Are you seeking attention and notoriety? Does the world, in fact, actually revolve around you? Do you crave the experience of having others point at you while carrying on hushed discussions behind their hands? Maybe you just like living on the edge… In any case, we’ve got three tips just for you!
1. Lug your oversized hard case full of dive gear (and everything else but the kitchen sink) on board five minutes before departure and stake out some prime real estate. Doh! First off, you should always wait to be invited aboard by the captain or crew. Next, bring only what you need and stay away from those solid box type of bags. Yes, they are great for protecting your camera equipment, but there’s no room on a dive boat for one – leave that in the car. If you must bring an equipment bag on board, it should be a flexible one that can be folded up and stowed out of everyone’s way. Once on board, you should always be sure to keep your area tidy and contained. Finally, remember to show up at the proper check-in time, not the departure time. All boats will have you fill out release forms and will also need to set up equipment, brief you, etc. If you’re late, it can delay things for everyone who arrived on time.
2. Leave your c-card at home (gotta travel light, right?). Everyone will be able to tell you’re a certified diver just by looking at you and if they ask, you’ve got your number memorized anyway. Okay folks, I think anyone can make up any number they want and tell the dive crew that’s their certification number. Will that work? Nope. You got certified for a reason (well, probably lots of reasons), and your c-card is PROOF of that. And guess what? You need to provide proof of certification to go diving. Bring it with you – this should be an easy one. Plus, the dive crew will totally dig getting to look at your 1971 moustache and beard or your 1982 Aqua Net poofy bangs. Let’s start the day with a little humor, shall we?
3. Chat with your newfound dive buddies seated next to you during the briefing; you’ve heard all this before anyway. Wrong! Every boat is a bit different, and the boat briefing contains information that could actually save your life (like where the throw rings are and where the marine head is)! You’ll also want to note procedures for getting off and back on the boat again, as well as learning where your dry items will be stored during the trip. In addition, divers and passengers should remain seated during take off and landing, uh, I mean when the boat leaves from and returns to wherever it’s docked. During that time, the crew will usually need to scurry around the vessel, throwing out bumpers, securing lines, and other such tasks and they’ll appreciate being able to get this done without tripping over their customers.
Well, as you can see, this ended up being a post about how NOT to be “that person”, but we hope you enjoyed it anyway. If you’re interested in not being “that person” aboard the Maui Diamond II, just give us a call for the latest in trip availability and destinations! And, of course, if you’ve got any tips of your own, feel free to share them here!
Aloha, Rachel
p.s. We used two photos in this blog, and one of them contains a boat no-no that wasn’t specifically mentioned. Can you figure out what it is?
