Ben_ca
Contributor
If there were 3 things that you would pass onto a new guy what would those be?
Here's my top 3:
1. Take it slow. When you change your gear around go back to the bunny slopes (The Breakwater for MoCal) and do a shakedown dive. Do not jump off a boat in deep water with some untested piece of gear. What are you trying to prove? Yes it is very likely that nothing bad will happen but if something does what could have been a small embarrassment at the BW is now a life and death situation.
2. Nothing down there is worth dying for! I am on the more conservative end of the scale. I have a daughter that I want to see grow up, a mortgage to pay and a job to be at on Monday morning. There for I prepare for the dive. I read the swell report, check the wave model, run, swim and take care of my body. If you are out of shape you will have a harder time surviving an incident in the water. If you are diving with me I expect you to drag my sorry butt to shore just as I would yours..
3. I am my brother's keeper. I commit to my buddy that I will be the best buddy there is. I look after him and he looks after me. We are a team and prepare for the dive by making sure we are ready the best we can. Physically we work out and rib each other when we do not... it's our responsibility to our families that we look out for each other and we are prepared the best we can so that we all make it back to our beds at night. Mentally we hone our minds with "scuba math" and situational awareness to make sure that we know that our buddy's primary dive computer is 100% and running all the time. Anyone of these factors is a cause to hold off on a dive and maybe go for some coffee or chowder at the Breakwater and have a heart to heart chat with my buddy. I know if I wasn't 100% he would let me know as well.
Sorry I have a 4th for the Monterey Crowd
4. Monastery is Dangerous. People have died there some weren't really bad divers but people who chose the wrong day to dive there. Some people where involved in a incident there a while back and one of them stated: "Nobody ever told us that Monastery was dangerous!!" So there I told you so.
Sorry to get long winded but there's always newer divers coming into the scene every day and if they can learn from something... I wish I could dive with more new guys but with only so many dive days and so many buddies it's kinda tough.
Anyway have a good weekend and let's go diving
Here's my top 3:
1. Take it slow. When you change your gear around go back to the bunny slopes (The Breakwater for MoCal) and do a shakedown dive. Do not jump off a boat in deep water with some untested piece of gear. What are you trying to prove? Yes it is very likely that nothing bad will happen but if something does what could have been a small embarrassment at the BW is now a life and death situation.
2. Nothing down there is worth dying for! I am on the more conservative end of the scale. I have a daughter that I want to see grow up, a mortgage to pay and a job to be at on Monday morning. There for I prepare for the dive. I read the swell report, check the wave model, run, swim and take care of my body. If you are out of shape you will have a harder time surviving an incident in the water. If you are diving with me I expect you to drag my sorry butt to shore just as I would yours..
3. I am my brother's keeper. I commit to my buddy that I will be the best buddy there is. I look after him and he looks after me. We are a team and prepare for the dive by making sure we are ready the best we can. Physically we work out and rib each other when we do not... it's our responsibility to our families that we look out for each other and we are prepared the best we can so that we all make it back to our beds at night. Mentally we hone our minds with "scuba math" and situational awareness to make sure that we know that our buddy's primary dive computer is 100% and running all the time. Anyone of these factors is a cause to hold off on a dive and maybe go for some coffee or chowder at the Breakwater and have a heart to heart chat with my buddy. I know if I wasn't 100% he would let me know as well.
Sorry I have a 4th for the Monterey Crowd
4. Monastery is Dangerous. People have died there some weren't really bad divers but people who chose the wrong day to dive there. Some people where involved in a incident there a while back and one of them stated: "Nobody ever told us that Monastery was dangerous!!" So there I told you so.
Sorry to get long winded but there's always newer divers coming into the scene every day and if they can learn from something... I wish I could dive with more new guys but with only so many dive days and so many buddies it's kinda tough.
Anyway have a good weekend and let's go diving
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