‘Do you want to make more money?’ Jim asked. He was the director supervising the dive team on board. He had known I was kind of having a cash flow problem. ‘We only 6 passengers, so the shop is sending you and Brian home. Or,’ he paused, ‘Brian and I go home, and you stay.’
I sensed that Jim didn’t want to stay for two more nights for some reasons. But, I was hesitating to make the decision, because I was not familiar with all the operations on the boat. Also, I would have more workload without Brian on board.
‘Eric will be the director and all the dive masters will help you. You will be fine.’ Jim somehow knew what I was concerned and tried to convince me it’s a good deal.
‘Okay.’ I answered although I was not sure what to choose.
I checked the roaster in the next morning. Eric assigned me to do introductory diving with a couple and a dive master to guide a new customer who would be arriving later. I would have made the same arrangement. I preferred guiding but only instructors could conduct introductory diving. I probably had to take care all the introductory dives in this trip because it’s impossible to ask Eric such a senior instructor to do the job. Whatever, looked at the bright side, I could earn all the commissions myself.
‘The man is 75 years old, so you have to take him diving.’ Eric suddenly came to the dive deck.
’75 years old?’ I repeated. I hadn’t realised what was happening. I was refilling tanks with my wetsuit still dripping. I had just come back from the introductory dive.
‘Just like what I've told the dive master, you take him diving now. I already told him to get ready. Take him diving again right after lunch. He is leaving at two thirty.’ Eric spoke fast as though he hadn’t need to breath.
Ah! the newly arrival customer. Sure, I would have made the same decision. Took the risk for taking a 75-year-old customer diving into account, I would have had an instructor to do the job instead of a dive master. Besides, all the dive masters were still on training.
‘Okay.’ I replied. I had no choice but took two more dives and a quick lunch in between.
‘I’m going home.’ Eric suddenly came again. 'They sent the wrong person home. They should’ve sent you and Brian home yesterday.’
I was in a shock and speechless.
‘I will talk to the shop.’ Eric suddenly left. He seemed to be willing to stay instead of me. The shop would probably prefer an experienced instructor to stay, too.
The glass bottom boat came as scheduled at 2:30. The dive deck was getting busy for transferring passengers back to Cairns. Right after all the passengers hopped on the glass bottom boat, Eric suddenly showed up with a backpack in his hand.
‘Stop him!’ I yelled and pointed to Eric.
‘Don’t worry, just do the advance course and have dive masters do the rest. New director will come tomorrow morning.’ Eric still spoke fast without pausing. His feet did not pause, either.
I was in a shock and speechless, again.
I was left as the only instructor. No, for correction, I became the director. How was I going to run the business on my own? No time to think about that. I had to do introductory diving soon again. But, there ought have been at least 1 instructor on deck for emergency while I was in the water. Alright, I had to ask the approval of the skipper for going into water.
‘I’m also an instructor,’ Frank said and winked his left eye, ‘just no liability insurance coverage. Kathy can also help. She is a dive master, too.’ He pointed to the elderly woman next to him.
He appeared to be my Santa Claus for whatever I requested. Never seen such a nice skipper. With his understanding was good enough. I should not have had a skipper doing my job on the dive deck.
After getting the support from the skipper, I needed the support from dive masters, too. Perhaps, I had never thought I were superior than them, all of them helped me to run the logistics without asking. After I finished the introductory diving, the dive deck was well organised.
The crisis was not over, but at least I had made some progress. The next immediate problem was the night dive. I had 9 customers needed to be guided for the night dive.
Frank came to check if everything was fine. ‘Do you know delicate?’ He said, ‘You cannot do everything on your own.’ He was right. I definitely could not guide so many customers at once.
I bet on the most senior dive master to guide the half of the customers although he had only about 1-month work experience. I had him to do the briefing before the night dive in order to establish his authority in front of customers. Customers would trust the dive guide who just briefed them for the dive site. Then, we spitted the customers into 2 groups for guiding. The night dive went well.
When I was preparing the night dive on deck, I was discussing with a customer who had booked an advanced course before arriving. That would be the last problem to be solved before the next director came to rescue me. Another customer overheard the discussion and wanted to have an advanced course, too.
’No,’ I said, 'I cannot give you the advanced course. I’m sorry that I couldn’t commit something beyond my ability.’ The 2 customers could take a deep dive together in the next morning, but I just couldn’t take more workload now.
Just after I turned down the customer's request for an advanced course, I realised that would be unfair if I took the other customer for a deep dive. So, I cancelled the deep dive and left the new director to worry about that. Instead, I would stay on board for the first dive in the next morning. I was so tired and really needed a break.
I let the dive masters know my plan for the next morning. I knew they were longing for diving. They worked for nothing but diving for fun. I clearly stated that I would have 1 dive master go diving for fun if the others can run the dive deck on their own. They were all willing to take more workload because of the reward of a fun dive.
In the next morning, dive masters handled everything for me. The dive deck was busy but I was not. Finally, the new director came to take over the job.
‘Can you stay?’ Frank seemed to joke with smile.
‘I am going home today.’ I cheered with smile.
‘No, I am asking can you stay one more night.’ Frank said. He was serious. He was asking on behalf of the dive shop. Someone in the shop must have made a ridiculous decision again.
‘No.’ This time I knew what to choose for a certainty.
