RE: Irresponsible Diver Instructor cause the Deadly Experience.

Laura2013

RE: Irresponsible Diver Instructor cause the Deadly Experience.

On 24/10/2015 morning I went to scuba dive with DIRECTOR & INSTRUCTOR – Neil Bennett from New Zealand Diving located in 22 Whitaker Road,Warkworth,Auckland.  

It was nearly dead experience, on the stormy sea surface,no dive master! 3 inexperienced dive buddies! no boat man! under 15 degree! And the instructor blamed me for climbed on the rock instead of staying in the freezing cold water, even after I have stay in the cold water for almost 1and half hour and l was losing body temperature badly! And After All of these deadly experience he asked me to pay for the weight belt!

1. Claimed it was suitable weather for diving! It was windy, rainy,even stormy on the sea, under 15 degree freezing cold water!  the Dive instructor claimed it was perfect & refused to change date!

2. There was no Dive Master stayed with us! only 3 of us, unexperienced divers, we got lost in the sea & did not do safe stop! We were totally lost in the middle & had to come up to the surface, none of them did the safe stop, and i don’t want to lost them so I didn`t have time to do the safe stop either, for twice! This is dangerous for all the divers! Now the second day, my body is aching from it!

3. There was no Boat man watching out for us! After we got up on the surface, the wave & rain got bigger and bigger, another 2 men they struggled swimming back to the boat, but big waves one after another,I was getting far and far away from the boat, I was in the middle of no where, I choked so much sea water, and I was Losing Body Temperature badly! I decided to move to the rock when i was still conscious, after fighting with waves, I had to drop the weight belt & gears to climbed on the rock! With the gears on I can hardly attached to rocks, I got big waves hit again & again, there were so many times I got struck away！I might got saved early if there was boatman, if this dive trip was organised more qualified!

After stayed in the freezing cold water for almost 1 and half hours, after I finally climbed on sharp rocks with so many cuts on the hands, I was shaking on the rock, in the rain, and surrounded by the terrifying waves, had no idea what was going to happen.

And yes,i got back to boat finally. In fact I was not going to complain anything, until the instructor asked me to pay the weight belt & said/shoutted things as below:

1. "You should stay in the water! I told you the boat can’t approach that area“. Yes, that made him has to climb the rocks to save me, even back then i was losing my temperature extremely and trapped in the waves, choked sea water, and lost control of my body, and mostly likely lost conscious eventually.

2. “You did not even gave me a hand when I climbed the rock to reach you!” Yes, after I used all my energy to got away from cold water,waves,shaking on the rocks, I got blamed I did not help him climbing the rocks when he was approaching me.

3. “You should Pay for the weight belts!”  Yes, I had to drop the weight belt to save myself, and after all these happened, that was the first thing I was informed, when I was scared , horrified, resting in the car, I was not planning to complaining anything,but I was asked to pay his belt lost. If I was not survived by then, is he going to send bill to my parents, for his lost!?

4. “You are Lucky we did not lost the gears, it worth $2000!”   Yes, after the deadly experience, this was what I have been told.

5.“Im not responsible for your life, your dive buddies are!” When divers goes trip with you,as a Instructor & Business owner,you actually think,All the divers life are None of Your Business. Sorry, are we just Cash Flow to you?! If my parents would have to claim my Dead body,They might strongly disagree.

Every life worth more than $2000.

I`m writing this letter not for anything, but hope this Dive shop take diver`s life seriously, be responsible and more humanity!

All the divers intend to trust all the instructor when we choose the dive shop!   

If this kind of people is going to do his job like this, sooner or later, we will lost some diver`s life!!!  (And wait, WE NEED TO PAY FOR HIS LOST FIRST!!!)

Regards

Laura/ A Diver