Disturbing trend in diving?

[Eric Sedletzky]

Are you familiar with using dive computers for decompression dives?

No, I never heard of such a thing.
Please explain it to me.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

gas supply?

Hey Eric.... I wasn't exactly sure what you meant by this. Are you saying that there are ops that let customers dive without an SPG as long as they follow the DM?

 

[Storker]

are you telling me they have no clue how deep they are or for how long?

Some years ago, we vacationed in Italy. Some of the days were spent diving with a reportably good diving op. One of the dives was a cave dive, entrance some 40m (130 feet) below. OW certed patrons, no line, max one torch per person. I and my child politely, but firmly declined since we weren't trained for overhead diving. The op was more than a little miffed, but we got a personal guide who took us for a dive we were qualified for.

That evening, we learned that the group going on that dive were told to stop halfway up to look at some stuff. No wonder, they owed quite a bit of deco and couldn't go straight up. Single tanks, no pony, no other redundant gas.

So, yeah. A lot of those going on hold-my-hand dives have no clue.

 

[Storker]

Training.......PADI gets bashed but I have seen crap instructors from NAUI, SSI, NASDS (long gone), SDI, and such. Not so much CMAS or other European agencies and I'm unsure if the culture of not getting any rating / certification until you really proved your skills is why (???)

Well, European diving is rather different from resort diving. Over here, we dive in independent buddy pairs, and the DM is only responsible for leading and coordinating the dive, not for hand-holding folks. Over here, you're on your own when you're under water.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Well, European diving is rather different from resort diving. Over here, we dive in independent buddy pairs, and the DM is only responsible for leading and coordinating the dive, not for hand-holding folks. Over here, you're on your own when you're under water.

This is a bit more like diving here in South Florida. For dive ops that do put a guide in the water, they are a guide, not your nanny. Every diver, whether they decide to follow the guide or not, is expected to plan and execute their own dive. Regardless of whether you are in a buddy team, multi-person team or solo, you are responsible for your own dive. They do provide guidelines that are driven by logistics and safety, but you are free (and expected) to execute your own dive within those parameters.

I have witnessed divers who clearly are accustomed to tropical concierge diving. They are the divers that, upon getting on the boat, just stare at their rental tank and rental equipment bag with a deer in the headlights stare while everyone else quickly begins to setup their own equipment. On more than one occasion I've seen the dive op have to tell them several times to please get their gear setup. When this happens, they provide these customers with a closer level of scrutiny and offer assistance if necessary, but they are still expected to put together their own equipment.

I've never seen any of the South Florida dive ops I use actually manage the dive for the group, checking gas/NDL and telling divers when to ascend. They also absolutely require everyone to have their own computer and SMB.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Hey Eric.... I wasn't exactly sure what you meant by this. Are you saying that there are ops that let customers dive without an SPG as long as they follow the DM?

I don't know, that's why I'm asking.
I'm still blown away that they let divers do dives beyond Discover scuba with no instrumentation whatsoever. I would sure hope they have an SPG, but then do they ever look at it or know what the numbers mean or have enough sense to know when they are getting low? I guess a guide is supposed to do that for them, IDK?
This is all new to me, I'm still trying to get caught up with the times of nobody needing to know or do anything, just get lead around and have fun.
Dive and let dive yeah?

 

[GLENNY B]

I can't imagine diving without knowing the tables or having a dive computer. Unless I was in very shallow water. I've never heard of this before, but can understand why it might happen.

 

[The Chairman]

I can't imagine diving without knowing the tables or having a dive computer.

I dove the rule of 120 for over 2 decades, and we guessed at our depth. Red ribbons never fail!

As for SPGs, I dove with J-valves instead. No bladder, either.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

I can't imagine diving without knowing the tables or having a dive computer. Unless I was in very shallow water. I've never heard of this before, but can understand why it might happen.

Excursion dibers? Don't know what they don't know, or choose to ignore what they do. Or once did. Or should have. One can ignore reality, but not the consequences of ignoring reality.

Not advocating, but there's the 120 rule that works (to some extent) absent tables in hand or a DC. [one reason I still set my watch bezel]

To which somebody may have alluded by mentioning 60-60 ...

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

I dove the rule of 120 for over 2 decades, and we guessed at our depth. Red ribbons never fail!

Beat me by THAT much!