In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: OPEN BOAT posted by divinotter on April 23, 2008 at 14:42:12:

If a boat had mostly open slots that might suggest that it is not well thought of by dive shops and clubs, so if you know nothing about the boat, you might want to asked around before booking. I wouldn't assume an open boat automatically spells trouble. A couple of open slots in a season certainly does not suggest that and, of course, some captains may prefer not to deal with shops, particularly if their boat is small and they can fill it without dealing with shops. That just cuts into their profit.

The idea that a shop knows the divers is mistaken. It only knows the students it is putting on the boat. The rest of the slots are sold to great unwashed public. More experienced divers might actually be on open boats simply because they know the names of the boats in the fleet and how to contact them directly. Recently certified divers are probably more likely to rely on the shops to book boat trips.