SloopCamotop
Registered
Looking for feedback on how others deal with insta buddies that go off plan during the dive. Example is a recent dive on Vandenberg in Key West. I was leading/navigating as I have significantly more time on this ship than my boat-supplied buddy. Her first day on it. Nice day, mild to no current, 30-40 ft vis.
Started on ball 2 and explored to stern at ball 4. Rule of 1/3’s and it’s time to head back to line. I signal, it is acknowledged, and we leave 4th ball to head to 2nd. At 3rd I look back and find I am alone. I’m at 1300 or so and the plan is be at the line at 1000. I do the usual deal and look up/down/all around ect, and once assured she wasn’t next to me, I check my watch, NDL, and air, and I reluctantly head back to 4.
On way back to 4 she appears through the haze, and beckons me to follow her further back. Against my preference, I do. 1200. I am experiencing a tiny bit of “gas anxiety” at this point. I have no idea what it might be but she seems excited. Arrive about right where I had given the “pair up and head back” signal, and she points out a moray. I could not care less. I am maybe 1000 now and two balls back. I flash the ok and repeat the pair up and return signal, and this time I put the screws to it just a tad as I am not comfortable with the deviation from plan, as I like to stick right to the numbers.
We are off plan, I’m watching my gas, I am at 85 fsw or so, and I am slightly annoyed. At the line at 750, out of the water 500, no harm no foul. The plan had cushion built in, and it was used, with cushion to spare for more shenanigans if something had gone sideways.
All I say is onboard something to the effect of “You scared the crap out of me when I turned around and there was nothing but empty water!” and leave it at that.
Next day some guys are plowing through fan coral and holding onto the reef. I give them the “lift up!” signal, and they stay higher.
So I will try to teach or “correct” people who are damaging a reef but I have little to zero motivation to try and teach an insta buddy. I believe I should have noticed more quickly that I was alone, and that a pre-dive conversation of positioning would have been useful, and I can lay the blame for that on myself. Further to that I’m nobody’s keeper and feel little responsibility to say or do anything that would appear to be reprimanding. Unless one were to turn off my tank or shoot me with a spear I’m basically going to do my best dive and zip it when others go off plan, unless it is going to hurt some other person besides them or me, or the reef.
My wife and I disagree on the etiquette for a cattle boat, and she feels I have a responsibility to that diver’s NEXT buddy to address and issues post-dive, and animatedly so if necessary. I say the next dive buddy is responsible for themselves, I am not. I zip it.
This is a 1000 shades of grey situation, with almost infinite variability, but how many of you internally shake your head and zip it, vs having a post-mortem with another diver, being frank about the reasons that we have a plan and stick to the plan?
TL;DR How often do you scold people, I guess is my question.
Started on ball 2 and explored to stern at ball 4. Rule of 1/3’s and it’s time to head back to line. I signal, it is acknowledged, and we leave 4th ball to head to 2nd. At 3rd I look back and find I am alone. I’m at 1300 or so and the plan is be at the line at 1000. I do the usual deal and look up/down/all around ect, and once assured she wasn’t next to me, I check my watch, NDL, and air, and I reluctantly head back to 4.
On way back to 4 she appears through the haze, and beckons me to follow her further back. Against my preference, I do. 1200. I am experiencing a tiny bit of “gas anxiety” at this point. I have no idea what it might be but she seems excited. Arrive about right where I had given the “pair up and head back” signal, and she points out a moray. I could not care less. I am maybe 1000 now and two balls back. I flash the ok and repeat the pair up and return signal, and this time I put the screws to it just a tad as I am not comfortable with the deviation from plan, as I like to stick right to the numbers.
We are off plan, I’m watching my gas, I am at 85 fsw or so, and I am slightly annoyed. At the line at 750, out of the water 500, no harm no foul. The plan had cushion built in, and it was used, with cushion to spare for more shenanigans if something had gone sideways.
All I say is onboard something to the effect of “You scared the crap out of me when I turned around and there was nothing but empty water!” and leave it at that.
Next day some guys are plowing through fan coral and holding onto the reef. I give them the “lift up!” signal, and they stay higher.
So I will try to teach or “correct” people who are damaging a reef but I have little to zero motivation to try and teach an insta buddy. I believe I should have noticed more quickly that I was alone, and that a pre-dive conversation of positioning would have been useful, and I can lay the blame for that on myself. Further to that I’m nobody’s keeper and feel little responsibility to say or do anything that would appear to be reprimanding. Unless one were to turn off my tank or shoot me with a spear I’m basically going to do my best dive and zip it when others go off plan, unless it is going to hurt some other person besides them or me, or the reef.
My wife and I disagree on the etiquette for a cattle boat, and she feels I have a responsibility to that diver’s NEXT buddy to address and issues post-dive, and animatedly so if necessary. I say the next dive buddy is responsible for themselves, I am not. I zip it.
This is a 1000 shades of grey situation, with almost infinite variability, but how many of you internally shake your head and zip it, vs having a post-mortem with another diver, being frank about the reasons that we have a plan and stick to the plan?
TL;DR How often do you scold people, I guess is my question.
