Article: The Number One Rule In Scuba Diving: No Touching!

[Cowfish Aesthetic]

Wow. I didn't think the piece made me out to be a moron.

I don't think the piece makes you out to be a moron either. But you shared an article and asked for feedback. My feedback is that I don't think it is useful for a new diver to advise other divers in the form of sensationalized blanket rules. And I say that as a new diver myself.

 

[stepfen]

Personally I don’t see a dive much different from a walk to a forest. I’m careful not to cause damage to nature, not to leave behind trash, not to disturb wild life much and so on.

Now if I come across a very friendly animal I will try to interact with it (depending of course on the circumstances) although touching I think is too much and in any way most animals will avoid contact.

Nevertheless in three different circumstances out of the blue octopuses have grabbed my bare foot (and scare the sh*t out of me) . Are you going to tell me that I am not supposed to touch octopuses?? Why not? Even they seem to enjoy it

Similar to cutting few lilies or daisies in a forest is not the end of the world I don’t see why touching some very common sea plants or animals is a problem.

Keep in mind that the same creatures can withstand huge storms/waves, currents and numerous predators so they are not that fragile after all.

Of course destroying corals be it intentionally or not (bad buoyancy) is a huge problem especially in overcrowded dive sites and should be avoided at all cost, but not all things underwater are as fragile and “valuable” as corals.

Just my 2 cents

 

[stepfen]

I forgot to mention that of course in unfamiliar places I don't want to touch ANYTHING and the reason is that I don't know what can be dangerous and what is not.

 

[TMHeimer]

Spearfishing, abalone, and lobster hunters also disagree. Rules like this are as ill-informed as never hold your breath. The rule correct rule is "Never hold your breath, or block your airway, when ascending on Scuba (or surface-supplied)". The rule regarding touching is to use some common sense.

Agree. Common sense. Obviously the posts are discussing animals, as opposed to plants, and as a shell collector I am classified as a hunter I guess, so it's not about that. I have never been a fan of the "Take only pictures (responsably....), leave only bubbles". That seems to mean everything no matter what the situation, and tends to get some divers up on their high horse. Said to me once when someone saw my poke spear for flounders---"Don't kill them, they're my friends". Silly to say if you eat meat at all (considering last summer I got 5). Personally I have no interest in touching or interacting with aquatic animals and don't even like the idea of being around anything that approaches half my size (I know I am unusual in that). I do enjoy seeing a nice fish swim by, or rock crab on the bottom. I don't see a lot of fish here, due to decades of over fishing, so I'm told. I did see a school of TRIGGERFISH 3 years ago here in Nova Scotia.
I think common sense also come into play when considering what you're touching--ie. I doubt I'm doing much if any harm if I grab seaweed, kelp or the like while diving in the North Atlantic (perhaps for a reason, like current, cramps), as opposed to grabbing onto a piece of coral in Aruba just because it's there. As well, there are very few divers at a lot of sites here and often I'm the only one. I know damage done by even one person is a big no-no.
As far as divers being ambassadors of the deep, etc., yes I agree. But as I have often said, I think the ocean has way bigger problems created by those other than our .14%.
This is a very "touchy" (pardon the pun) and popular topic--2-3 more posts since I just relieved myself...
While I think such threads/articles are good, or at least can't hurt, I think we are better served by getting on the band wagon to help clean up the real ocean killing messes. I good example is what they did with the Hudson River since the 70s--People actually swim from beaches there now, as opposed to walking across it to Jersey. I wish I were more dedicated and joined in such causes.
A little off topic, but I must add--
Around 40 years ago my mom told me she used to regularly swim in the Hudson in her youth (1930s-40). Until one time when she literally came face to face with--well, we all remember the Caddyshack pool scene. Since 2003 I have swam and fished there every summer and have yet to see that floating O'Henry Bar.

 

[Tassi Devil Diver]

Sorry I don't agree with very much in your article, I am fine with interacting with marine life, obviously some species are more susceptible than others and should be left alone, people should be a made aware of that and educated. Some people do go over board by handling delicate animals and these people need to be pulled into line, but to suggest no touching should be the first rule of diving is just absurd.

and

A similar thing can be seen in tech diving where the gear is different and at times, multiple tanks are used for deeper and more difficult dives. A small number of those taking tech courses do so just to enter a cave for the first time or to do a deep dive with a twinset and multiple slung stage bottles.

What problem do you have with that, I got a rebreather to dive deep reefs for the first time no one has ever dived before and bring back video and pictures to share with others along with taking samples of marine life which may possibly be new species for scientists. Friends of mine dive caves to discover new passages and dive them for the first time and make links with other caves.


I have dived Chuuk, the place is a popular dive destination has been well documented, I have no problem with people examining artifacts, probably should not move them around too much, but you will find the guides are the worst offenders, they create their own little exclusive stashes to show people they are guiding, one guide took us to a room and from behind a beam pulled out a Japanese samurai sword he had no doubt stashed.


Like others have suggested get some more experience and broaden your horizons before writing such an article, you will probably find that you change your tune a bit after a few hundred dives.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

In some cases, as the pic by Bob shows and my profile pick here <----, some sea life will touch you whether you like it or not. I get the overall premise by the OP and I think people have extrapolated it to things that he didn't mean. I'm against digging an octopus out of a hole for example, and I hope most people would agree with me on that. Maybe not. Saw a DM do that in Maui Stopped a dive guide from doing that in Greece.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

I think we need to become better educated about appropriate and inappropriate touching rather than to just have a zero tolerance policy.

This applies to:

1) the underwater world
2) actresses who come to auditions in hotel rooms at 2:30 A.M.

 

[TMHeimer]

In some cases, as the pic by Bob shows and my profile pick here <----, some sea life will touch you whether you like it or not. I get the overall premise by the OP and I think people have extrapolated it to things that he didn't mean. I'm against digging an octopus out of a hole for example, and I hope most people would agree with me on that. Maybe not. Saw a DM do that in Maui Stopped a dive guide from doing that in Greece.

Tend to agree. I think the OP's idea is to point out the people who are jerks. The one who causes the blowfish to inflate to play ball with it. The photog who manipulates for a good shot. The one who Frisbees a starfish, and everyone's favourite, the DM/Group Leader who hitches a ride on the turtle to entertain the group.
Again, diver and animal populations matter. If thousands of divers do this each year on one particular reef it probably causes environmental problems and they are jerks. If 3 divers do this in a year in a remote locale, they are just jerks.

 

[doctormike]

I'm not sure at this point if the OP posted this to get feedback to make the article better, or just to promote the blog. I suspect the latter, but it would make sense - especially since the OP is a new diver - to take this feedback seriously. It comes from people with a lot of diving experience, and it is potentially valuable to any would-be scuba blogger.

I didn't really read the article with an editor's eye, but I think that it really needs a major rewrite. Also, I don't appreciate snarky stuff like this which doesn't even have anything to do with touching animals:

The “look at me” mentality that runs rampant in the this day and age leads to some taking the courses just for those moments of perceived greatness that they can then post and allow others to ooh and ah at what it is they are doing. A similar thing can be seen in tech diving where the gear is different and at times, multiple tanks are used for deeper and more difficult dives. A small number of those taking tech courses do so just to enter a cave for the first time or to do a deep dive with a twinset and multiple slung stage bottles.

 

[Steve_C]

I do not go around abusing wildlife. I do not spearfish but have no problems with it. We should respect nature.

But from a logical point why is shooting a fish ok but playing with the end of an octupus's tentatcle so that he comes out for a photo not ok? I think that the dead fish is less happy with the results then the curious octopus who is unhurt.