JamesBon92007
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Diving with unfamiliar local strangers?
- Thread starter northernone
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Rred
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As Chairman Mao, Geo. Bush, and a couple of dozen other quotable people have said, "Trust but verify". If I don't know you, I am either diving solo or diving with extra care because I don't KNOW what you are going to do. Hey, that nice young man who lives down the hall is always who the psycho killer turns out to be, right?
I don't let strangers touch my tank valve or much of anything else, and my friends know that I'd rather grab my gear myself, than worry about someone else maybe sitting on my mask.
Trust but verify.
I don't let strangers touch my tank valve or much of anything else, and my friends know that I'd rather grab my gear myself, than worry about someone else maybe sitting on my mask.
Trust but verify.
I voted "other" because for me it depends on a number of factors:
1) Dive plan
2) Relative experience
3) Level of competence
4) Friendliness/ Attitude
Breaking them down:
1- do we have the same idea of a dive plan? Is their plan acceptable to me? If we are going on a simple bimble around a reef at 10m until we hit turn pressure and then return my thought process is a lot simpler than if we are diving a wreck at 30m with a plan to be there for a set length of time.
2- do they (or indeed do I) have the experience to do the dive discussed? If one or both of us is pushing our training and experience, I would be reluctant.
3- Are the able to assemble their gear without too many issues? Do they need help? How are they in the water? Do they check their air at a reasonable interval? The more competent they seem, the easier I will feel. Start to have any issues on any of the above and the dive plan will become a lot more conservative.
4- can I get on with them? If they are a pompous windbag who is going on about their huge expereince, chances are I will pass. If they are quiet and considerate, more than likely I will do the dive.
All of the above are on a sliding scale. As a relatively new diver I am just looking to get down there, see some nice things and blow some bubbles so I would be happy with most dives (with an eye on risk management). I would happily dive with a new OW diver so long as they are honest, friendly etc. I might choose to skip a dive with an old blowhard who knows it all and brags about skills and equipment (IME the blowhard is often the one with poor skills and the bluster is to try to hide it).
1) Dive plan
2) Relative experience
3) Level of competence
4) Friendliness/ Attitude
Breaking them down:
1- do we have the same idea of a dive plan? Is their plan acceptable to me? If we are going on a simple bimble around a reef at 10m until we hit turn pressure and then return my thought process is a lot simpler than if we are diving a wreck at 30m with a plan to be there for a set length of time.
2- do they (or indeed do I) have the experience to do the dive discussed? If one or both of us is pushing our training and experience, I would be reluctant.
3- Are the able to assemble their gear without too many issues? Do they need help? How are they in the water? Do they check their air at a reasonable interval? The more competent they seem, the easier I will feel. Start to have any issues on any of the above and the dive plan will become a lot more conservative.
4- can I get on with them? If they are a pompous windbag who is going on about their huge expereince, chances are I will pass. If they are quiet and considerate, more than likely I will do the dive.
All of the above are on a sliding scale. As a relatively new diver I am just looking to get down there, see some nice things and blow some bubbles so I would be happy with most dives (with an eye on risk management). I would happily dive with a new OW diver so long as they are honest, friendly etc. I might choose to skip a dive with an old blowhard who knows it all and brags about skills and equipment (IME the blowhard is often the one with poor skills and the bluster is to try to hide it).
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I usually give them a quick look, equipment placement, condition, danglies.
It's an acquired skill to make these judgements, but you can tell a lot about a diver by how they're rigged.
For example, this DM Intern above. She's in her tenth week and still wears shiny bracelets, even though this attracts predators...of all sorts.
It's an acquired skill to make these judgements, but you can tell a lot about a diver by how they're rigged.
For example, this DM Intern above. She's in her tenth week and still wears shiny bracelets, even though this attracts predators...of all sorts.
I'd dive with an instabuddy, and have on dive boats. (Also, DM'ing on local shop dives, usually with a newbie.) Most have been fine.
With classes, I've had divers in AOW and Rescue who really made me wonder, though. (If you have to have 2 different rescue skills used on you in the same Rescue checkout dive, I think I'm gonna need another look at your C-cards....)
With classes, I've had divers in AOW and Rescue who really made me wonder, though. (If you have to have 2 different rescue skills used on you in the same Rescue checkout dive, I think I'm gonna need another look at your C-cards....)
Some divers here seemed to have never been new, inexperienced divers themselves. Remarkable.
TrimixToo
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Most of the local strangers here are unfamiliar.
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