New Diver Questions

[MikeRiley]

Hey guys,

I'm a new diver with 13 dives under my belt. On my last trip I had my first taste of being a 'diver on the boat' and I have some questions.

Up until that part I had been diving in close proximity to my instructor during my certification. My first trip after my OWD I went in low season to a company that really deals well with new divers. I ended up one on one diving with my dive master for the whole week. It was awesome but I'm a little nervous when I end up on a boat with strangers and don't know anyone. My spouse can't dive and I have not been able to convince any friends so far to come with me!

My two main questions are around safety...

1. Buddy System
- It seems that when a buddy gets randomly assigned it all goes out the window once you're in the water. In some cases the boat wasn't even assigning buddies. If that's the case, what are my best practices to stay safe? I make sure I stay with the group but I would love to always know I have that other person beside me and vice versa. I've considered buying a SpareAir or something along those lines just in case. I'm not really assertive enough to demand a buddy on a boat of strangers. I'm also concerned about if I get buddied up with a group and hold them back which leads me into my next point...

2. On the last trip I ended up on a boat with three experienced divers and the dive master. The two ladies paired up, one guy was a lone wolf and the dive master did his own thing. I tried to stick with the dive master but it ended to no avail. We were in Cozumel at Santa Rosa Wall and when we hit the current I got sucked away. I was really frustrated because there had been no briefing and until we went through the swim through I had no idea what was happening. in hindsight I see the importance of making sure I know what I'm getting into; up until then i had just followed my instructors lead.

I'm looking for some confidence building tips and safety practices. I feel that I'm safe and controlled under the water. i do worry about gear breaking or rough conditions someday putting me into a dangerous place though. I feel confident that in a one on one with my instructor I could stay calm and we could safely fix a problem that either of us had. But when I'm diving on vacation and don't know anyone on the boat I can see this happening more and more often. it's fine until there's a problem. Would a redundant air supply be a good way to fix these problems? If my buddy takes off at least I've got a backup if the group is a bit too far to get to me if my air goes? (I ensure I stay close to the group, but if my tank malfunctioned and I was 20 feet away I can't promise myself I wouldn't panic. I'm an air hog so a held breathe wouldnt last me very long if I was stressed and knew it was my last one..)

any help would be appreciated!!

 

[mala]

difficult one.

no one wants to have a holiday dive hindered by the new diver who eats air.
you may be lucky and get a good buddy or you may not.

best probably to let the dive op know your situation before you part with any money.
I cant recommend a reduntant air supply so that you can solo dive until you have done a few more dives.

just keep diving-it will get better and soon you wont be the new diver on the boat.

 

[CoasterFreak]

As you can tell by my profile, I am very new to this too. However, in my first 20 dives, I had both a "boat-buddy" dive go badly AND a dive on Santa Rosa Wall. One of the first lessons I learned on SB (thanks everyone!) was that I am the ONLY one I should expect to be responsible for my safety. I am the one with loved ones and other responsibilities back home, and a 45 minute dive, even in Cozumel, is NEVER worth leaving those behind. It might feel uncomfortable "pestering" the "experts", but it is your LIFE we are talking about here. Take the initiative, speak up for yourself, and never forget that the tank on your buddy's back is your reserve. I tend away from the redundant (spare-air) idea, as I am sure it would lull me into a FALSE sense of security. Find you a good buddy to dive with locally, one that knows a lot more than you do. As for the vacation dive issue, I am surprised your dive went the way it did, and would be interested to hear what crew you dove with. I will watch on here for others' advice on how to better prepare for that kind of situation.

 

[joewr]

Hi,

Being a newbie is always difficult. Your experience is not unique. First and foremost, Coz can be a bit difficult for a new diver because most of the diving is "live boat drift diving"--you hop in the water, let the current carry you, and the boat will follow your bubbles. Then, hopefully, it will be there when you ascend. Many of the dive shops on Coz use a "loose buddy system"--that comprises letting divers come up when their air tells them to. Thus, divers with different bottom times are accommodated.

All of this works well unless a really stiff current grabs you. For experienced Coz divers, it is not an issue: you just go with the flow--and know that the dive boat will be there at the end of the dive. For newbies this can be worrisome or even terrifying.

So, bottom line. For you, it may be a good idea to get a bit more experience with diving before heading back to Coz. My suggestion is to head to the Big Island of Hawaii and try diving with either Jack's Diving Locker or Pacific Rim Divers. They are both really good with new divers--Pacific Rim is especially good. You will never find yourself "alone" with no support system. And there is no live boat drift diving.

When you get more confident, head back to Coz--and I do recommend that you not give up on Coz because the diving is superb and the dive shops there are really first class.

Finally, hang in there: scuba diving is one of man's great inventions and can be one of the most joyful hobbies around.

joewr

 

[RJP]

Really no problem at all, as long as you do some simple communication:

1.) Tell the operator ahead of time that you're traveling alone and will need a buddy.

They will tell you that either they will assign you a buddy from other passengers, tell you to buddy with the DM, or tell you that you need to "rent a guide" if you want a guaranteed buddy. Or they will tell you "you'll need to find one on your own when you get on the boat" which is possible, but the least desirable situation for you.

2.) Whomever your buddy is, be sure to have a discussion BEFORE THE DIVE about how you will dive together as buddies. Things like how far apart, separation procedures, hand signals, turn pressure/time, and what to do if one of you runs low on air first. Some ops will be ok sending you up on your own, some will send you up with a guide, some will send the buddy pair up, others will end the dive for the whole group.

When things go sideways between a diver and a dive OP, or between two insta-buddies, the problem can almost universally be traced back to a lack of communication and misaligned expectations. Make your desires known, agree on a plan, and if you can't find another op or another buddy.

 

[razorbackdiver]

How do you know the one guy was really a lone wolf? I have only been diving for two and half years so, I am in a similar boat as you in that I have no regular dive buddies. I may even come off somewhat as a lone wolf. I am redundant and comfortable diving solo but like having a buddy if for no other reason than to have someone to chew the fat with after the dive. If I had been the the lone wolf I would've gladly buddied up with you.

 

[bbarnett51]

A few things. Take initiative and YOU be the one to start the conversation about the dive plan. Once in the water communicate with your buddy often. This will keep your buddy engaged and hopefully up the chances of having a buddy dive.

If you happen to be diving the site on your second dive, ask your buddy what he or she wants to see then YOU come up with a game plan.

However I've been on enough boats to know that good buddies are few and far between. I treat every dive like a solo dive bc there are only a few buddies I really think could help me in an emergency.

Also, big groups tend to be really bad about buddying up. If you can book a 6 pack your odds increase.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

As others have mentioned, you are, ultimately, completely and totally responsible for your own safety. If you're not comfortable with that (and most new divers are not, nor should they be), then that's where you need to start. Instabuddies can be fine, as long as you (as others have said) have a conversation ahead of time and reach agreement about expectations. Your other option is to hire a private DM until you get more comfortable.

Beyond that, it's just a matter of dive dive dive, and if it looks like you're going to chronically be a solo diver, then get training and equipment to do so safely. With the addition of a pony bottle to my regular gear, I'm quite comfortable with the notion of being a solo diver.

 

[MikeRiley]

Thanks for all the help and input. I think I'm comfortable saying no to a situation that is clearly more than I can handle but it worries me when things are on the edge. I don't want to miss out on diving experience just because of nerves, but i don't want to get in over my head.

At this dive in particular I had made it VERY clear before I booked, as i booked and after i booked that while I'm certified I am a novice and looking for a novice dive. I don't know why they chose to put me on a boat with expert divers and go to that site. I ended up caught in a current that pulled me down to 143 feet before the dive master grabbed me and pulled me up. While he may have been trying to get my attention I feel he could have done a much better job of making sure that didn't happen in the first place. there was NO briefing before we went in and the dive master spent no time with the group on the boat itself.

I was certified in Cozumel so I had dealt with current, but nothing where there was current AND no visible bottom. and no currents of that strength. I didn't panic during the dive but I was definitely very uneasy and knew I was in trouble. I did decide to do the second dive; this time I was adamant about knowing the conditions. They assured me while there was still a current, the depth was a max 50 feet. I felt that I could handle that on my own, i did the dive and had no problems with the current or anything else.

I also did ascend on my own when my tank was low a few minutes before the other divers. the dive master signalled me to and while that was something i was unprepared for (had never done it before) I remembered my basic safety information and made sure to take care of myself.

it's a shame; the second dive of that day wasn't bad. I didn't have a good buddy system but I maintained a fairly close proximity to the DM, made sure I wasn't getting off on my own or being reckless. I handled the current well, monitored all my guages well and had no problems. but the first dive really made me wonder about what went wrong. It made me realize how quickly something can go wrong and if you're not at all prepared how scary it can be.

I guess that's my other concern... if I'm an OWD and certified to 60 feet... when i present that card and tell the shop that, shouldnt they be keeping me at sites in that parameter? If every boat is going to sites that are 80 or 90 I feel like I run out of choices. While I have had a bit of experience at depths it was gradual and I am not yet trained to be comfortable there.

I'm going back to Cozumel on January 25th and feel comfortable with the dive operator I'll be dealing with. I've made it quite clear that I don't want to be on sites or in groups that I'm not a good fit for. It seems things will be ok. I'm even anxious to see Santa Rosa wall again (maybe not on this trip... we'll see) but at least know what I'm getting into next time.

Compared to my first few dives I feel very comfortable and I feel that I've done a good job of staying calm in some cases where things go wrong. I don't expect that I'll do many things that will get myself into trouble. my biggest fear is something like an o-ring blowing and ending up in an emergency on my own. I'm confident that I could safely buddy breathe and take care of myself, but if all my buddies screw off it could be harrowing... that's whats got me thinking a SpareAir or something would be nice to know. at least I've got 30 or 40 breathes in an emergency So I could either ascend or get back to the group.

I'm really glad for this forum, it's awesome to be able to talk to people about it!!

 

[KEdiver]

I did a dive recently with a instabuddy. We talked about what we wanted to do how we would do it and where we would go. We got into the water and he went off in an entirely different direction. It was up to me to keep him in sight and stay with him. Not fun, I am a new diver only 15 dives since June, so needless to say I "ate" air as one person said, not only because I do consume more than I would like but the added stress of him jackrabbiting all over the bottom. So too bad for him at 500PSI I signaled to return and surface. He still had 1100PSI. But he was tired so I guess it worked out except I rushed more than I would have liked to. Should I have done anything differently?