Bathtub Divers

[sglake]

I think alot has to do with the fact that alot of divers you run into on charters probably will never log more than 20 dives or so ! Other than their 4 open water training dive the only other experience they will get will be on vacation , with rental equiptment they aren't familiar with about the same amount of confidence that we all had on our first dives ! Dive instructors all have different techniques when it come to teaching , some run students through just to boost their student count , some really try to get students to understand why and how things are supposed to be done , but just like anything else the only way anyone can improve is by practice and that is what the majority of the divers you see diving this way have no interest in doing !

 

[Kennedydive]

I understand there are all levels of experience. I was not always a good diver but I new when I left the course what my gauges were for, what my second mouth piece was for and I knew how to maintain something that resembled buoyancy.
This is just down right scary. It's as if all you have to do is buy a c-card and it's yours no mater how bad you perform. This is no different than someone who can't drive and they still get their license. OK Bad example. There are plenty of those out there as well. I've DM'ed on several courses and there were students the instructor would not pass because they did not belong in the water and could not perform skills to his satisfaction. Is the almighty dollar more important than ethics and someone’s life?

 

[Greg D.]

I think alot has to do with the fact that alot of divers you run into on charters probably will never log more than 20 dives or so ! Other than their 4 open water training dive the only other experience they will get will be on vacation , with rental equiptment they aren't familiar with about the same amount of confidence that we all had on our first dives ! Dive instructors all have different techniques when it come to teaching , some run students through just to boost their student count , some really try to get students to understand why and how things are supposed to be done , but just like anything else the only way anyone can improve is by practice and that is what the majority of the divers you see diving this way have no interest in doing !

I totally agree!

To add to that, some of these people have probably forgotton much of what they are taught, even if you havent dove in 5 years as long as you have that c card you are still a "certified" diver, I know that when I am out of the water for a few months my buoyancy and other skills suffer to some degree, Imagine if you only made a few dives a year, and missed a year or two every now and then :11: I know that when I used to skydive there was a provision about staying a "current" diver, and if you went for so long without a jump you had to have an evaluation with the Safety and Training officer of the Drop Zone. Maybe Scuba needs the same kind of guidline? But I hate Regulation so..... ug

 

[aussie_shark_bait]

I used to find when I was younger I would most weekends go out on the local dive boat each saturday for a full days diving. I was at the time 15 years old, I had clocked over 200 dives by then, had been diving for 4 years with two very experienced instructors for the most part, we had travelled and dived the Solomons, Guam, Truk Lagoon as well as many local dives.

My Dad had a two year contract overseas and until I finished school Mum stayed in Australia with me. They didn't want my diving experience to not continue so my Mum the non diver would get up at a ridiculour hour even in winter and take me to the boat.

Each new influx of "experienced" divers from the nearest capital city would complain if I was buddied with them that they didn't pay to be a baby sitter. Fortunately for me, the crew were great family friends and would often buddy me, often loaning me cameras for something else to discover or a housed video camera. At the end of the dives some of the more up front divers would apologise for making such hasty assumptions. Generally it was cold water 9-12 degrees celcius in winter, I only had a 5mm wetsuit, I had no job, I was a high school student, drysuits back then were very expensive. They thought i would be out of air in 30 minutes and that would be the end of their dive.

I learnt to very tolerant of all levels of diving experience and just try to be as helpful as I can to people that have less experience then me, whilst I know it is annoyance, especially when paying the prices that are asked at times. If I don't want to be buddied with an inexperienced diver my Dad and I go together we only show an advanced c card and forget that we are instructors.

I remember how crappy it felt to be looked upon as inexperienced just because I was so young I couldn't vote, or drive, but my skills and diving diversity was fairly good if not excellent for the age and number of dives I had done. On the flip side, I sure have seen some shockers in the past, especially from one of the poeple that complained when I was placed in their diving group whom I had to tow back to the vessell, remove all their gear and push their lazy behind up the ladder casue it was too rough, too much current and not enough of the experienced they had previous talked about.

Just my view point on it all, I know of people that I wonder how and why they got certified and am often dumbfounded at their skills or lack thereof.

ASB

 

[Tobagoman]

Back when I was with NOAA in the mid 80's you had to at least dive once in a 30 day period to keep your dive rating, not that that was a problem with all the underwater work going on. It would be a nice idea to somehow have that policy in the recreational diving community also. Maybe if a dive does not get in the wate within 90 days his card goes inactive until he takes a refresher course.

I totally agree!

To add to that, some of these people have probably forgotton much of what they are taught, even if you havent dove in 5 years as long as you have that c card you are still a "certified" diver, I know that when I am out of the water for a few months my buoyancy and other skills suffer to some degree, Imagine if you only made a few dives a year, and missed a year or two every now and then :11: I know that when I used to skydive there was a provision about staying a "current" diver, and if you went for so long without a jump you had to have an evaluation with the Safety and Training officer of the Drop Zone. Maybe Scuba needs the same kind of guidline? But I hate Regulation so..... ug

 

[Mako Mark]

It is a long time since we became saints, you and I....


.

 

[Damselfish]

Back when I was with NOAA in the mid 80's you had to at least dive once in a 30 day period to keep your dive rating, not that that was a problem with all the underwater work going on. It would be a nice idea to somehow have that policy in the recreational diving community also. Maybe if a dive does not get in the wate within 90 days his card goes inactive until he takes a refresher course.

I think the length of time ok to be out depends so much on the person, their experience, where they are diving, and how much of a clue they had to begin with. 30 days or even 90 days seems too short as a general rule though, I sometimes have 6 months or so between trips and don't have need for a refresher. And there's no good way to police such a thing anyway.

 

[DennisS]

Back when I was with NOAA in the mid 80's you had to at least dive once in a 30 day period to keep your dive rating, not that that was a problem with all the underwater work going on. It would be a nice idea to somehow have that policy in the recreational diving community also. Maybe if a dive does not get in the wate within 90 days his card goes inactive until he takes a refresher course.

I remember seeing a lot of monthly 15 minute "hull inspection" dives when I was with NOAA. One dive a month was also the minimum requirement for dive pay for NOAA Corps.

 

[Walter]

Yes, it's common. There are two reasons for divers having poor skills. They may not have dived recently and negelected to get a refresher prior to diving again. The other possibility is their OW course was inadequate. I really think we need to do a better job of teaching people to dive. While there are good instructors out there, they are, IMHO, in the minority.

 

[Greg D.]

Could be that there are some divers who just do it half *****, they mak a few dives every now and then and could care less about buyancy and such as long as they dont die, and if they do it will of course not be their fault they have been diving for "years" gotta be the gear and they guy who maintains it, supplied it, invented it. but alas they can still say they are a diver and the charters are still gonna take the money... let em be enjoy your dive and turn off their tank while they are not looking. Just kidding