Posted by Capt Ray on April 27, 2003 at 19:03:38:
In Reply to: The Captain's Call posted by Captain Tim on April 24, 2003 at 20:12:46:
I don't post on this board very often but this is an important issue. It is the operator's (Captain's) responsibility to see to the safety of his passengers. Under most circumstances the vessel will be able to withstand a great deal more than the passengers and the crew will be pretty close to the endurance of the vessel as they will be used to dealing with it when the ocean decides to remind us who is in charge.
I personally would rather upset every diver in Southern California than to have one passenger be seriously injured or die due to a navigational error or marine casualty. The Monday Morning Quarterbacking that goes on in this industry simply reveals the lack of understanding of the threat to one's personal safety involved. I am always willing to at least poke my nose out into the ocean to "take a look" but I will not under any circumstances jeopardize the health or safety of my passengers. I have always had a healthy disrespect for the weatherman as he is just as often wrong as right but the least I can do is go look.
Tim is on the money on this and all of us understand the frustration involved with this type of second guessing. Just allow us to do the best we can and we will see to it that "WEATHER PERMITTING", you will have the best diving day we can provide.
Ray