What are your biggest pet peeves?

[readysalted]

that's what we call two ****s......if you tell them you just had a **** they would have just had two !!!!

Quite a difference from the wolf fish in the New England area. Great picture!

My biggest pet peeves are the divers who always have to "one-up" everyone on the boat. They always have to be the best, have the most expensive equipment, go to the most exotic locations. Everything is a contest to them. You simply cannot beat these people; They always have to be better than you. You have 1000 dives, well they have 10,000 dives! Nevermind the fact, they just started diving two years ago. Your computer cost $400, well their computer cost $1000 and is way better than yours. Your a divemaster? Well, my friend Joe Shmo is a techical XYZ instructor and he says you're doing it wrong.

I don't mean to say that people don't have a right to be proud of their accomplishments if in fact they're true. Everyone is known to embellish a little here and there but some people take this to the extreme. I have no problem with people telling stories if they're true.

I always find the quieter, less macho-type people that usually have nothing to prove are the better divers. Their skills show in their diving and they don't need to brag about spending X amount on gear or how many dives they have.

 

[matt_w]

Example: The diver in a group of Malaysians I had not too long ago who would do his giant stride holding his fins in his arms. The less experienced divers were impressed by his "coolness" and tried to imitate him. I had to retrieve more than one lost fin.

I happen to be one of those divers who holds her fins when I enter. It's not a matter of trying to look "cool". The days when I cared about looking "cool" were over about 25 years ago. It's a judgement call I make about whether I'd rather lose a fin or slip and fall while walking to entry point--especially long traverses on boats with few hand holds. Losing a fin would be a drag but falling would be worse. There are a lot of divers who think the same way. "Being cool" has nothing to do with it.

I do it when I am hot 250+ jumps (est), no lost fins...

 

[matt_w]

I love this ! I've witnessed so my people blurt out 'violation of standards' it makes me feel like I'm Medieval England.... hearing:

"-- Blasphemy !! --"

Thank you i have a snorkel on when I am doing something that does in fact have standards requiring it (assisting a class), otherwise it is off. I have managed to survive a few thousand dives without it, I know I am just lucky, but it is still my choice.

I also use a snorkel when I am snorkeling...

 

[vladimir]

Never experienced that over there. Most Taiwanese did NOT want to speak English and especially not to me. They focused on speaking to my wife and in either Taiwanese or Mandarin.

I was walking among a crowd of ethnic Chinese in Singapore (as one frequently does there) when a Chinese man accosted me, speaking Mandarin. (I am Caucasian.) "I'm sorry, I don't speak Mandarin..." I responded, courteously omitting the "but any and all of the dozens of people you walked by to get to me probably do." Without hesitation, he then proceeded to ask me directions in perfect English, which I happily supplied.

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

I get peeved by the guy who walked up to my shop's booth a few weeks ago, and fired out," What kind of tanks do you use?" I answered that our recreational divers used al 80's as the depths were very shallow on our reefs. He then enlightened me that he only used steel tanks because he was a master diver, and when I was as good as he was, I'd change my operation.

I swooned. A Master Diver. Wow. He then told me how he was looking for some exitement and "real" diving. I asked what he meant by that, and he told me that he had been doing drift dives.
Wow...... Drift dives. I told him that we did drift dives frequently due to the unpredictable and strong currents we had, and if he wanted, I'd be happy to let him use our steel tanks. I also mentioned that the dive we had out on the weekend had a ripping current at the shipping lanes. We would be doing a negative entry on the backroll and catching the reef at about 21 meters. He said he'd let me know, and left. Another guy (a long time diver here), was standing there, knew the guy and said he'd never known him to dive here. Said the guy changed from master diver to instructor depending on the party. Ick. I love listening to divers. I hate being condescended to by idiots who really think I can't tell the difference.

 

[knowone]

Those that quote agencies standards, to augment their position
in argument, and in doing so succeed in purporting much lower

standards

 

[vladimir]

I swooned. A Master Diver. Wow.
....

Wow...... Drift dives.

 

[Foxfish]

I dislike it when divers get peeved over trivia. Just enjoy the dive. Expect people not to be as good as you are. You won't be disappointed.

 

[thkhoo]

Wow...... Drift dives.

Hey... I happen to LIKE drift dives!

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

Me too. I love them. We do them almost weekly. But to hear him brag about how unique and special he was for doing a drift dive, just told me he has no idea what impressive or challenging really is. He was puffed out, and showing off for his buddies. The only problem was that he either wasn't a diver, or he had a basic cert and few dives. One of those who like to pretend they know everything. He had no idea what I was talking about.

I know divers who Do know everything. I love listening and learning from them. This guy, nah.