Whats normal on a dive boat?

[Stoo]

I recently did some diving on Australia's GBR. First time ever on a dive boat setup for 50 divers or more. Definitely not my style of diving. Max bottom time 40 minutes. Dive 1-2 surface interval only 10 minutes.

That sounds horrible. 2 - 6 is nice...

 

[caydiver]

Our boat holds 14 guests. We only take n
8 divers when it is not a charter. Totally agree that it is not size but space that matters

 

[Fragola]

The most number of people I've been on a boat with would be 20 but it was split up into groups with their own dive master depending on experience, gas, courses, etc. The largest group I've been in would be 6 but mostly 2-4 with no time restriction other than getting low on air. I have studiously avoided cattle boats thanks to reading the forums here.

 

[Slate]

If I was on a dive boat, having just surfaced from a dive with a maximum depth of 60' and a crewmember said "you're back in the water in 10 minutes" my response would be along the lines of "kiss my ass".

Just because a person in a position of authority tells you to do something that could possibly kill you or paralyze you for the rest of your life doesn't mean you actually have to do it.

 

[Neilwood]

If I was on a dive boat, having just surfaced from a dive with a maximum depth of 60' and a crewmember said "you're back in the water in 10 minutes" my response would be along the lines of "kiss my ass".

Just because a person in a position of authority tells you to do something that could possibly kill you or paralyze you for the rest of your life doesn't mean you actually have to do it.

Their boat, their rules. If they want to limit divers to a particular time limit, then, so long as they inform divers of that restriction, I have no issue with it. If you don't like it there is a simple choice - don't dive with them.

A lot of timings etc are down to logistics. Do you want to be the diver that overstays on a site and therefore prevents the boat doing a second trip that day which has the effect of screwing over another dozen divers?

 

[Damselfish]

There is no “normal.” Maybe normal for an area, but not always that either. It depends on what (hopefully) makes sense in a location and the market an op is going for.

I wouldn’t do the big boats off Cairns (and it’s not just about the size but because I don’t think the diving is worth it for me.) But given the distance to the diving and number of people, that want to try it they fill a niche.

Big boats even with a fair number of divers are not always bad. Small boats with few divers are not automatically good.

Research things ahead of time and avoid what you won’t be happy with. Its harder in the beginning when you don’t know what you’re looking for, but you figure it out soon enough.

 

[Slate]

Their boat, their rules. If they want to limit divers to a particular time limit, then, so long as they inform divers of that restriction, I have no issue with it.

I get a time limit on dives. I do not get forcing a diver back into the water for a second dive if they have not completed a satisfactory surface interval after the first one. The former is a possible inconvenience, the latter is risking one's very life.

 

[mwerle]

I get a time limit on dives. I do not get forcing a diver back into the water for a second dive if they have not completed a satisfactory surface interval after the first one. The former is a possible inconvenience, the latter is risking one's very life.

As long as people don't exceed their NDLs, I don't see why doing back-to-back dives is risking your life? Dives are short and for all we know (OP didn't say) could be very shallow (<10m), which would be typical for intro-to-diving type dives.

As for "forcing", nobody is forcing anybody to do anything. Don't want to do the second dive at the time stipulated (for whatever reason), then don't. It's not like they've tied people to the anchor chain is it?

Bit of overreaction in this thread methinks. Happy to be told otherwise.

These large scale things tend to happen on dayboats where the majority of people are island trippers and possibly snorkelers with only a handful diving. Have never seen a boat catering to 50+ divers before!! That's just madness - both above and under the water! Would never sign up for one of those.

 

[Slate]

As long as people don't exceed their NDLs, I don't see why doing back-to-back dives is risking your life?

Well sure, if NDLs aren't exceeded but in many cases a 10 minute surface interval isn't enough to ensure that the next dive will be within safe limits.

We really don't know enough about the diving in question to say for sure if the dive Op is being irresponsible.

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

That sounds horrible. 2 - 6 is nice...

Yup. I gladly pay extra to have a bit of extra space on a boat.