I love the sensory experience of a boat ride. In fact, one of my favorite parts of going diving is enjoying the boat ride to the dive site. Being on the boat, watching the waves, looking for marine life on the surface, and feeling the gentle rise and fall of the craft as it skims the surface makes me giddy. Of course, knowing that I'm heading off to do some diving is a great feeling, too.

However, I have to admit that there are several things I dislike about boat rides. For example, I dislike it when:

1. People use the precious dry storage real estate that the boat offers to store regs or other dive gear that's made to get wet. That space is for things that are meant to stay dry, people -- like a towel.
2. People rinse their masks in the camera storage. I know it's a small thing, but you're just not supposed to do it.
3. People use the fresh water hose to shower off between dives -- and then spray everybody on the boat. Step to the side, folks, and spray over the edge of the boat -- not into the boat.
4. People brag the entire dive trip -- about how awesome their photos are; how expensive their last dive trip was; how they would handle a shark encounter; etc. Zzzzz...
5. People chit-chat through the dive master's briefing. I want to know hear where the cool stuff is, and I can't when you're blabbing.

Hmm...in looking back over my list, I see that it's inconsiderate people who drive me nuts -- not the dive boat. What about you? What gets you fired up about being on a dive boat?