While on Vacation, Why don't u like other people changin your tank?

[LeadTurn_SD]

I prefer to setup my own gear for all the reasons others have mentioned.

However, I will abide by whatever the boat's rules are without having a hissy-fit, but then carefully double-check my rig before putting it on.

Best wishes.

 

[Mayor]

I also set my gear up and try to help my wife set her's up as well. Even if I end up setting her gear up on my own I have still have her check it. Each diver is responable for their own gear.

 

[TSandM]

Where it is customary for them to do so (and on recreational dives) I let the crew set up my gear. I then double-check everything, so I'm sure it's set up the way I like it.

If you owned horses and were serious about riding, you'd groom and tack up your own horse, I can tell you. You learn SO much about the horse's state of being from finding out if they're cheerful, or flinching away from the grooming somewhere, or starting to get fussy about having the girth tightened. I would never let anybody else get my horse ready for me.

 

[Wayfarer2]

It's your gear, but it's their boat.

True
But I am the customer paying to be on the boat.

 

[Puffer Fish]

Interesting issue... if you dive long enough...my experience is that you get left alone..

My last trip, after you got out of the water, they would have everyone sit down, take your tank off, exchange for another tank while you were getting seated... well except for me, which they happily let walk to where the tank went and put it there... then let me change the tank over. I noticed anyone else would get yelled at for attempting to do it. One of our party was yelled at for not having her regulator in her mouth when she climbed the ladder...which I did on every dive.

I am of the "if you need help, ask for it, otherwise, leave me alone" school. It seems most dive ops can figure that out fairly easily.

 

[RJP]

Typically in resort locations the DM looks at my BP/W, hog harness, 7' hose, drysuit inflator, and canister light, and simply move on to the next passenger...

 

[Coldwater_Canuck]

I wouldn't think of it as a huge safety issue in most cases. The three main things I guess could be screwed up during a tank swap is not doing up the straps properly, not screwing the first stage in properly, and not turning the air on. These would be pretty tough to mess up and hopefully pretty obvious when you put the gear on.

However, I tend to be independent with stupid stuff (I like bagging my own groceries, etc.), so would prefer to set it up myself. I probably would go along with it if the local policy, but my preference is just to do it myself. Fortunately, all the dive boats around here are moreso "get you to the site, help when needed, have fun" not these 'all inclusive' deals it sounds like vacation boats are like (I really need to get to the Bahamas or something sometime though to know what it's actually like).

 

[getwet2]

I do it myself. They can haul the gear on to the boat if it's stored in the shop at night but after that it's me.

It's all part of diving, you're going to check it anyway so just do it yourself to start with. I also think that with some crew it just becomes a job to them and they are not too careful with the equipment. Plus you can tell alot about the type of diver a person is by the way they set their kit up.

Ultimately it's your choice though?

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

The majority of responses to threads like this always crack me up. Luckily I work in Hawaii, which is not really a Dive Destination and is too expensive of a vacation for most of you Cheap Bastard Divers.

I have worked for 3 op's with boats, and the first also sent groups out with many other operators boats on the other sides of the Island. In my 8 years of off and on part/full time boat and shore instructor/guiding I have only had one customer with 7' hose and he let me set up his gear just like everyone else. In thousands of customers I have only witnessed less than a handful of picky divers who demand to set up their own gear. We know that even though we don't argue and let them set their own gear up the tip will be really low, because that type usually finds some reason no matter how hard we try.

ScubaBoard, home to less than 1% of the divers on the planet.

 

[Louie]

The majority of responses to threads like this always crack me up. Luckily I work in Hawaii, which is not really a Dive Destination and is too expensive of a vacation for most of you Cheap Bastard Divers.

I have worked for 3 op's with boats, and the first also sent groups out with many other operators boats on the other sides of the Island. In my 8 years of off and on part/full time boat and shore instructor/guiding I have only had one customer with 7' hose and he let me set up his gear just like everyone else. In thousands of customers I have only witnessed less than a handful of picky divers who demand to set up their own gear. We know that even though we don't argue and let them set their own gear up the tip will be really low, because that type usually finds some reason no matter how hard we try.

ScubaBoard, home to less than 1% of the divers on the planet.

Hey I want to go to Hawaii for my next holiday then! No neurosis and plenty of palm trees!

Seriously though, many people do forget that where safety and organisation is concerned, they have to listen to the staff and crew of dives. Divers may feel their equipment is precious but sometimes, they are not the final voice.