What to expect on a checkout dive?

[Tigerman]

I have no problem doing a checkout to get acclimated and check my gear. But if some resort instructor wants to see my do skills on my knees I'm going laugh in his face and then complain to the op about their staff encouraging poor and possibly unsafe procedures.

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I have been asked to do a mask clear, Ive seen others been asked to do other skills, but never seen anyone REQUIRE it to be done sitting on the knees.
Most people Ive seen being asked to do more than a mask clear has seemed to be picked because they are inexperienced. If you don't do "n00b errors" you're (in my experience) less likely to be asked to do "n00b skills" as well.
Infact on most checkout dives Ive been sent on my merry way with my buddy (after being told in the brief when to surface and what the major features of the site is) after just a few minutes while the DM is focusing on the ones that need more attention. Those dives (as they are "checkout sites") might not have as spectacular reefs, but have never been bad dives anyways.

Assessing a divers approximate skill level can be done fairly quickly if you do checkout dives on a weekly basis. And even before they hit the water in some cases - but that's a story for a different part of scubaboard

 

[explorer08]

Assessing a divers approximate skill level can be done fairly quickly if you do checkout dives on a weekly basis. And even before they hit the water in some cases - but that's a story for a different part of scubaboard

Exactly that is my point and therefore I consider it as inacceptable, treating customers as "incompetent idiots", as it is done in many places around the world!

 

[Tigerman]

Yeah, watching someone dive is treating them as incompetent idiots...
Fine, go down that road again if you like, but I wont.

You think they WONT look at your diving on the dives later on in the week just because you dont do a checkout dive? Get real..

 

[explorer08]

Yeah, watching someone dive is treating them as incompetent idiots...
Fine, go down that road again if you like, but I wont.

You think they WONT look at your diving on the dives later on in the week just because you dont do a checkout dive? Get real..

You don't understand it (or you don't want to understand it), it doesn't make sense to continue that discussion!

 

[TSandM]

One of the funniest diving stories I have ever heard had to do with Danny Riordan, diving in Australia. For those who don't know him, Danny is one of GUE's cave instructors -- he's an extraordinary diver and explorer. He and some others wanting to go out with a dive op in Australia, and for reasons known only to that dive op, they insisted that if he wanted to dive Nitrox, he had to demonstrate a FIN PIVOT to the DM. In spite of Danny showing him his cave instructor card, the man was adamant. Phone calls to GUE HQ failed to sway him. Somewhere, there is video of Danny doing fin pivots in Australia to get Nitrox . . . I'd just love to see the expression on his face!

I believe NW Grateful Diver also has a funny story about doing a checkout dive at a Caribbean resort, where he demonstrated a variety of skills while hovering in about four feet of water. At the end, he surfaced, and the DM told him to go back down and do things properly . . . on his knees.

If somebody asked me to do that, I'd briefly and politely argue with them, and then I'd go back down and do what they wanted. (Not easy, either, if you're properly weighted!) As my mother used to say, you can't fight City Hall, and no one visiting diver is going to change a wrong-headed policy.

 

[Tigerman]

Now that's a GREAT idea for a new T-shirt "I do fin pivots for nitrox!"

 

[explorer08]

If somebody asked me to do that, I'd briefly and politely argue with them, and then I'd go back down and do what they wanted. (Not easy, either, if you're properly weighted!) As my mother used to say, you can't fight City Hall, and no one visiting diver is going to change a wrong-headed policy.

That is one option and maybe I would do the same if it's at a place were I absolutely want to dive and were I don't have the chance to go to another dive op. But at least I never would go there again. And as long as I have a choice I never would spend my money there and if enough divers would do the same, that might change a wrong-headed policy with time. If it starts to hurt them in their wallet, most businessmen will start to think about what they are doing wrong and hopefully will change it. Otherwise soner or later they will disappear from the market.

 

[Tigerman]

A wrong-headed policy because why??
Because they rather have people do a checkout dive than have a diver **** up the dive sites or at worst die?
Something that could be a regional REQUIREMENT to be allowed into marine parks?
Just because you're too "über" for anyone to have any right to tell you what you can and can not do?

Yeah, the kneeling part I wouldn't like to much, but Id still do it - As mentioned I have however never seen anyone require skills to be done on the knees either..

 

[TSandM]

Tigerman, I already said earlier in the thread that I think checkout dives are fine, and I appreciate the opportunity to do a simple, relatively shallow site in a new place to get myself and my gear shaken down. I would also not have any objection at all to being asked to demonstrate skills -- but if somebody told me that doing them in the water column was unacceptable, and to get myself back down there and kneel properly, I'd be irritated. As I said, I'd argue briefly, but then accede -- but I still call that a wrong-headed policy.

 

[Tigerman]

Well, the reply was directed at explorer08 who think checkouts in the first place is wrong..

Yeah, the whole "kneel to do skills" things is BS, both for certification and checkout, but that we cant do much about unfortunately..


Well, from scubaboard anyways and not by "not going where they demand it" either as theres plenty of people who will go anywhere as long as the price is right..