Boat trip -wise most often the clown at the desk at the harbor will have the presumed site(s) and the main focus of the dive(s), be it photo, lobster, General Purpose, etc... About the only agenda I could see that might be a drag for you would be in the first few days of October when lobster season opens. Diving for lobster or "bugs" means a lot of moving around, both by the divers and by the boat. If you're off over there in lala-land and the boat needs to split, well you might hear a few grumbles from the gung-ho schmucks out for their self declared deserved limit of crustaceans. Bugger 'em.
But when you think about it, you'd not be going all over Hell and breakfast far from the boat so you'd be able to hear the stern crew give a yell and you'd be smooth. Photo dives need only concern you as far as the photographers, and most wise spearos get bent over anybody working up current of them, stirring up the silt or voiding their bladders. :naughty As far as too much gear on the boat, hey it's up to the diver to get his/her crap safely stowed and arranged to have handed over or up. Your concern is safely enjoying the trip. And that's where the "Howdy" to the crew comes in...
Tell the boat's Captain(s) what you're there for. There will be a little "Hi and how the heck are ya" from the crew after the first splash of the anchor outlining the routines and anything funny in the way of how to get called back in the event of an emergency. After that, get a hold of the DM or better yet the safety diver who will most likely be lounging against the mask rinse basin and bid him/her a fond hello and ask where the fun is at that particular spot. Most clowns on a boat are all rah-rah and "been there" so the notion of having someone roll up and ask is pretty appealing to a guy that has to hang out in a surf suit all day. As you'll be cruising the outer edges of the kelp beds and in plain sight, you're one less body to have to track bubble-wise and one less body to sit is always a smooth thing. You might want to take a stroll by the dock to see the goings-on and speak with the crew after all the hoopla of offloading and cleaning has been done. This is the busiest time for a crew but afterwards, just siddle on over and ask away.
And this is the key to not looking like a gremmie- ASK QUESTIONS... OF EVERYBODY. The leaders of the dive club there just didn't happen to get elected because of their stunning good looks. Well I did, but anyways much as a stern crew will appreciate some humility, so will any other diver interested in seeing that you are safe around them. End of story. It's the idiots that pose and fake it and don't ask that get hurt.
But when you think about it, you'd not be going all over Hell and breakfast far from the boat so you'd be able to hear the stern crew give a yell and you'd be smooth. Photo dives need only concern you as far as the photographers, and most wise spearos get bent over anybody working up current of them, stirring up the silt or voiding their bladders. :naughty As far as too much gear on the boat, hey it's up to the diver to get his/her crap safely stowed and arranged to have handed over or up. Your concern is safely enjoying the trip. And that's where the "Howdy" to the crew comes in...
Tell the boat's Captain(s) what you're there for. There will be a little "Hi and how the heck are ya" from the crew after the first splash of the anchor outlining the routines and anything funny in the way of how to get called back in the event of an emergency. After that, get a hold of the DM or better yet the safety diver who will most likely be lounging against the mask rinse basin and bid him/her a fond hello and ask where the fun is at that particular spot. Most clowns on a boat are all rah-rah and "been there" so the notion of having someone roll up and ask is pretty appealing to a guy that has to hang out in a surf suit all day. As you'll be cruising the outer edges of the kelp beds and in plain sight, you're one less body to have to track bubble-wise and one less body to sit is always a smooth thing. You might want to take a stroll by the dock to see the goings-on and speak with the crew after all the hoopla of offloading and cleaning has been done. This is the busiest time for a crew but afterwards, just siddle on over and ask away.
And this is the key to not looking like a gremmie- ASK QUESTIONS... OF EVERYBODY. The leaders of the dive club there just didn't happen to get elected because of their stunning good looks. Well I did, but anyways much as a stern crew will appreciate some humility, so will any other diver interested in seeing that you are safe around them. End of story. It's the idiots that pose and fake it and don't ask that get hurt.
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