In Reply to: Sundiver Boat posted by Andy on September 22, 2005 at 13:16:07:

Dear Divers,

Many of you know me. I am the Sundiver's Dive Master, Crew, captain-in-training, etc. I have served, comforted, rescued and/or worked 14-16 hour days trying to give those of you who ride with us truly pleasant, unique dive days and I would like to personally respond to this libelous e-mail from "Andy" as it attacks me, my boat, my captain and my passion.

From Sundiver's perspective, Western Scuba has been a problematic charter from day one. Long before I worked the boat, the captain, in more than one instance, was moved to cut short a day trip upon discovering and ending poaching activities by Western Scuba. I believe Sin himself, Western's leader, has been cited for taking shorts. For example, one day in particular jumps to mind that included, among other surprisingly wrong takes, a beautiful little horn shark shot by a Western Scuba diver for apparently(?) testosterone-driven reasons. And yes, after that, it did become a wee bit difficult to maintain a perfectly cheerful and polite outlook towards this group that destroys my favorite aquatic creatures in such an irresponsible and cruel fashion. Thank you, Western for your blase attitude toward the safety of our charter license and your unmitigated bent toward destroying anything and everything in the ocean you might be able to eat.

The captain and I were actually discussing the most diplomatic method of releasing this charter when they cancelled a weekend trip with less than a week's notice with allegations that the "crew" (that would be me) were rude and made disparaging remarks about their food being "gross" (For the record, I have tried items from Western's group meals and enjoyed many, being an avid sushi fan), and demanded their deposit back. On what planet is it normal to cancel a booked charter mere DAYS before it runs and expect your deposit back? Get serious, Andy. The "30 days notice" claim is an out and out lie. I was there when Ray took the call. And Andy, how dare you impeach, libel (a LEGAL term), and try to damage our business. People in glass houses should NOT throw stones.

And as for rude... How about the overnight trip to the outside that was made impossible due to weather conditions? I worked my butt off from 10pm one night to 8pm the next and Western, apparently blaming Sundiver for the weather conditions, did not tip even $1. Or take the fact that this macho group is rude and dismissive to our 'female' crew. Seriously, how "rude" have I ever been to any of you? Kevin? Elaine? Jon Davies? Maciek? Gina? Susan? Scuba Toys? Dolphin Dive? OADC? I think my record speaks for itself, but feel free to chip in divers. ;)

Ironically, by the way, I actually defended Western for some time. I was, you see, charmed by their communal meals and strong bonds with each other. They were also quite stalwart that day we brought them safely home in 6-8 ft seas with 12-15ft sets. I guess we were rude that day too.

But yes, please do think before you charter Sundiver. We do not want, nor will we tolerate, groups that feel justified in shooting horn sharks, short fish, Garibaldis, etc., or in tailing short lobster and stuffing them into BC pockets to sneak onto dive boats. We care as much about the health of the ocean environment as we do about the health, safety and comfort of our divers.

The two+ years I have been with Sundiver have not been easy ones, as most of you know. They have, however, been among the most rewarding and fulfilling of my life. So you know, Western, your ridiculous words here and your even more ridiculous prior allegations do nothing to change this.

As for all you reasonable divers, I and Sundiver welcome you with as much enthusiasm as ever! I think we're going to have a lovely Fall and Winter season. Bugs look out!

See you under,
Kyaa

• Does Western Scuba have any association with KSDA? Chris 18:28:41 09/22/05 (0)
• Western Scuba & Ski 18:18:39 09/22/05 (2)
  • ray is an icon...don't atttack icons! Gregg M 18:44:45 09/22/05 (1)
    • Re: ray is an icon...don't atttack icons! ex-poster 07:56:36 09/23/05 (0)