| Couple months ago I wrote an article about safe | | | | back again and realized that all the divers from the |
| diving. Scuba diving is a safe sport, if you follow the | | | | group disappeared except one and he was still |
| basic rules, and choose the right people to go diving | | | | following us. We stopped, I approached him and I |
| with. | | | | clearly saw in his eyes that he was lost and scared. I |
| Few we went for two easy dives, my clients are | | | | quickly checked his air; made sure he was OK and |
| fairly new divers, so we chose the dive sites that | | | | gave him the signal to follow me. We changed our |
| would be best for their level. As always, we met at | | | | course and turned back, heading towards the boats. |
| shop before nine, checked the air, prepared the | | | | It didn't take long to see the line from the buoy and |
| equipment, did the briefing, loaded everything to the | | | | when we started the accent I saw the other guide |
| boat and went to dive sites called Park I and Park II. | | | | coming down from the surface searching for the lost |
| It was a beautiful sunny day, as most of the days | | | | diver. The guide tapped my shoulder to thank me for |
| here in Bayahibe, Dominican Republic. After a short, | | | | bringing the diver safely back and I could see a big |
| about 10 - 15 minute boat ride, we arrived to our | | | | relieve in his eyes. |
| first dive site. The dive was great, the visibility was | | | | We continued with our dive, we just changed the |
| 100 ft +, water temperature 27 C / 81 F (still too | | | | direction, but we still had a great time, saw lots of |
| cold for me but the clients loved it). We followed the | | | | marine life, didn't cut the dive short, and at the end |
| reef and by the end of the dive our boat picked us | | | | everybody was happy. Before we finished the dive |
| up. We had little bit of current on the first dive, so | | | | the other boat was gone. After we got back to the |
| we decided to go for the second dive the opposite | | | | boat, our captain told me how everybody was |
| direction and hopefully swim with the current, but this | | | | panicking on the big boat; the wife of the missing |
| time on the other side of the reef. | | | | diver was crying that she lost her husband. |
| We got ready for the second dive and just as we | | | | This day had a happy ending, only few unanswered |
| were entering the water another dive boat full of | | | | questions left. Why all this happened? Was it because |
| divers arrived. I didn't care too much, because this | | | | the guide had seven divers, some of them |
| diving area is huge and you can choose different path | | | | beginners? Or was it a bad briefing before the dive, |
| so the groups do not interfere with each other at all. | | | | maybe no briefing at all? Where was the buddy |
| I know that most dive shops dive a loop and return | | | | system? How can you lose half of your group in 30 |
| to the same spot to accent by their boat, so for | | | | ft of water with 100+ ft visibility? Was it luck of |
| that reason I prefer going along the reef, our boat is | | | | professionalism? How the rest of the divers felt |
| following us and picks us up when we finish the dive. | | | | when their dive was ruined by this incident and they |
| That was again the dive plan with my two divers. | | | | had to cut their dive short? We can ask many more |
| We reached the bottom and began slowly drifting by | | | | questions that won't be answered. |
| the reef; we stopped by the cannons and played a | | | | I do not question other dive shops and their practice, |
| bit with the cannon balls. When we were leaving this | | | | when I see a diver that needs help I help. For me to |
| underwater playground I noticed the divers from the | | | | go scuba diving is fun and should be fun for |
| other boat approaching the same area. I didn't pay | | | | everybody all the time. Unfortunately some |
| too much attention to them because they had their | | | | professionals do it only for money, the diving |
| own guide and their own dive plan. | | | | stopped being fun for them long time ago. |
| We were going our way, enjoying the dive, looking | | | | So when you are planning your next Scuba Diving |
| at corrals and fish and suddenly I saw four divers | | | | Vacation, doesn't matter if you will be Scuba Diving in |
| from the other group following me. I knew | | | | Dominican Republic, or anywhere in Caribbean, or |
| something wasn't right, I stopped and tried to figure | | | | anywhere in the world, please do your homework. |
| out what was happening, where was their guide, but | | | | Search the dive shops in the area, ask questions at |
| in that moment the group turned around and started | | | | different scuba forums or travel forums and see |
| to swim the opposite direction. So I thought | | | | what past clients say about each dive operation. |
| everything was fine. After few minutes I looked | | | | Dive safely and choose your next dive shop wisely! |