Believe me, we'd love to take your money...

[GrimSleeper]

Out of curiosity, are a certain nationality or nationalities more prone to this attitude in MESCO's experience?

There was a phase when it seemed to be almost exclusively an American thing, but I think that was just a statistical blip. Most recently, in no particular order, a British-born Australian, a German, an American, an Australian and a Dutch couple. To be honest, the bulk of divers who come here are Australian, with a smattering of New Zealanders, intrepid Europeans and a small number of American, mostly yachties - we're a long way from anywhere and hard to get to - so I'm not sure you could derive anything significant about national psyches or the state of dive education in a given country.

Thinking about it as I write, probably the largest group of arguers would be defined by the fact that they are on yachts rather than by their nationality - I'd guess that they form a group who are more likely to end up in a remote dive location without necessarily being there specifically because they want to dive and can end up going to a lot of great dive destinations without racking up a lot of experience, whereas people who travel here just to dive tend to be more experienced divers anyway. Or something.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

I really don't like anyone making fun of a student for being worried about being taken into an overhead environment, no matter how minor, when he knew he wasn't supposed to be there. I think prudence is a virtue in a diver, and I would never fault someone for wanting to stay within their certification limits.

Student? Try reading the post again. It's his dive and his call, but what he described is hardly something warranting condemnation of the DM.

 

[Rampantmarine]

I think that sports and activities such as Scuba Diving can be very attractive to individuals with personalities with this type of attitude. I noted you mentioned these individuals are involved in yachting. I recall from my pilot training course the saying that flying, like the sea, is generally safe but terribly unforgiving of error. I find Scuba the same. I keep the saying "their are old pilots and bold pilots but very few old bold pilots" in mind when diving. I suppose that if you have sailed across an open ocean you probably have a higher than normal comfort with taking risk. I do not know about yachting ratings but I imagine there is a level of progression before you can handle certain sized craft - flying is no different.

Perhaps simply say that these dives are rated for divers with "x" dives or certification and if you do not have that level you need a checkout. If I wanted to rent a plane - sure as heck they will check me out. Its not like driving a car. (Given the length of time since I last flew I may get in the air - getting back down with a usable plane- probably not)

 

[TSandM]

I should have done my first dive after OW with you guys. The DM I contracted for my first dive wanted to take me inside a submerged aircraft

I apologize; he was (barely) no longer a student. I still think making fun of him for being reluctant to go into an overhead environment, no matter how benign, is uncalled-for. We howl about uncertified people diving in caverns and caves, and then rag on some poor guy who is trying to follow the rules he was actually TAUGHT. Yes, those of us with hundreds of dives aren't worried about swimming into a prepared airplane in a quarry -- but I'd much rather a new diver refuse to do something that simple, than follow a DM into someplace where he might actually get in trouble. And yes, I think the DM was out of line.

 

[cannon fodder]

Actually it was in the Carribean, not a quarry. I do not know if the aircraft in question was prepared or not. It certainly did not have any extra access points cut into it. Frankly I don't think my bouyancy controll was anywere near good enough to go in, so I didn't. My beef with the DM was she seemed to ignore my experience level, which I stated, and just wanted to take me on the same dive she would take someone with hundreds of dives on. I don't know if I mentioned that I paid extra for a private DM, this was not a group guided dive.

Sorry that this thread has gone off topic. I only meant to point out a counter example to the original poster, not start a another topic within a thread.

 

[billt4sf]

Are there that many people going to the Solomon Islands with little experience?

I would have thought that there are few people heading to the Solomons.

- Bill

 

[FinnMom]

I really don't like anyone making fun of a student for being worried about being taken into an overhead environment, no matter how minor, when he knew he wasn't supposed to be there. I think prudence is a virtue in a diver, and I would never fault someone for wanting to stay within their certification limits.

Absolutely!
* This is supposed to be fun. Being scared isn't fun.
* Rushing/pushing people into things, even if they do finally go along with you and get over their reluctances, is still liable to dampen their enthusiasm for diving in the future. Being pushed around isn't fun.
* Scared people are dangerous. Ever seen a scared, pressured person in traffic do something crazy? At least then you had a lot of hard metal & a seatbelt to protect you. Don't scare people: they stop thinking clearly when good & flustered and it just does downhill from there onwards.


If nothing else, scaba diving builds character because you accept the other person's right to thumb the dive, no arguements. So.. if the dive abort (or airplane penetration abort) is was unwarrented in your opinion you just need to be (1) nice about about it (2) do what you can to avoid the situation in the future and (3) silently give yourself 3 "fine person" points for your restraint.

 

[Dive Bug Bit Me]

there have been Mantas and a lot of Grey reef sharks there recently, there are always big schools of fish . . . through the cave and put them on the F4U Corsair at 53m as part of the course...

Wait a minute . . . The Solomon Islands have manta rays, sharks, caves, wrecks and an ethical dive shop. New destination just added to my bucket list.

Please tell me it's child friendly and easy to travel to.

 

[claymore]

I recently had almost the same encounter from the othere side of the counter. I am going to be in Cozumel in early October for a day, cruise ship, and wanted to arrange a two tank dive trip. I emailed two dive operators to check on availability and if I it would be possible to do devils throat as it is on my bucket list. Both operates stated that they would not let me that dive without having been diving with them to know my abilities. I was disappointed but could not fault them for saying no considering the dive. Could not work it out any way wrong times.

I dad a similar experience as the poster who was ask to go into a plane on his first dive after being certified. I was in Cozumel for a week and was going to be diving for 3 days. I hired a privaet DM for my first day because I only had 2 dives after certification a year before. He asked me on the way out if I wanted to do the swim throughs that were on the dive and if I was not comfortable with it we could go over the top. I said I would see when we got down. When I saw what they were I didn't have problem but if it had been that plane I would have said no.

I now have over 100 dives and won't do wreck penetrations. The skills are there for some of the simpler penetrations but the comfort level is not there to do much penetration. I will do the buses, planes. Helicopters, mining cars ect. in the local flooded mines.

 

[Krazyklaws]

Sorry, a little off topic, but where is that aircraft? Looks kinda cool assuming a suitable level of training and experience that it......