LeadTurn_SD
Contributor
...So, the question I have is: is it a "no-no" for one non-professional diver to "touch", guide, lead, etc., another, and am I just lucky something worse did not occur; or is it okay to do that? I was thinking about what if I encountered this person in a cross walk when the light was changing and helped her to the curb [she was not elderly or in any way feeble or frail, so that is not the issue, but I would not have hesitated on land to take a person's arm and move them along a little]. It turned out later that her first buddy had run out of air and the DM had buddied her up with another diver temporarily, but that guy left and ascended without telling her, so it made some sense as to why she seemed out of sorts, but I could not tell that, and my instructor buddy said it did not matter anyway as I had no business "touching" another diver. \
What do you think?
Thanks
I think you did the right thing. You encountered a diver that seemed confused or non-responsive, and who seemed to be behaving strangely given the circumstances. You rendered appropriate assistance, and other than your zero-to-hero dive instructor friend, everyone was probably happy.
Now, if you encountered a diver doing a mandatory deco stop mid-water, and dragged them up to the surface because they seemed "confused"..... different story
The point is that I think every situation is unique, but with even a slight bit of experience and good judgement (and some luck) most folks can recognize when it is time to step in and do something. The hard part is the borderline cases, where it is not apparent that the diver is in trouble...
Best wishes.