Can I dive with a buddy who isn't certified?

[PR_SMITH]

maybe he just works away from a computer, so might be online when he gets home?
Jumping to conclusions so fast might lead to whiplash

 

[Phrenzy]

Whatever. There is no harm in diving people the benefit of the doubt.

I think you meant to say "giving." Not to worry, I still understood your post & your Freudian slip made me smile.

 

[Missdirected]

or perhaps he has not become so addicted to SB and can still manage to do other things with his free nondiving time

He is not even an addict yet, definitely shouldn't be taking out non-certed peoples

 

[Ana]

not too long ago thats how Everybody learned... (before agencies existed/or were prevalent) ...from an experienced/knowledgeable friend...

they didnt have half of the safety/diving aids we have today

lets not get all uppity on our "training"... its not rocket science...


- you explain the characteristics of a volume of air under varying pressures and the ramifications therein... (dont hold your breath, how to clear and why)

- you explain the concept of Nitrogen loading and the importance of slow ascents

- you introduce them to each piece of equiptment they'll be using and its function/operation



I think with 3-4 hrs. of instruction I could take a friend on a follow-me dive in a quarry for 30 minutes @ 30'.

I guess you are wrong.... reading the posts on this thread you'd think rocket scientists better line up and get schooled by scuba instructors.

Don't you realize that this person's Dad can die????... I guess the magical powers of a bad instructor are always better than some person that can figure this thing out by themselves regardless of their knowledge of being in the water.
Oh well... I'm sure grateful the proverbial Scuba Police is not a reality yet, even if the CYBER Scuba Police is armed and on the prowl. Hopefully it won't be in my lifetime.

 

[Sas]

I think you meant to say "giving." Not to worry, I still understood your post & your Freudian slip made me smile.

It does seem to be an appropriate Freudian slip!

 

[Splitlip]

I guess you are wrong.... reading the posts on this thread you'd think rocket scientists better line up and get schooled by scuba instructors.

Don't you realize that this person's Dad can die????... I guess the magical powers of a bad instructor are always better than some person that can figure this thing out by themselves regardless of their knowledge of being in the water.
Oh well... I'm sure grateful the proverbial Scuba Police is not a reality yet, even if the CYBER Scuba Police is armed and on the prowl. Hopefully it won't be in my lifetime.

Ok, so I'll say it again.
The OP says he just recieved his cert. We must presume it was with a bad instructor, right? So I infer from your post that it is ok for him and his dad to stumble around at some unnamed place with SCUBA.
I don't recall that the OP had any special "knowledge of being in the water" other than his certification by what we must assume is a bad instructor.

I would hazard a guess that a even a bad instructor has more knowledge in this respect than the OP.

 

[bfw]

THEORETICALLY, you could tell your father everything he needs to know for diving in about 10 minutes, PROVIDED NOTHING GOES WRONG. The same goes for flying an airplane, or even, conceivably, removing someone's appendix. In a perfect world, formalized training wouldn't be needed - most of what happens in a dive class is to prepare you for when (note I didn't say IF) something goes wrong, and it's more than just verbally reciting a recipe book of responses, it's a set of exercises and drills to ingrain those responses as second nature, under the eye of a professional trained to evaluate when that goal is actually realized.

Clearly, based on your uncertainty about this, you haven't achieved much beyond open water. It's doubtful you have rescue training. Murphy's Law does not like being trifled with. What you suggest is pretty much a recipe for orphanhood.

If your father wants to dive, he should find the time to learn to do it properly. Life is full of these tradeoffs, and parenthood only highlights this aspect of life, so he couldn't have raised you without realizing this.

 

[Missdirected]

I dive with uncerted peeps all the time and haven't lost one yet.

You're not swimming fast enough.

 

[psychocabbage]

I would say that my stance is this..
For everyone to just assume anyones level, certified or not, is absurd.

For everyone to be on the "gotta save this guys life or else" band wagon is just insane..

State the facts.. Let the chips fall where they may. Dont get caught up with telling people how moronicle they are being or what your personal feelings regarding the activity are..

Just stick to the facts.. Can you do it? Yes. Should you do it? Up to you. Would most people do it? No.

As I just told my wife, having a certification, means jack squat to me.. Knowing that you have a level head in most any circumstance is crucial and weighs in above all.

 

[thanksforallthefish]

I dive with uncerted peeps all the time and haven't lost one yet.

You're not swimming fast enough.

Ahhh ... MissD you are assuming that they are following 24940 ... maybe it is the other way round