A value of diving with novices

[TSandM]

I did a dive this afternoon with a relatively inexperienced diver who was having some buoyancy problems that led to a great deal of instability in the water.

What I learned was that, although most of the time now I am quite stable and relaxed and able to manage everything that needs to be managed, when faced with an unstable partner for whom I feel responsible, combining my own buoyancy with navigation AND a heightened degree of vigilance was a big challenge. I didn't do anything awful, but I felt a lot less quiet and relaxed in the water than I do when I dive with my usual practice buddy.

I remember giving an accomplished technical diver this same insight because of my own issues at the time.

It is a good idea to dive with novices and find out how much you are depending on your own advanced buddies to give you the references you need. It wouldn't be good to learn this when your usually rock solid buddy has a major problem and is no longer a stable resource.

 

[annasea]

<snip>

It is a good idea to dive with novices and find out how much you are depending on your own advanced buddies to give you the references you need. <snip>

What a great perspective, Lynne! As a *novice* (Hell, I'm so new I'm not even a novice yet! ), I appreciate your open-mindedness and willingness to dive with those lacking in experience. (I like to think that what we lack in experience, we make up for with enthusiasm and caution. Or at least I do!)

 

[jgmaroe]

Now I know how my instructor feels

 

[lamont]

I did a dive this afternoon with a relatively inexperienced diver who was having some buoyancy problems that led to a great deal of instability in the water.

What I learned was that, although most of the time now I am quite stable and relaxed and able to manage everything that needs to be managed, when faced with an unstable partner for whom I feel responsible, combining my own buoyancy with navigation AND a heightened degree of vigilance was a big challenge. I didn't do anything awful, but I felt a lot less quiet and relaxed in the water than I do when I dive with my usual practice buddy.

I remember giving an accomplished technical diver this same insight because of my own issues at the time.

It is a good idea to dive with novices and find out how much you are depending on your own advanced buddies to give you the references you need. It wouldn't be good to learn this when your usually rock solid buddy has a major problem and is no longer a stable resource.

I found this one out early on the reverse way. I'd get buddied up with people who had been through Tech 1 or Tech 2 and suddenly my buoyancy would get way better from having that rock solid visual reference in the water next to me. And sometimes I'd get buddied up with someone who was more advanced, but they had the problem you had, and suddenly both our buoyancy would go bad because mine was so bad.

 

[JeffG]

What I learned was that, although most of the time now I am quite stable and relaxed and able to manage everything that needs to be managed, when faced with an unstable partner for whom I feel responsible, combining my own buoyancy with navigation AND a heightened degree of vigilance was a big challenge. I didn't do anything awful, but I felt a lot less quiet and relaxed in the water than I do when I dive with my usual practice buddy.

I guess I am just evil. I look at them and say to myself "*** are they doing?" and then laugh about it with them when the dive is done.

 

[Kwbyron]

Reading this thread, I could have sworn it was me making the dive....did my first cold water dive on my new BP/W(I was trying to rid myself of my weight belt...didn't work) and my trim was so off normal, I was all over the place, basically crawling along the bottom. Part of it was diving a rental dry suit that's really too small, so I had limited mobility, it didn't vent right...ugh. Bad dive though, 35' for 10 min, I turned it after getting pissed. burned through 1000 psi in the dive! I like to think I have good bouyency, but it's amazing the difference a different rig makes.

 

[Halthron]

When I dive with newer divers, I find I have to work a lot harder at keeping relatively proper bouyancy and trim. I find that when I dive with very new divers I do better because their bouyancy and trim is generally so out of whack that it doesn't compare. It's the ones that are starting to learn good bouyancy and trim that tend to throw me off the most.

 

[Erik Il Rosso]

It happens to me exactly the same thing, when I dive with people with rock solid skills and buoyancy I almost do the same thing (not every time thought) but when I get paired with novice diver I tend not to dive as well as I can...

I suppose this has something to deal with "Task Loading", when I dive with very skilled divers my mind is free but when I dive with novice divers my mind is not that free because I feel I have to take more responsability...

I must admit that I share most of the doubts that Lynne has, we should really dive together...

Ciao Erik Il Rosso

 

[spectrum]

Keep it up Lynne. I know you've done this before and I'm sure you agree that it's gratifying when you see them begin to find their comfort and enjoyment in the sport. I think we have both been blesed with mentors and it's nice to give some of it back.

I have no technical of professional dive aspirations but if I can someday be appreciated by a few divers as a mentor I will be happy.

Pete

 

[DiveLabby]

Us 'newbies" need experienced divers to help us, after all, experience is the best teacher. I just finished my certification last week, so I am very new. Someone on this board wrote (and I can't remember who it was) that my OW certification card is really just a 'learners permit'. Never thought of it that way, but it sure is true.