A total lack of situational awareness.

[kaylee_ann]

Just curious did you learn about min/rock bottom gas?

Hmm, I don’t remember if I learned that in class or through my own gas planning research. maybe both

 

[Hoag]

I suspect that "we" will be seeing more divers with "less than ideal SA" in the near future as those of us (myself included) who are vacation divers and who haven't dove in a couple years start to head to tropical destinations and begin diving again.

A refresher in a pool before the trip is incredibly valuable to see if you need more (or less) weight, to refresh muscle memory, check (and practice) your buoyancy and to just generally knock some of the rust off in a controlled environment. That way you reduce the chances that you will be doing those things your first few dives on vacation.

My guess (my hope) is that many of the "bad" divers that we might see in the short term could be simply those that never took the time before they left to get in those first few dives at home before they headed out on their vacation and that they will quickly knock that rust off and get back to normal quickly.

 

[Nemrod]

I think, maybe wishful thinking, that over the last few years that buoyancy skills seem to be improving and awareness of keeping off of the reef is improving.

What does seem to irritate me a little is divers hanging vertical in the water particularly drift diving ( SE Florida and Cozumel). So as the reef undulates below them their fins drag across coral at each high point!

I think there needs to be some education to new divers that corals are not like a tomato plant or a cone flower or a lawn and that after being smashed flat it does not grow back but instead is more likely to die and that coral is not a plant to begin with. You would be amazed, at least I am, they think coral is plant, like grass, it is just a plant, it will grow a new leaf!

Get horizontal and get your fins up, I shout in my mind .

James

 

[Nemrod]

Weird, double post, sorry! Apparently I am having a lack of situational awareness !

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I suspect that "we" will be seeing more divers with "less than ideal SA" in the near future as those of us (myself included) who are vacation divers and who haven't dove in a couple years start to head to tropical destinations and begin diving again.

A refresher in a pool before the trip is incredibly valuable to see if you need more (or less) weight, to refresh muscle memory, check (and practice) your buoyancy and to just generally knock some of the rust off in a controlled environment. That way you reduce the chances that you will be doing those things your first few dives on vacation.

My guess (my hope) is that many of the "bad" divers that we might see in the short term could be simply those that never took the time before they left to get in those first few dives at home before they headed out on their vacation and that they will quickly knock that rust off and get back to normal quickly.

Unless new divers are taught neutrally buoyant and trimmed, i don't expect much to change. People also have to care. I was on a boat in Belize where this photographer of many years was crawling over coral.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Unless new divers are taught neutrally buoyant and trimmed, i don't expect much to change. People also have to care. I was on a boat in Belize where this photographer of many years was crawling over coral.

My whole point about how anybody expects them to learn proper buoyancy and hovering, trimmed out, etc. in a two or three day course? They have enough learning all the other mechanical skills with regs, mask clearing, etc. most have never been in the ocean except for maybe a little snorkeling.
It’s kind of tragic really. It boils down to getting people certified as quickly as possible to turn a buck and not take too much time out of their precious one week vacation. How many people get certified at those resorts on a whim?
And those environments are some of the most sensitive to be having freshly minted OW divers with bare minimum skills destroying them. It’s the great irony. I’d rather see them get certified here and smash up our bottom until they get the hang of it. At least our bottom recovers pretty quickly. What, a few anemones and maybe some sea weed? Big woop. But they won’t do it, too cold, rough, and threatening.
But it’s pretty and warm in the tropics so that’s where they go.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

My whole point about how anybody expects them to learn proper buoyancy and hovering, trimmed out, etc. in a two or three day course?

Talk to people who dive with students I've certified.
There are tons of instructors who do a better job than me.
Two pool sessions. Two days of 2 dives each. The key is never place them on their knees and focus on weighting including weight distribution. It is possible.

 

[Scared Silly]

I'm more amazed if I see good diver skills and situational awareness. Kind of like seeing cyclists obey traffic laws.

Kind of like seeing motorists obey traffic laws.

That said, I have let the dive master/guide know a few times about errant divers in our group. They have always talked with the errant divers or made general comments to the group. Some are just oblivious.

 

[brsnow]

Most recreational divers probably do it for fun. Certainly might be collateral damage, I am sure we all impact the ecosystem one way or another.

 

[GreggS]

We had a couple on our boat at AKR last year that were horrible. And they were from Florida, of all places. Not that that matters, I suppose, but you'd think they would have ample diving opportunities. He thought he was the world's best diver but was constantly running into other divers or getting in the way. Then he would blame the other person for any incident that occurred.

The wife wasn't as obnoxious is him, just clueless. On one dive, we were going thru a narrow passage that was somewhat open on the left side but wide enough for 2 people to have enough room to go thru side by side. She was on my right next to the wall. I happened to look behind us and saw a Green Moray coming along the wall. I tapped her on the shoulder to let her know as it would pass between her and the wall. I got no response. So I tapped her on top of her head. Still no response. Finally, about the time the eel had started going past her fins, I placed my hand in front of her mask and pointed to her right. She didn't react to that, but a couple of seconds later when the eel passed her she nearly ran over me trying to get away from it.

As difficult as it was, I tried to stay away from both of them the rest of the week. The whole boat rejoiced when they took Friday off from diving to go see the monkeys.