Right On or Rude?

[shtepity]

As a new diver, I take any advice I can get. No, it probably wasn't the best way to go about it, but in the long run it will help them and any embarrassment will pass. At least that is the way I would look at if it were me.

 

[Cacia]

sometimes, it seems like a bigger deal if you get "pulled aside, privately". I like the direct casual approach that says, "hey you may be a brain surgeon back in Toledo, but lets tweak your diving a little". Of course, I never do it because most men don't want to hear from a woman. especially not a prissy one. In that case you just let them "overhear" you talking and then make them think it was their own idea. Works well with women too. But I like it if somebody just tells me straight-up :"You need to pay attention to your topography and stop climbing on the wrong boats"

 

[partridge]

I say right on. Part of the job of the DM is to know your divers and how to deal with them. If he did it this way and it worked, it seems he read the divers perfectly.

Sometimes you have to baby the divers but some will benefit more from a head on train wreck approach. Kinda like shock therapy. The great DM's can tell the difference right away.

 

[TheRedHead]

When we do drift dives in Cozumel everyone surfaces at different times depending on air consumption. The DM shoots his bag, you do your deco, surface and the captain will pick you up. He continues to follow the rest of the group until the last person surfaces. Air hog or 1hr. dive on an 80cf. Everyone gets their $ worth.

What if you are crusing along at 90 feet? Is the DM going to blow a bag from 90 feet? What happens if the diver blows the deco - say he has bouyancy problems - and he gets bent? And diving a reef like Barracuda, you absolutely cannot surface in anything but a group. What if the DM is hanging at 20 feet and the rest of the group is at 80 and the current is ripping on the surface and the DM loses his group?

I suppose if you are diving shallower profiles with AL 80s, there are fewer risks in that practice. As for getting your money's worth, even the Air Hogs get an hour. Typical dive is something like max depth 106 ft. average depth 56 feet for 75 minutes. With that profile, you absolutely cannot blow your safety stop. We're diving in a group of 4 to 6 people which makes it manageable.

The fact that they're well known for big steel tanks is going to attract a certain number of hoovers and they are prepared for that. What unfortunately happens is that the AL 80 hoover is going to be a 120 hoover relative to everyone else. Yet, most of the divers I've been grouped with are fairly serious about diving. I believe Aldora is the most expensive shop on the island. $90 per 2-tank dive plus $5 per tank for Nitrox. There are very high expectations and I think that the staff there does a pretty good job with divers of every level.

 

[Rick Inman]

A good technique might be for the DM to ask the diver(s) if he/she/they want help at all.
For example:

"Hey Joe, are you happy with your gas consumption? (...or, finning technique, trim, buoyancy control, streamlining, dive planning, hand signaling, etc.)

It the diver says, "yes", then that's it. If the divers says, "no", then the DM is being invited to teach.

And what about a DM that could use some improvement? Do you think the DM would be happy to be instructed by a diver without being asked?

I think not.

 

[Phreak]

If one of these divers was certified 10 years ago, this is totally different from " I've been diving almost every other weekend for 10 years. " Read: I have 6 dives since 1996 or read as: I have 500 dives since 1996. Just imagine the SAC on the guy with 6 dives in his log.

DM might have looked in each of their dive logs when they came on board ? Hmmm. I seldom do this myself.

Ok, so the DM on day two - if he was really smart- says out loud, "OK who wants to increase their bottom time today ? It's a loaded question I know, but the hoovers in the group all come to attention thinking to themselves, "Heck yes, I paid a lot to come out here- let's make it last!"

Then he goes into his spiel about taking nice deep slow breaths...or whatever trick he's going to use. The hoovers all walk away thinking they weren't singled out - and the other divers are already fine and they might learn a new trick as well.

The DM also might have been under pressure from a previous days diver who - paying some serious $$ to take the vacation - felt obligated to say, wait a minute - I'm not getting my dive money...how can I change this ?

 

[Damselfish]

Some people may not like to be singled out even privately, but hardly anyone is going to be happy about it publicly. "Time they learned how to breathe like scuba divers" isn't good either way. Seems like there's many ways he could be more tactful and still accomplish the same thing. Nice that it worked out ok, but it sill does not sound like these people were thrilled with the initial approach and it could as easily backfired.

 

[bigbluedodge]

the whole argument of the other divers not getting their money's worth dosen't hold up for me, we all paid to go on the boat and if i use air quicker then you oh well that not my problem, my problem would be being forced into a situation that i would rather not be in. as a newer diver i am still learning the finess of all aspects of diving and would be more likely very nervous and uncomfortable to be forced into a buddy breathe when it is not necesary. bottom time be damned, if the briefing say's 45m/bt or 1000 psi at 1000 psi i expect that we will begin the surface acent regardless of who has what in their tank. as for people complaning they are not getting their moneys worth take a private dive and you can stay down til you turn blue for all i care.I WILL NOT BE FORCED INTO A SITUATION THAT MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S CONVIENCE.

but kudos for the dm for having that kinda dedication to diving and teaching sounds like the kinda instructor i would love to have.

 

[Hammerhead]

A good technique might be for the DM to ask the diver(s) if he/she/they want help at all.
For example:

"Hey Joe, are you happy with your gas consumption? (...or, finning technique, trim, buoyancy control, streamlining, dive planning, hand signaling, etc.)

It the diver says, "yes", then that's it. If the divers says, "no", then the DM is being invited to teach.

And what about a DM that could use some improvement? Do you think the DM would be happy to be instructed by a diver without being asked?

I think not.

Amen.

How much could it hurt to approach the problem from another tack eg.

"couldn't help but notice you're shifting a lot of air, do you mind if I make a couple of suggestions? In my experience a couple of small changes can make a big difference." helpful, polite etc. the suggestion is not rammed down the embarrassed divers' throats.

sounds a lot better than

"now I'll teach you how to breathe like a scuba diver" (I paraphrase, but that's how it would come across to me) how patronising is that?

No sensible diver's going to say no, but if you've got some idiot who thinks he's good enough and won't listen to advice, then you point out that his inability to dive well is affecting the rest of the group.

Cheers,

 

[Diver Dennis]

sometimes, it seems like a bigger deal if you get "pulled aside, privately". I like the direct casual approach that says, "hey you may be a brain surgeon back in Toledo, but lets tweak your diving a little". Of course, I never do it because most men don't want to hear from a woman. especially not a prissy one. In that case you just let them "overhear" you talking and then make them think it was their own idea. Works well with women too. But I like it if somebody just tells me straight-up :"You need to pay attention to your topography and stop climbing on the wrong boats"

Prissy are you...

:joke: