddy you up with a stranger and then have you get mad at us if he runs out of air early and you have to go up. OTOH, if you came with somebody, then you know who to get mad at. If you came with them, then you stay with them for the entire dive."

 

[rectec]

B&B always asks who wants to go where and their experience level. Conditions permitting they will dive anywhere. I actually seen a father with more experience wanting to do a deeper dive while his newly certified kids stayed with Brad, their choice! I asked Brad in depth about the permit situation as I was thinking of moving to Maui and he stated that when they enforce the new rules people like KrisB, who is illegal, will be fined $250.00. ( Kris, even taking "tips" is a form of payment and not allowed.) There will be alot of finger pointing when this goes down and Brad wants to stay out of it.

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

After talking to KrisB in a few PM's about the issues, in the name of fairness I would like to say I have no firsthand knowledge KrisB takes money for certifications while using the Maui Beach parks. Sadly he claims to have intimate knowledge of my friend's boat diving operation with a network of first-hand informants who have told him specific details of this or that which I find very difficult to believe just like the free classes. On the other hand Kris does have scuba business which he admits to and he claims it's perfectly fine to take money as long as he doesn't use the beach parks while taking payment. I have personally witnessed Kris with students at Ulua Beach but I never saw them exchange money... You can draw your own conclusions. Since he was worried about his reputation and in the spirit of fairness I wanted to disclose that fact that my statement was an opinion and not something factually verified. I felt he clarified his position but I told him I would make the disclosure to set the record straight.

I will continue to monitor and correct statements about B&B should they be warranted but I have nothing further to say regarding the Beach Parks. Should you reply to any of the posts don't expect my participation.

Have a great day!

Sean

 

[diverdwn71]

Since there are so many instructors from Hawaii on this thread, I'd like to ask a question. My brother-in-law is getting married in Maui in March of 09, and I want to do some diving since we will over there for (2) weeks. Is March off season? Will the dive operators still be going on? I definitely want to do the crater and things like that. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.