Just found a recent dissenting opinion about Lahaina Divers
May 16th, 2007 Filed Under Uncategorized
I just came across this negative review of Lahaina Divers in Maui on the forum at scubadiving.com:
http://www.scubadiving.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=28242
Some points made in the post that I have comments on:
- Setting up your gear
- Food
- Dive Master leading the group
- Crew interaction with the divers
- Nitrox availability
Setting up your gear - the author complained that the crew did not set up the gear for the diver on the first dive, but then for the second. I agree with this practice - I think divers should set up their own gear for the first dive, and then then the crew will switch tanks for them in between dives. Having the divers set up their gear is kind of a test to see how “in practice” they are. If they are fumbling around and can’t get the primary on the tank correctly or can’t get their BC rigged correctly, then that tells the dive master (DM) to keep an eye on that person in the water. I like to set up my gear for the same reason why I bought my own gear - to know that it was done right…or at least the way I think it should be done 
Food - The author complained about the quality of quantity of food on the boat. I don’t eat much before or in between dives since I am usually concentrating on not getting sick. I often come up from a dive feeling sick, so if anything I nibble on a little bread or some chips to get the sea water taste out of my mouth and to have a little something in the tummy. Given that, it still sounds like the dive shop should step up their game in terms of food. Instead of perishables that have to be delivered daily, they should try some packaged goods like energy bars…or something they can stock up once a week on and move from the shop to the boat on their own. They also shouldn’t limit food. It is a vacation, people pig out. If someone wants to scarf half a box of cookies and then chuck them up over the side on the way back, then more power to them.
DM not leading the group on the second dive - Every tropical & Hawaii island dive I have been on has been led by the DM in order to prevent divers from touching stuff or from doing something foolish like sticking out their finger around the mouth of an eel (a good way to lose the finger). I wonder if a DM called in sick and they couldn’t get a replacement, so they had to have the one DM stay on the boat (which they should for safety). My dives in Monterey and the Channel Islands were not guided. I wonder if dives on a tropical live-aboard are guided? I have done live-aboards in the Channel Islands - those were not guided, and the protocol is the boat is anchored at a location for so long…you can dive as much as you want or not dive at all during the time the “pool is open.”
Lack of crew interaction with the divers - I find that unfortunate. Crew interaction builds upon the the diving experience. When I went out with Lahaina, I found the crew to hang with the divers, but that was a year ago; they probably have the same instructors but all new boat crews by now.
Nitrox availability - I almost had a similar experience. I ordered nitrox for most of my dives (there was one where I was going over 100 feet, so I did air on that one), but on some they were not planning on bring the nitrox tanks, and other others I had to remind them….which meant they had to scurry at the last minute to measure the O2 and get the tank on the boat. I find it interesting that they will say “you don’t need nitrox on this dive” for shallower dives. It is all recreational diving; you don’t need nitrox on any dive from a boat like that since the dive profile will be for people without nitrox and without computers. It is more of a comfort or “the way dive” kind of thing. I tend to feel sick less often when I use nitrox. They should allow it on any dive where you won’t be going over 100 feet, or at least let divers know in the shop what their policy is on it instead of taking an order for it and deciding on their own to not fulfill the order. I think they do what they do because it takes extra time and effort to furnish nitrox for a diver, so they make excuses as to why it isn’t on the boat when the diver ordered it in advance.
So does this cancel my overall positive review of them? Well, it does remind me of some things they need to improve upon, but overall I would still go to them again.
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