Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde dive guides

[Maolli]

We occasionally practice 15m 'out of air' swims along a 15m line in our local quarry during practice dives.
This is with full mental preparation, knowing exactly what will happen and what you need to do, and an instructor's octopus about 2 inches from your face during the entire swim. Yes, it's bad vis, cold water and more gear than in Mexico, but still an applicable comparison.

Most of our club's divers find this exercise stressful, and many don't always make the full 15m.
I can tell you, 10m is WAY too far for safely tackling out of air situations, especially if your buddy is minding his own business, probably looking away from you and swimming in another direction.

All I hear you saying is:
"I don't feel like wearing a seatbelt in the car is necessary. I never wear it and never had a problem with it."

Safety is not the absence of accidents. Safety is being equipped and prepared to deal with incidents so that they don't become accidents. Just because you haven't had an accident doesn't mean you're diving safely. It's just that you haven't been in a situation where proper training and mindset was needed to keep you or your buddy alive.

I always wear my seatbelt and when parking in unfamiliar locations I never stray further than 15 meters from the car. If it's foggy I reduce the maximum distance even more.

 

[JMarc]

We occasionally practice 15m 'out of air' swims along a 15m line in our local quarry during practice dives.

Are your swims done with empty lungs (like you may get in a OOA situation that you notice only because you can't inhale after having exhaled)? At which depth do you do them?

 

[JMarc]

I always wear my seatbelt and when parking in unfamiliar locations I never stray further than 15 meters from the car. If it's foggy I reduce the maximum distance even more.

The more I read you, the more I think your guides were reacting to your general attitude as much as to any specific event.

 

[happy-diver]

"One of those customers?"

 

[scubaozy]

If you go below and ahead of the group, your bubbles will ruin it for everyone in the group as they would have to swim through that, so, that behavior in my view deserves an enthusiastic hand sign. Guides need to be very clear in communication especially if they need you to stop a behavior immediately. No need to take it personal.
You gave the traffic cop example, do you get upset with their hand signs?
Regarding cutting the dive short, what was the agreement in the briefing? If it was agreed to end the dive as group than, that is the plan. Maybe the guide did not have a lot of trust in you behaving responsibly unattended so that he decided that you should ascend with the group.

 

[Maolli]

If you go below and ahead of the group, your bubbles will ruin it for everyone in the group as they would have to swim through that,

It's a big ocean they can swim around the bubbles.. Do you think a group of divers always swims at the same level in a straight single file line? If not how do you think they avoid swimming through the bubbles of the divers ahead of them?

I don't take the attitude of the guides personally I just found it odd and consider it poor customer service.

The agreement was for long (expensive) dives.

 

[johndiver999]

It's a big ocean they can swim around the bubbles.. Do you think a group of divers always swims at the same level in a straight single file line? If not how do you think they avoid swimming through the bubbles of the divers ahead of them?

I don't take the attitude of the guides personally I just found it odd and consider it poor customer service.

The agreement was for long (expensive) dives.

Your profile indicates you have very few dives. Is that correct?

If you had good training and some degree of experience, you would immediately recognize that one buddy swimming behind and above another (such that the diver would be in bubbles) is a VERY bad way to dive. I pretty much flip out if a buddy does that, but I don't dive with many clowns. I will let you figure out why this relative position is so undesirable - hint: (it ain't got nothing to do with bubbles)

 

[jadairiii]

Hi I am curious if mine is a unique experience.

Always remember, when diving in a group that is being led by a DM (and you've acknowledged you are diving with), you're not the only person he/she has to watch. Sometimes DM'ing is like "herding cats". You do your way, someone else goes their way, a third person decides on a different direction....all of you are just a "few meters and slightly..." and you can see the problem. Be nice to your DM, its an underappreciated occupation.

You want to do your own thing, dont dive where the operation requires a DM/guided dive.

 

[Maolli]

Your profile indicates you have very few dives. Is that correct?

If you had good training and some degree of experience, you would immediately recognize that one buddy swimming behind and above another (such that the diver would be in bubbles) is a VERY bad way to dive. I pretty much flip out if a buddy does that, but I don't dive with many clowns. I will let you figure out why this relative position is so undesirable - hint: (it ain't got nothing to do with bubbles)

Agreed that divers swimming in a single file line is no way to dive. Someone else suggested that other divers would somehow be forced to swim through the bubbles of a diver in front and below them, which I questioned as well.

I have hundreds of dives.

 

[Maolli]

Always remember, when diving in a group that is being led by a DM (and you've acknowledged you are diving with), you're not the only person he/she has to watch. Sometimes DM'ing is like "herding cats". You do your way, someone else goes their way, a third person decides on a different direction....all of you are just a "few meters and slightly..." and you can see the problem. Be nice to your DM, its an underappreciated occupation.

You want to do your own thing, dont dive where the operation requires a DM/guided dive.

Whenever possible I avoid guided dives. Sometimes there aren't other options available in certain locations.