What do you expect from other Divers?

[Den7]

...Please don't silt out the site, or crash into me, or run out of gas and ask me to save you.

Agreed. Crashing is the most irritating part for me, that's practically an emergency... It's the first sign that more serious trouble are to come soon... been there done that. On the other hand can it ever get overcrowded? Not sure if there is a class taught on "how to dive when there are too many divers per one square meter/foot."

 

[Mike Boswell]

I have no "expectations", but the best thing other divers could do for me is to do a checkout dive before getting on the boat, and this is especially true with guided drift diving. Jumping off of a dive boat into a four knot current with a group of other divers swimming hard for the bottom, is not an ideal time to find out you are underweighted, or your ears won't clear, or your rented gear is malfunctioning.

 

[Tigerman]

What I expect from other divers depends on whether or not they're diving with me.

If they're not diving with me, about the only thing I expect from them is that they not interfere with my diving experience. In other words ... don't destroy the visibility or environment through poor diving techniques ... don't poach or disturb a subject I'm taking a picture of ... and don't be stupid or inattentive to the point where your actions affects my dive. Other than that, I don't much care what you do.

If they're diving with me, there are some additional expectations revolving around sticking to the dive plan and following acceptable buddy protocols. Those will really depend on both the diver and the dive. I expect far less from someone who's new, although at whatever level I do expect my dive buddy to take the dive plan seriously and make their best attempt to be a responsible dive buddy.

That's about it ... we go down to have fun, and as long as both of us are doing that, I can be pretty flexible with how they're doing it ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

This..

...
It probably happens, but I have never observed this kind of reaction from people with good swimming skills, even the inland landlubbers. In fact, those are the ones who are glad to get off the boat and back into their element.

I am one of those "inland landlubbers".
Fortunately we have rivers and lakes to go swimming in coming out our wazoo here, so Ive pretty much been as much in water as anyone who live near the sea. Given the fact that the area I grew up in is "pretty rural", maybe more so as most of the summer was spent at said lakes and rivers instead of loitering at the nearest mall - To do that I would have had to get a grown-up to drive me to it. Loitering at one of the lakes or rivers would only be a walk or a short bike-ride away

 

[supergaijin]

For beginner divers (or <50 dives): The humility to acknowledge that you lack experience, knowing that the latest gear doesn't make up for experience, knowing your depth limits, knowing your air consumption, knowing the basic relationships between depth and time.

For intermediate divers (or <150 dives) All of the above. Plus great buoyancy control, awareness about where you are in relationship to other divers, the surface, the reef and your imminent demise if you push your limits too far.

For experienced divers (or >150 dives) All of the above as well as excellent breathing control, complete awareness of where you are underwater, the ability to predict what will happen next regarding the conditions.

Pros: The humility to listen to the local guide who knows more than you about local conditions.

Guides: The ability to recognise the difference between competent and dangerous divers and not unduly penalise one for the sake of the other.