Posted by Ken Kurtis on September 11, 2002 at 11:11:32:
In Reply to: Re: Ken... posted by Jason on September 11, 2002 at 01:00:11:
Jason wrote: "And even if they are the greatest, the reality is that you won't see some things if you stay in a pack of 7 divers. You want a good view of a cleaning station, you got to go a bit ahead or to the sides. Even 2 divers passing through can be disruptive to the residents. 7 is like any city square today."
In my experience of guided dives, "pack" was not an issue. Rather than stay tightly bundled, the divers generally separate a bit, but still stay within visual contact of the DM. In a place with 100' visibility, that means the "pack" could be stretched out 100' behind and 100' in front. So it's never been that crowded, even with a dozen divers or so.
And when it comes to something like a cleaning station, or a special critter, generally (but not always) people seem willing to take turns so as not to disrupt what's going on.
Ken Kurtis
NAUI Instr. #5936
Co-owner, Reef Seekers Dive Co.
Beverly Hills, CA