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

[ScubaSteve]

I can relate somewhat here. My "almost father-in-law" wants to dive and I truly believe he would be a good diver given the proper instruction. He has, apparently been rented gear at one point in the very recent past so that he could do some work to his dock.....I have risked all future comfort at family functions by refusing to take him diving (or even be in the water at the same time) unless he too the courses. This, I did follow up with some of the possibilities and he is now signed up to take the OW courses this month. I look forward to diving with him. You would be wise to do the same thing. As everybody has nicely (and not so nicely) said, the list of possible problems FAR outweighs the possible upsides. Take this opportunity to make the smart choice. You will both live to appreciate it.

 

[Scott M]

Has anyone noticed the OP has not responded?

To the OP. If your still reading the forum and this thread, don't take anything said too personally, your first questioned happened to be on a relatively serious topic as I am sure you can see by the passionate replies. Many feel diving with out a certification to be dangerous. Since most on here just want everyone to enjoy diving we all might get a little out of line from time to time because we take this sport very seriously and reading about a diver incident is difficult. Especially if it was preventable. We are all just here to help. Come on back and join in the fun. Everybody brings something to the table. As my dive buddy always says......."It's all good!"

 

[tomboyy]

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'.

could work...or you friend could freak for some weird reason and drown both of you.

 

[ianw2]

Has anyone noticed the OP has not responded?

Yep. The OP was last on the board at 8:44 pm on August 31. That was about 7 minutes after his "first" and "only" post. Other than the first response, gmaguitar01 didn't even stick around to be "insulted".

Me thinks we've been "trolled".

 

[NadMat]

Yep. The OP was last on the board at 8:44 pm on August 31. That was about 7 minutes after his "first" and "only" post. Other than the first response, gmaguitar01 didn't even stick around to be "insulted".

Me thinks we've been "trolled".

or maybe the tone of some of the first responses drove him away. or perhaps he has not become so addicted to SB and can still manage to do other things with his free nondiving time

how about we give him a week or two before deciding he was just here to rile us up

 

[ScubaJeff123]

No, thats just crazy man....When I was a teenager, I breathed out of a certifed divers regulator cleaning a pool. It was a shallow pool and controlled environment. I would never dive with a non-certified diver.

 

[mkutyna]

Perhaps he's just reading the responses without logging in to his account.

 

[ReefHound]

Perhaps he got hit by a bus.

 

[24940]

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

 

[Sas]

Yep. The OP was last on the board at 8:44 pm on August 31. That was about 7 minutes after his "first" and "only" post. Other than the first response, gmaguitar01 didn't even stick around to be "insulted".

Me thinks we've been "trolled".

OP might have been put off by some of the harsh responses here. Also a lot of people only log into forums to make a post and read stuff without being logged in.