Diver in travel group kept running out of air and sharing on every dive?

[Kilion]

As a relatively inexperienced diver, I find it worrying that members of this forum with hundreds or even thousands of dives have such differing opinions on a matter of safety.

 

[Nick_Radov]

As a relatively inexperienced diver, I find it worrying that members of this forum with hundreds or even thousands of dives have such differing opinions on a matter of safety.

No need to worry. Number of dives isn't a reliable indicator of knowledge about safety protocols. Some of the worst, most dangerous divers I've ever seen have somehow survived thousands of dives.

 

[boulderjohn]

As a relatively inexperienced diver, I find it worrying that members of this forum with hundreds or even thousands of dives have such differing opinions on a matter of safety.

Well, let's talk about that.

The way you use the term "safety" is the way many people think of the term--as an all or nothing concept. In reality, nothing in life is perfectly safe. I am sitting at my computer typing in relative safety, but there could be a gas leak that is about to blow me to smithereens. A friend of mine was shot while sleeping in her bed by some drunken idiot firing a rifle randomly at houses. The most careful people are always taking calculated risks throughout the day.

What is very risky for some people is not at all risky for others. Where I live in Colorado, people are routinely climbing cliffs I wouldn't dream of attempting. A trained and experienced cave diver regularly does dives with little risk that would likely kill an untrained diver. Technical divers go to depths that would be absurd for beginning divers--they have spent untold hours learning to do such dives in relative safety.

So everything we do involves some level of risk, and the level of risk in an action can be mitigated through training and experience. It is up to the individual to decide whether a planned activity is safe enough given his or her level of expertise, and hopefully we can make good decisions.

 

[arew+4]

If I saw some one doing this on the first dive, I would politely inform them they were not welcome to my air or any of my families. Unless of course they were actually out of air. If things went sideways and as a group we were now down an additional 500-1000 psi because this person could not manage their gas, there is a real good chance that person would not be walking off the boat back at the dock. It's all fun and games until it's not, and if you willfully made the problem worse by your actions you should be ready to pay.

 

[scrane]

As a relatively inexperienced diver, I find it worrying that members of this forum with hundreds or even thousands of dives have such differing opinions on a matter of safety.

I think most everyone agrees that chronic, casual air sharing is a bad thing. There is some flexibility in opinions on how to correct the situation.

 

[mcohen1021]

This topic has come up in the past and went 29 pages.

Thread 'Sharing air to extend bottom time'

May 22, 2012

We are in mostly sunny and somewhat rainy Riviera Maya for a week.
Of course we booked some diving during this time.
Being new divers we opted to hire a personal DM.
First day comes along and I had trouble equalizing my ears so not wanting to waste too much time i decided to head back on the boat and at least let my husband go ahead and enjoy the dive.
Thinking back now i think was more of a psychological issue, since the rough seas made me quite uncomfortable even on the way to the dive site but more so once i jumped in the water.
Next day was all nice and calm and we had a good dive at...

• t4e
• Replies: 288
• Forum: Basic Scuba

I will never agree with it, or that it should be allowed on any dive boat.

Have fun with it. I will be nowhere near this liability and lead my own dive as far away from it as possible.

 

[NothingClever]

As a relatively inexperienced diver, I find it worrying that members of this forum with hundreds or even thousands of dives have such differing opinions on a matter of safety.

Welcome to ScubaBoard where training and high standards are optional.

Like @Nick_Radov said, number of dives is no indication of talent or training.

I’ll add to that by saying the title of “instructor” carries almost zero weight in my book.

 

[JMarc]

So everything we do involves some level of risk, and the level of risk in an action can be mitigated through training and experience.

I'll add that we are bad at estimating risks, especially low one. We don't like unknowns, and thus often overestimate the issues with what we don't know, and then we go to the opposite and are complacent when familiar with the situation.

That's the interest of such discussion. At least when people holding a view can articulate a rationale for it.

 

[JMarc]

’ll add to that by saying the title of “instructor” carries almost zero weight in my book.

I learned to dive at a time and place before BCD and computers. Both got opposition from some instructors.

 

[uncfnp]

Welcome to ScubaBoard where training and high standards are optional.

Like @Nick_Radov said, number of dives is no indication of talent or training.

I’ll add to that by saying the title of “instructor” carries almost zero weight in my book.

I remember the days when solo diving, split fins and pony bottle references resulted in “you are going to die.” In fact, the solo forum use to require membership separate from the general forum. Seems our style of diving was considered too risky for the general SB audience.

To my knowledge no one has said yes this is the way to do it. We have offered real life experiences and personal choices.