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1. I haven’t been asked for a c-card on repeat visits, have you dove with them before?
2. Never been to a shop that didn’t make you check and sign for your nitrox mix
4. Unless you paid for a guided tour the DM just gives the site brief and may not even enter the water. If they do he/she is just another diver and free to do whatever like collect weights. The DM and crew at Looe Reef Resort won’t even help you back onto the boat, they’re primary job is selling chicken dogs and snacks.
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1. The first time I chartered with this shop they never asked me for my certs either, on the phone or in person. When I showed up and asked them, they still did told me there was no need. And asking other divers, they weren’t asked for their certs either. Every other reputable shop asks you on each dive.
2. The communication between the shop and the charter wasn’t there. Ultimately, it’s the diver’s responsibility to test his/her tanks but again, a reputable shop will have the FO2/MOD on the tank and a clip board for the diver to sign off on his tanks. No instructions were given at the shop to test the tanks out back before heading to the boat. Bad communication.
4. There was a senior PADI Instructor who told the captain and the DM that since the wreck was a historical artifact, we were not to tie lines to it or retrieve anything from it.....they did anyway. Yes, I’ve been on boats where they fiddle their thumbs while you get back on board — if you can’t lift yourself out of water and aren’t a special needs diver, you shouldn’t be going out anyway.
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I’m thinking that their lack of checks puts you at risk because they could be allowing divers that should not be diving with you. Yes you should be self reliant but you don’t have to get in the water already knowing others aren’t.
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There’s no law that requires someone to have a c-card to dive; although it’s certainly "standard practice" in the dive industry. I’m not sure how it affects your safety since you are responsible for your safety and not the other divers. There are lots of divers in the world who have been doing it for decades and predate the scuba "industry" selling c-cards. Usually you find boats that are involved in selling training being the ones who check more for cards.
I wouldn’t expect the boat to have a nitrox tester for you onboard. The fill station probably has one, and if you’re diving nitrox you should have one (and it sounds like you did). The boat may or may not.
Are you sure they tied to the wreck? Most historical wrecks off the FL coast (at least the ones that I’ve dived) have mooring buoys that are maintained by NOAA. The boat would tie off to the buoy. That’s how it has been on every wreck dive I’ve done. The weights and lures sure sound like pollution from people fishing on the wreck to me. I’ve seen that on dives as well. Many fishermen leave a real mess behind. Ever done a cleanup dive? If not, you’d probably be surprised just how much junk there is. If you’re concerned about them taking historical artifacts you can definitely report it. I doubt weights and lures are considered historical artifacts.
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Correct, there are no laws about showing certs; but, this is a sign of due diligence on the shop’s part for their protection and the diver’s. Good shops ask— bad shops just want to collect the money.
Per the Nitrox tester on the boat. No one at the shop directed us to the back to test the tanks. They took the money and sent us to the boat. The Captain of the boat thought we’d had tested the tanks at the shop. My point was the poor communication between the captain and shop to dive the divers a chance to test their tanks. But again, good shops test their tanks, direct divers to do the same and have a sign off sheet for divers to assume responsibility for their Nitrox tanks — bad shops don’t give a flip. No laws broken, but when you ignore good practices you wonder what other details have they’ve left out
Yes, the DM tied off on the wreck. There was a mooring block available but he tied off on the infrastructure. I don’t know if he didn’t see it or not. There was a senior Dive instructor with me who lived in FL and mentioned the various violations visiting a historical wreck.
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Best advice find another Charter. There out there you just have to look and talk to other divers who they dive with !!!
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