Did the DM go too far?

[Scottri]

I'm bothered by the DM having another diver on his octo for any reason other than to make an ascent. That's the biggest problem to me. How is the DM supposed to respond to someone in trouble if he has a diver on his Octo?

 

[Guba]

Let me interject this before things roll along too far.
When my buddy breathed off the DM, it might have been for about five minutes. In other words, he wasn't THAT far out of synch with the rest of the group in my opinion. Certainly not enough that we couldn't have compensated by ascending 20-30 feet and continuing to drift over the group for the rest of the dive. In this way I would have been the only one to be inconvenienced as he ran low, but that's what a dive partner accepts when he agrees to the partnership. Perhaps a more focused question might be just HOW synchronized was our group supposed to be? (Also know that the conditions were not treacherous...great weather and vis, very mild current, and the waters weren't crowded with other groups. Okay, let the comments resume!

 

[MoonWrasse]

Please post the name of the dive op involved so that I can avoid using that operation

 

[wedivebc]

The DM was probably correct in not allowing the camera if the task loading was going to cause a shortened dive for the others. He has other divers to consider. The DM's error was sharing gas to extend a dive. I always assume the last portion of my tank(s) belong to my buddy, not me. His use of contingency gas to extend the dive is a violation of safe diving practices and I would find another DM on that basis alone.

 

[Sasquatch]

I haven't done a lot of group/DM diving but I'm a bit surprised that it seems the DM's act like sheep dogs striving to keep the herd together.

I guess I don't see why the buddies couldn't have split off, engaged in photography until one was low on air and both ascended together.

Obviously if it were a drift dive you have to keep the group together but if you're just touring a reef in proximity of the boat then what's the problem?

 

[*Floater*]

I hope no one thinks I'm bashing DM's by posting a thread similar to a previous one, but it got me to thinking of an incident that happened on a trip to Cozumel. On one boat outing, one of my partners was one of the first to run low on air. He's not really a hog, but with the excitement and depth, he ran a little short. I was prepared to ascend to shallower water with him but the DM/guide indicated he stay at depth and had him take air from the DM's octo while we continued the dive. We all ascended together.
On the second tank of the dive, the DM told my buddy to leave his camera on the boat. He attributed the more rapid air consumption to maneuvering the camera around for pix. My buddy was VERY upset. He had, after all, traveled a long distance, paid a fair amount of money, and looked forward to viewing the splendor of the reef in his photos.
The question...did the DM on this charter act appropriately in forbidding my partner to take his camera? Yes, I know his responsibility to keeping the small group together, but is this an acceptable practice?

Well, did it work? Did your buddy stop hoovering?

 

[Sasquatch]

Oh yeah, another thing. I don't want anybodies octo EVER unless I have an OOA emergency and need to ascend!

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

Obviously if it were a drift dive you have to keep the group together but if you're just touring a reef in proximity of the boat then what's the problem?

Why? They are all certified divers with competent buddies right? I've never understood the herd mentality in Coz and some other locations.

Oh yeah, another thing. I don't want anybodies octo EVER unless I have an OOA emergency and need to ascend!

It'd be smarter to start breathing off your buddies octo before its an OOA emergency. If you've got 250 and he's got 800, share his on the way up. You've used enough of yours already, but you've got a little something in reserve in case he gets caught up in the prop or something.

I'm not picking on you Sas, I believe in you and the abominable snowman!

 

[wedivebc]

Why? They are all certified divers with competent buddies right? I've never understood the herd mentality in Coz and some other locations.

Yeah, when you have several cattle boats in one area you don't recognize the divers just the DM. If they don't all surface together you may leave someone behind :06:

 

[MoonWrasse]

Yeah, when you have several cattle boats in one area you don't recognize the divers just the DM. If they don't all surface together you may leave someone behind :06:

That should never happen. If it does, it speaks very poorly of that dive operation regardless of the number of "cattle boats".