On Sun, 2 Sep 2001 11:25:40 -0700, John <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Hi JohnH,
Guess You & Vicky are full-on back in the thick of things at work eh :-(
<snip of the kiwi shears>
>We, too, listen to every word from the DM's, then adjust *OUR* dive
>appropriately.
I do the same. Usually I stay in the background with whomever I am buddied
up with on the day. Many times Ive ended up with someone I dont know from
overseas (especially on day charter dive trips) but they have the choice of
opting for someone else when I mention Im taking my camera.
>I'm lucky, On most dives I bring along my DM wife. So, we are a buddy team
>that can be left alone for the most part.
>My line usually is that I'm very slow and like to take pictures without
>disruptions. That usually eliminates speed and group concerns. I recommend
>carrying a camera even if you don't take pictures.
Some times I have deliberately teamed up with another twosome (who are also
photographers) so we can go at our own leisurely pace doing what we what.
Really are SOBs with camera in hand but as long as the DM is happy you can
look after yourselves we are normally left in peace :-)
Actually is quite funny to whip through a roll of 36 slide film and curse
that roll cant stretch to 50 because of all the nice critters & uw fauna
down there. Then you surface to hear moans & groans on the boat from those
who have speed off not seeing a damn thing because they are expecting large
pelagics, dolphins, seals .. or heaven forbid, sharks! The amount of folk
at my workplace who wont believe I DONT see a shark on every dive is
astounding. The Jaws movie has gone to their heads :-(
>What can happen is that we take a nice long dive on the first dive.
>Then the DM wants to give us "great service" by switching our tanks for
>us. So, the next dive, we find we've been switched from 80's to 72's...
Not had that happen to me yet .. but one of the "great services" I received
was when the DM was in the process of switching my tank & dropped the first
one head first onto the boat deck. I was ashore collecting shells during
the surface internal at a secluded beach off Fiji. I missed all the
commotion but the group I was diving with made sure the DM replaced my
broken reg hose at his expense later as it had snapped off completely at
the 1st stage end. Luckily I had a backup with me in my divebag that time
as I normally leave my extras in my dive locker and the backup tanks gear
looked like it had seen better days. Ya never know when a simple mistake
can put a dent in your dive plans.
<snip of the kiwi shears>
>In the end, I'm paying. I'm diving. It's my trip.
Ive had a few DMs try the trick of pairing me up with a newbie diver.
Totally unfair on that diver due to me taking a camera & personally I dont
want to be responsible for someone I dont know from Adam. Completely
different situation if it was a friend, or a friend of a friend .. then I
would leave the camera behind & concentrate of showing them some of the uw
delights they would not see because they are not aware of what to look for.
The small stuff really gets me going uw & I love interacting with them if
possible. My diffuser on my SB105 came off one day & was floating on the
end of the fishing line I had used to ensure I did not lose another
diffuser ever again ;-) While photographing a teeny-weenie Blue Devil it
took me a few minutes to notice its Mother (or Father?) zipping out to take
a chomp at my diffuser. I'd never seen a reaction like this before &
wondered why it was being so aggressive as usually they turn tail & hide in
a crevice ruining the pic. It dawned on me that the adult Blue Devil
thought my diffuser was a jellyfish. Something new to comment on in my dive
log :-)
>From the boat's point of view, liability is a big issue in the states.
>They are worried about accidents and law suits. So they feel that they
>need to put up the most conservative front.
Liability is becoming a bit of an issue here also. Lots of folk from a
certain country that likes to sue everyone else for their own stupidity
have started pulling that one over here. I never heard how the court case
went, its years ago now .. but this newbie novice diver came to Perth &
dived off Rottnest Island. He asked them to recommend someone to dive with
in South OZ & on a dive over there disappeared without trace on a dive
beyond the recreational limit. He had a bit of a know-it-all attitude, was
diving beyond his capabilities and his certification level. Needless to the
lawyers went for all they could get. The missing guys wife was advised to
sue the Perth dive operator (for recommending the South OZ dive outfit),
sue the South OZ dive shop, sue the skipper of the boat, sue the DM (who
was babysitting others & wasnt assigned to the missing diver anyhow). All I
can remember is that the case against the Perth dive operator was chucked
out of court.
>In Oz, the boats were much more open. They let you do your thing, mostly.
>I think they would give suggested profiles, but if you are good diver and
>on computer, they understood that you were responsible for your own dives.
>I really liked that. I can remember only one spot where the boat people
>were really snotty. {At times, Viv refers to a certain bitchy American
>running a dive company out her way - it's that company.}
You caught her on a bad hair day mate ;-) Just remember next time .. dont
pay all up front in advance by credit card. Once your $ are in their till
they can forget about you & smile sweetly at the next customer for his
bucks.
<snip of the kiwi shears>
>Happy Labor Day,
>John
While you guys were celebrating Labor Day we had Fathers Day. I will type
a separate post on that in a tick.
Viv
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