IS IT Me Dive boat Skipper

[bellmandd]

IS IT ME
Dose any one wonder why we dive in the uk the weather is unpredictable the viz is the same but.I have dived around the world and the place I love to dive is the English channel. It can be the absolute pants or it can be spectacular I have dived the Moldavia 15 plus times but once diving with Steve Johnson {nauticat skipper}we must have had 30 to 40m plus viz will remember until I am in my wooden box and that’s why I think most of us love diving in the uk.I am a dive boat Skipper based in Brighton I take a lot of clubs and individuals on charters some times the viz is good some times the viz is crap I think that is Uk diving. This is my first post on YD except for my dive list so I may be in the wrong place. I had a dive for individuals booked on the City of Waterford posted and had 4 spaces free a diver called Phil emails me and wants to book 2 spaces for the dive on Sunday I tell the divers booked on for that trip to call me the evening before to check he weather!!! The day before the wind is F 6 to 7 but the forecast is 3 to 4 the said diver calls me at 1100 and says the weather is looking bad and the viz was bad in Swanage 120 miles away last week? so I say the forecast is ok for tomorrow cant say what the viz will be like but we will be 9 miles offshore and the the tides have been small all week so worst case will be 2 3m then diver tells me that he and buddy will give it a miss!!!!!!!!!! And he has given me enough notice 12 hours?after I have turned others away. I don’t normally take deposits from Individuals as 99% are good to there word but think that will have to change. The problem is I think that with the Internet everybody is a weather forecaster but its not just the wind its local knowledge and tides just say you had a south west Force 5 with a flood tide would de diveable with a ebb tide it’s a no go.It dose get up my goat when people try and tell me my Job via the internet. I think what most dive boat skippers want to do is get you out give you a good dive and get you back safe and see you again.
Sorry if this seems like having pop at any one but not met to.
Look forward to any comments.
Regards
Paul
Skipper Brighton Diver

[Janos]

I know what you mean about the sheer unpredictability of UK diving. One of the best days I had last year was when I trekked all the way down to Weymouth, expecting poor viz and poor weather but was pleasantly surprised.

I think it is off that the guy cancelled. We're meant to be diving with Steve tomorrow afternoon, and we're going to make the call tomorrow morning. Steve is a good skipper and one I trust implicitly, and I'm happy to trust his judgement. However there are skippers out there who I don't trust when it comes to weather decisions, but then I don't use them anymore.

There is one thing you can say about the weather with some certainty though, and that is no-one gets it right all the time!

Janos

[Zero-Viz]

Originally Posted by Janos

I think it is off that the guy cancelled. We're meant to be diving with Steve tomorrow afternoon, and we're going to make the call tomorrow morning. Steve is a good skipper and one I trust implicitly, and I'm happy to trust his judgement. Janos

It's annoyting when this happens, I always ask for a deposit now on our dives when I advertise spare spaces. I don't like doing it but I've been stung in the past (you know who you are!) to often and people genuinely don't seem to mind.

I've spoken to Steve, we're out with him in the morning but he said it looks as though it's picking up in the afternoon so good luck.

Nick

[Mark Davies]

It is a real give-and-take situation and probably quite unique.

Sure it is annoying for us divers to make plans for a dive weekend, spend money on boats and accommodation and then get poor dives. On the other hand, it's a tough position for a skipper to be in; having his income in some way dependant on factors entirely out of their control - the weather.

Bottom line, we know what the risks are when we decide to go diving - it's in the nature of what we do. My take on it is this - I'll trust the skipper to make the call on whether the conditions are diveable. He's the local expert after all. If his assessment is that it's diveable he gets paid, even if I decide I don't fancy it and choose not to dive. In return, if the skipper says he can't take me out I don't expect to have to pay.

Of course this relies on a great deal of trust. Opinions will differ on what conditions are diveable, but there have been a few times I've looked at white horses from the harbour and canned a dive while others have chosen to go out and managed a reasonable dive, so the skipper's opinion usually proves right. I can only think of one occassion where unanimously the whole boat refused to go out with a skipper who said conditions were diveable when we all thought different, and that ended in a row. But such instances seem to be few and far between, so by default I will go with the skipper's call.

The good skippers will call you the day before a dive and cancel a trip and I have to say that's very good of them - to make a call that will loose their week's income. Those skippers deserve a bit of loyalty and I will go back to them again and again, because I know from then on that if they say it's okay then it will be.

Everybody needs to remember, when you book a boat to dive you make a contract and as long as the skipper is able to deliver his side of the bargain then you are obliged to honour yours - whether you choose to dive or not. Pay up!

[tom]

Originally Posted by bellmandd

diver called Phil emails me and wants to book 2 spaces for the dive on Sunday I tell the divers booked on for that trip to call me the evening before to check he weather!!! The day before the wind is F 6 to 7 but the forecast is 3 to 4 the said diver calls me at 1100 and says the weather is looking bad and the viz was bad in Swanage 120 miles away last week? so I say the forecast is ok for tomorrow cant say what the viz will be like but we will be 9 miles offshore and the the tides have been small all week so worst case will be 2 3m then diver tells me that he and buddy will give it a miss!!!!!!!!!! And he has given me enough notice 12 hours?after I have turned others away.

I reckon 'Phil' and his buddy both owe you for a day's diving, assuming the boat went out. Let's hope he's reading this and coughs up.

You book, you pay, that's how it works.

2-3m is perfectly diveable anyway!

[milldog]

Originally Posted by tom

2-3m is perfectly diveable anyway!

thats UK diving isnt it ?

[Miss Roxy Chablis]

It was certainly a good call this morning Paul. I always love sneaking one in during a small weather window. Like the new boat mate - big improvement - thanks for a crackin little dive on the Waterford with 2-3m of dark viz - all the best

[bellmandd]

we went out in know more than f2 to f3 viz was about 3m all the lads did dive time about 45 to 1 hour and told me they had a good dive we didn’t both with the 2nd dive as viz looked pretty poop in shore
Its nice to get some feedback that you have made the right call steve on channel diver was met to be out for the afternoon dive but had to cancel his crew as the wind came a few hours sooner than the forecast

[glenncampbell]

Paul,

I agree on all acounts - in fairness if you book the dive and it isn't blown off then you should pay for the dive regardless of forecast. Simple as that. Pay up! To be fair to 'Phil' has a right to cancel but a fair compromise has to be struck for Paul as well - it's his living. As Mark says Skippers will call a dive and lose income if the weather is bad, thus playing fair all round. Booking with deposits is a major hassle for all - let's all try and keep the trust in place or I suspect very soon we'll all be sorry. If you cancel any other professional without adequate notice you'd pay a fee - why not for the Skipper in this case?

British weather is what it is - things change last minute. I also think that as a diver I'll be led by the skipper as to whether the dive is viable given the conditions, forecasts and so on as he's the expert! 2-3m viz was fine - nice little dive and home in time for lunch!

See you on your lovely new spacious boat soon Paul.

G

[Janos]

Originally Posted by Howard Payne

It was certainly a good call this morning Paul. I always love sneaking one in during a small weather window. Like the new boat mate - big improvement - thanks for a crackin little dive on the Waterford with 2-3m of dark viz - all the best

Git. We were blown out in the afternoon so it was a walk to the pub to burn off the psyched-up frustration.

Janos