What makes a dive centre / boat photo friendly?

[TimIngmire]

So what do you guys think?

I can think of:

1. Seperate fresh water wash bucket - not for other gear / spit bucket.
2. Dry area for camera gear
3. Secure space during transits on the boat, so that the camera doesn't bounce around
4. Crew that know how to handle the camera to and from you during entry and exit respectively.
5. Free gear?

Can you think of anything else?

[Capel diver]

It would be great to have access to a computer so you could download your photos from your camera and e-mail them to your home computer from your holiday dive centre/liveaboard.

[TimIngmire]

So, post processing facilities with either film development and scanning or just a desktop for burning cd's as well for backup. It seems to me that more and more liveaboards seem to be offering these facilities but not dive centres in my experience.

[Mike W]

Agree with all of these, and would add that the centre/boat needs to be sympathetic to us snappers. Quite often the group dive (I'm thinking liveaboard and overseas here) puts everyone in the same place at the same time and that isn't always a good thing for us, loadsa fins, sediment, etc - so the operators need to be flexible enough to allow us to do our thing. Best thing about digital is that you can show 'em your pics to demonstrate the extra freedom is beneficial!

[TimIngmire]

On one dive in the Red Sea last year we saw a line of about 7/8 photographers all swimming along the reef with big housed SLR's and big strobes etc. They overtook me! They then stopped in one area and proceeded to kick the shit out of everything. I just hovered and watched them in amazement before they then all finned off in another direction.

Mike, in your experience does the 'group dive' also happen on Photo trip / workshop Liveaboards?

[Mike W]

Hi Tim.

On liveaboards the routine is usually to get the group together for a dive briefing so everyone knows what to do/expect. If the diving is from a tender the group can be split and two runs made, but the practicalities dictate that there will be groups. If from the back of the main boat, divers tend to drop in when ready, depending on their experience and the way of working of the dive guide.

My preference (Ignoring the solo option, which is my preferred way to dive) is to agree with the dive guide in advance that I and buddy will follow the general plan, but not the guide. If going in from a tender and the group goes deep we go deeper or (More often!) shallower, and dawdle along at the back. Only problem here is that some divers are reeeaaallly slow to leave the surface. If the group is split in two I like to get in with the first group and out with the second so I can have more time. If going in from the back of the liveaboard I like to kit up and just get in asap, again I find most divers dawdle through kitting up, so I can be in the water for five or ten mins without company. Doesn't get me more marine life, but it does get less frames with fins etc at the edges.

Being able to do this is what I meant about the dive operators looking after photographers.

[Scuba1]

Originally Posted by TimIngmire

So, post processing facilities with either film development and scanning or just a desktop for burning cd's as well for backup. It seems to me that more and more liveaboards seem to be offering these facilities but not dive centres in my experience.

Well I do ...... even have a cylinder with air thingy to blow dry the housing. So there

Michael