Was My Captain Fair?

[Kevin Carlisle]

Im not an instructor and if you are on the boat, the boat goes out and people dive. No refund should be given over seasickness. Sucks that it happened but that spot was filled and should be paid for.

 

[Jax]

Not an instructor and suffer massively from seasickness. I've never expected a refund for not diving. They sold me a space on a boat. It's my problem that I couldn't take advantage of the ride.

PS - Scopolamine patch is now my bestest friend in the whole wide world!

 

[a22shady]

It sucks to get stuck in that sort of situation. Again this is why I am in 100% agreement that for ckeckout dives for OW should be done in a quarry or lake to take out that possiblity. I think when you go to finish tell the Diveshop you want to do checkout dives at Dutchsprings. You and your son I am sure will have better experince, maybe colder one but no seasickness or time limit (Other than Air) underwater.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I am not an instructor. Getting sick is unfortunate, but a risk we as divers must assume and not try to pass it on to the boat. Most of us know what our tolerance levels are and how to mitigate it, its tough with a youngster new to an adult sport.

 

[shmuggy]

OK- I am not an instructor but I do agree with them. The spot on the boat has to be paid for and the instructor also needs to be paid for the day. Yes, even though the other couple used the instructor. I have been out on several dives where people opted not to go and there were no refunds. I think especially now- the dive operators are under a lot of stress with rising fuel costs that it is imperative they get paid for a full boat. The $179 is not an excessive cost either.

I hope this doesn't discourage you- this is a great family sport and your son will see wondrous things if he sticks with it.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

It also is a valuable lesson in why you should not try to plan too tight a schedule for checkout dives. Especially when kids are involved. I will not accept a student whose schedule does not allow for variations in the dive plan if it gets screwed up by sickness, weather, etc. This is not like going to the zoo or a movie. Stuff happens and you need to be able to alter your schedule and decide where the priorities are.

 

[Searcaigh]

Not an instructor but I agree with the others.

Try looking at an option of shore dives with your son, less expensive and usually more flexible to do than being on a boat.

 

[offthewall1]

Five of the seven responses you've gotten thus far are from instructors, so it might not be a representative sample of opinion on the subject.

I'm an Instructor... with a slightly different take...

What you have here is a difference between learning to dive locally vs. on vacation... and maybe a step further - between land based diving centers using quarries and those that actually do OW certs via boat.

If I had a student who couldn't dive, regardless of the reason - as a local land-based Instructor, I would simply reschedule the dives for him at a later date. No refund, but he would have an opportunity to complete his training at our next checkout. Everyone is happy. If he were leaving for a trip and woke up sixk on checkout day... I may even re-schedule at the local quarry and make special arrangements to get him done in time for going on vacation. None of this can be done when time is so sensitive. In other words, you took a chance that all would go perfectly - and it did not. It's sort of like a gamble.

I have people call me all the time... and say, I'm leaving for vacation in 3 weeks - I need to be certified and finished before then. I work out a schedule to accomodate them - then they call the day of checkout - the weekend before their trip and say something came up for Saturday - can't make it... what can we do? I tell them their only other option is to complete their certs by referral and they'll have to pay the Instructor whereever they're going... then they want a partial refund... and I'm like - no, sorry. I was more than willing to get you done -we had an agreement.

If you break the agreed schedule... I say no refund. If I break the schedule - I owe you a refund or I need to find a fellow Instructor to fill in for me.

In the case of your 12 year old, he by being sick, broke the schedule. I have little doubt that had your vacation schedule allowed, the center would have gotten him completed and certified - and hopefully at no additional cost. That is what I would have done... but the fact of the matter is - you were either unwilling or unable to do this... in either event, you broke the agreed contract.

Do I think you deserve a refund - No... would some places have given at least a partial refund - Yes... because they're a different kind of business person than the ones that only care about the dollar.

I can't see either is entirely right or wrong.

 

[Garrobo]

What TS&M said.

 

[Dr Neil]

I'm a divemaster.
A big risk with finishing your open water cert while on vacation happened to you. That's why working with your LDS or local instructor is a better option. Get the certification done and then enjoy the vacation as an open water diver.

Although, the dive shop I work with also has a no-refund policy if a student reserves a spot at the lake and does not show. However, a student can contact the shop and cancel in advance.

When I first started reading your thread, I thought you were going to say that you son was not allowed on the boat. I was at a warm water destination a few years ago and the Captain would not allow a junior open water diver on his boat.