Are you a dive snob?

[Peter Guy]

Do I ever recall being snubbed by another diver? No (well except for those "techie types" who say 'Sorry, we're taking stages and going WAY back in the cave!')

Do I recall ever snubbing a diver? No.

Am I a dive snob? Yes! Especially a silt snob!!! I get very upset at watching poorly trained divers dragging this, that and everything across the bottom -- I get upset at their instructors, I get upset at them. And I get really PO'd at those divers who think their skills are WAY better than they are.

I don't mind being that kind of a snob.

Oh, and I'm torn about going out on a charter this weekend without a buddy that I know I can trust -- even if I've never dived with her before, because because I know their training. And if that makes me a snob, so-be-it.

 

[The Chairman]

I was snubbed by GDI when I was but a divemaster. He was teaching the classroom portion of a class, and I helped a student figure out an answer to their question. I was taken aback to say the least, but we have since become great friends and I hold him as one of my favorite instructors.

Too often, people revel in their baditude, rather than learn from their mistakes. Their posts get reported over and over, but they simply aren't interested in change. Rick wasn't like that, and so he and I were both able to grow through it. What's a real eye opener is when I travel to dive shows and events. I am often asked if I have ever met or dove with this or that user. It's usually the same 6 or so people and if I answer in the affirmative, the next question is "Are they really like that in person?" My pat answer is: "I guess you'll have to dive with them to find out!"

Every now and then I get people telling me that I am an arrogant SOB because I do have some rather strong opinions. Rather than just dismiss them, I try to see just why they think or said that. I am surely not perfect and so I constantly strive to become more humble.

 

[FireInMyBones]

Am I a dive snob?
-I like diving a certain way. I will dive with anyone, who is certified for the dive being done, once. If things go well, they enjoy the dive as do I, we will dive together again. If things go to shot, and the other is not clam under pressure, there will not be a second dive between us without a good long conversation.

Do I comment on others' gear configurations?
-Yes. If I feel that something is going to be harmful in some way to a diver, buddy, or marine life, I speak up. I do not want to be seen at a site where something went wrong and not have tried to prevent something from happening.

Have I ever been snubbed?
-No.

Have I ever snubbed?
-Once. Someone I had dove with before and had sat them down afterward came back for another dive and I did not feel safe with them and let them know it.

Am I willing to keep my mouth shut and enjoy the dive?
-I do not have to do this often, but as a DMC, Yes.

 

[Aigtbootbp]

No, I am more of a redneck diver. I don't care what people dive unless it is some outlandish home built contraption. Then I would probably annoy the hell out of the guy asking questions.
As long as everyone is having fun and nobody gets hurt I am good to go.
That being said I really don't like snobs, especially those who get enjoyment out of other people suffering.

 

[Kingpatzer]

Yes. Indeed I harbored a large grudge against the DIR crowd in general for a long time due to a few morons decided to tell my newly certified son he was more or less about to die due to not having the right gear and being trained by PADI.

Now that I'm into instructing and tech diving (though just a n00b there) I try very hard to not be a snob and repeat that example. I offer every student I work with my phone number and a standing offer to call me up anytime to see if I'm free for a dive. I post most of my rec dives on the shop web-site and invite anyone to come join me.

I enjoy any diving, I just love being under water. And I don't care if I'm doing deco stops after visiting a wreck, or tooling along a pristine reef, or hanging out in 6' of water looking at bluegills. And anyone else who wants to do the same is ok in my book.

That said-- have I ever commented on another's gear? Sure -- usually to ask about how they like certain things. I'm a gear freak, so I want to know other people's opinions and observations. So my comments are usually along the lines of "Hey I see you're diving a frugglemeister widget 1000, I saw one of those in the shop last week. How do you like it? What do you like best? What do you like worst? Do you think it's worth it? How does it compare to the cashog 550?" And so on.

Have I ever snubbed anyone? Not that I ever intended too. Though I have told people I don't want to dive with them RIGHT NOW because my own dive plans changed or I was on a particular schedule. I try to explain that and insist it is in no way a personal thing. But some folks have fragile egos, and more than one has never called me back after I've done that.

 

[mksmith713]

I'm not sure I would call it snubbed but I've had new divers that weren't comfortable diving with me because my gear configuration wasn't like they learned in OW and they didn't feel sure.
I use a modified tech set up ....even when diving rec.
I breathe from the longer of the two hoses and bungee my (shorter) octo around my neck so.... it's not like they can just grab an octo as in a typical rec setup.
You have to signal for my primary and I switch to the octo.
This also prevents panic situations from getting worse.
I can, to a degree, take control of an OOA emergency.

I've had newer divers actually say,"That's not how we learned it in class".

The reason I use this setup isn't to confuse or snub anyone.
I feel it's important to keep all my hoses (octo and SPG) tucked in close to my body and not dragging across the reef.(I use a double ender to secure my SPG to my harness)
I can't tell you how it bugs me to see a SPG or octo dragging and breaking sea fans or coral because the diver doesn't have it secured properly.
I have yet to see a foolproof yet effective way to secure an octo to your BCD.
Clipping a SPG is a perfect solution but you shouldn't clip an octo as it might be difficult to access in an emergency situation. It has to be easy to get to and deploy.

So in response to the question.....Nope, I don't feel like I'm snubbing anyone nor do I feel I've ever been snubbed.
It's just a matter of preference.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

HAVE YOU FELT SNUBBED BEFORE?
IF SO WHY? AND WAS IT FAIR OR NOT?
WAS IT INTENTIONAL OR NOT?

I have. Maybe three or four years ago a group of people I considered friends started a dive club. It was one of those clubs whose initials ends in "UE". Generally, I'm not all that interested in being a member of a club, but in this case a lot of the people I dive with were invited to join.

I wasn't ... in fact, I wasn't even aware that the club had been formed until reading about it on an internet forum one day. Being the typically dense person I can be sometimes it didn't occur to me that there was a reason I hadn't been told. And so I contacted one of the founding members and asked if I could join. Initially he said OK ... but a couple other members objected. And so I was told ... rather pointedly ... that I wasn't welcome.

It hurt ... a lot ... especially coming from people who I looked up to and had previously thought were my friends. There were some reasons given ... some were probably justified, others were just rationalization.

At any rate, a couple years passed and the club fell apart. Suddenly I was glad I hadn't been a part of it ... because I'm fairly sure that if I had been they'd have found a way to make it all my fault. Those I considered friends who had been involved in snubbing me did apologize, and to this day I still consider them friends. But I do remember what it felt like to be excluded ... and it motivates me to be more inclusive in my own diving.

"I won't dive with you" is a powerful message ... one that I would only ever use for safety reasons, and even then only as a last resort ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Dyno Bill]

I'm not sure I would call it snubbed but I've had new divers that weren't comfortable diving with me because my gear configuration wasn't like they learned in OW and they didn't feel sure.
I use a modified tech set up ....even when diving rec.
I breathe from the longer of the two hoses and bungee my (shorter) octo around my neck so.... it's not like they can just grab an octo as in a typical rec setup.
You have to signal for my primary and I switch to the octo.
This also prevents panic situations from getting worse.
I can, to a degree, take control of an OOA emergency.

I've had newer divers actually say,"That's not how we learned it in class".

The reason I use this setup isn't to confuse or snub anyone.
I feel it's important to keep all my hoses (octo and SPG) tucked in close to my body and not dragging across the reef.(I use a double ender to secure my SPG to my harness)
I can't tell you how it bugs me to see a SPG or octo dragging and breaking sea fans or coral because the diver doesn't have it secured properly.
I have yet to see a foolproof yet effective way to secure an octo to your BCD.
Clipping a SPG is a perfect solution but you shouldn't clip an octo as it might be difficult to access in an emergency situation. It has to be easy to get to and deploy.

So in response to the question.....Nope, I don't feel like I'm snubbing anyone nor do I feel I've ever been snubbed.
It's just a matter of preference.

I have always used the old simple mouthpiece hanger that clips to a ring on my harness in the center, never had a problem and have donated it several times but I do have a longer than normal hose supplying it. As for my console it actually fits beneath the butt of my tank and stays there quite nicely. I use it as a nav board and check my computer by pulling it out and doing whatever it is thats needed and after I just stick it back where it lives.

 

[Leejnd]

Yes, I've been snubbed:

1. When I first started diving (a few years ago), I was encouraged to join this group called "DiveVets" in SoCal. They had an active message forum, and they dove every Wed. evening at a dive site in Redondo. I started enthusiastically posting on their board, went to the dives almost every Wed., met a bunch of them, made some friends and dive buddies, and did some great diving. But, while they presented themselves as a "newbie-friendly" group (and many of them were), some of the old-timers turned out to NOT be newbie-friendly...AT ALL. They started making fun of me for posting too much (calling me an attention*hore - no, I was just excited and enthusiastic about my new pursuit)...laughed at me for my newbie mistakes (I called a safety stop a "deco stop" once in a post...holy crap I got raked over the coals for that), and was just generally made to feel like an interloper in their private club. Especially the tech divers - they wouldn't even interact with this "noob". I guess I wasn't a good enough diver for them to consider me worthy of their attention. I actually ended up slinking away in tears, and never went back. It was so highschool-ish. To this day I won't even go to that dive site, lest I run into one of those rude jerks.

2. Also early in my dive career, I met a bunch of DIR divers. Most of them were perfectly nice people, but a couple of them had that "we're doing it right, you're doing it wrong and you're gonna die" attitude. It really turned me off to the whole DIR concept.

3. A couple years ago I traveled to Bali and I booked several days on a dive boat on my own. The first day, there was a group of DIR divers on the boat, along with a few other non-DIR divers. The DIR divers were in a corner literally making fun of the rest of us - for example, pointing to my octo in its yellow bulb holder and laughing at the "danglies", stuff like that. As the DM was working out buddy teams, one of the DIR dudes actually said, right in front of us, "Don't bother asking any of us to buddy with the dangly-divers." What a -holes.

Fortunately I'm rethinking my beliefs about DIR: a group of local DIR divers have set up a group event coming up in early October, where the "DIR-curious" can meet up with DIR divers, ask questions, learn about their gear and practices, talk to instructors, buddy up for dives, etc. They are being incredibly welcoming, and I'm very excited about finally getting the opportunity to learn more about DIR-style diving, without fear of being laughed at or made fun of. The truth is, I'm VERY interested in it, and am seriously considering taking a fundamentals course...which I never would have considered before, given my earlier exposure to "the attitude".

On the other side (have I ever been a snob?), allow me to quote another post in this thread:

Am I a snob? No, but I have treated like one on more than one occasion. The reason - meeting divers on a boat, chatting about where we have been. I have been asked, "where's the coolest place you have been?" or "have you ever seen sharks?" I answer honestly, telling them about Palau trip, drifting though a school of 40+ sharks, etc. or flying at mach speed on a drift dive in Palau at 100' depth, etc. or diving in one of the Blue Holes in Palau, pitch dark and 120' depth with sharks circling around us... yeah, I have done some really exciting dives. Don't ask me if you don't want to hear about them! Am I bragging... NO! I am answering your question.

Do I snub other divers? NO, never. I chat freely with every diver and I enjoy talking about diving. Do I care if you are diving doubles? NO. Do I care if you are a cave diver, sure, tell me all about your coolest dive! I don't feel threatened by the fact you do things I DON'T do.

I completely relate to this. I've been diving in some pretty awesome places around the world, and have gotten into some fun conversations on dive boats about all the places we've been. I suppose someone might have viewed that as being snobbish or bragging...but that was certainly not my intent. Just like robint, it was all just fun discussions of the cool places we've been and things we've seen. I'm just as eager to hear about everyone else's experiences as I am to share my own.

 

[Dyno Bill]

I guess I may have been considered a diver with danglies, who knows and who really gives a rats behind. They may have been nicer to me due to the spear gun, you can never tell what's in the minds of others. You were in Redondo, at Veterans Park I would imagine? My wife did her cert classes there as well as my youngest son. There have been riff-raff types spotted there from time to time..... LOL