Do you Drink & Dive?

[tinman]

Being an old sober dinosaur, I guess I get nervous that other contributors will be added to the lost/wounded in action diver category because of the pervasive advertising and social acceptance of alcohol in our sporting pre-/ post- activities. There is an undercurrent of cavalier "laugh at danger" element in this sport.

I just want to start a sober debate on the wisdom of sobriety and risks associated with promoting alcohol consumption among fellow divers. None of us hopefully drink and drive, why would you want to drink and dive or dive and drink knowing the risks. Can't great conversation and good times ensue just as easily without it? If not, that is a sad commentary on the state of the Western World's social skills.

For the record, Beer is not my beverage, German wine, Ice Wine and other sweet pursuits make my palate sing - but not in or near diving...

 

[chiara]

Having recently sent a letter to PADI denouncing the instructor who certified me for DM for professional incompetence and heavy drinking habits, pre- and post-diving, I am strongly against alcohool in scuba areas.

I do enjoy a beer a week, even less wine than that, never when I drive or dive.

 

[Bob]

Never! Only after all the divings done. I drink very little anyway, but never will I drink until I'm out of the water for good on that diving trip. It's my preference, for a variety of reasons, nothing more. :tree: Bob

 

[ABQdiver]

the dive will I partake. On a nice hot day a cold beer taste pretty good when the days diving is done.

On boat dives, there is no place for alcohol anyplace on the boat.

 

[cyklon_300]

"a sober debate on the wisdom of sobriety..."

Moderation works here, as in most places...a post-dive beer or glass of wine is usually acceptable, getting hammered is not.

Most liveaboards that serve alcohol curtail your diving after the first drink of the day...

 

[WreckWriter]

chiara once bubbled...
Having recently sent a letter to PADI denouncing the instructor who certified me for DM for professional incompetence and heavy drinking habits, pre- and post-diving, I am strongly against alcohool in scuba areas.

I do enjoy a beer a week, even less wine than that, never when I drive or dive.

Since you've taken this "interesting" action against your former instructor I assume you've also turned in that DM card which you admit to being not properly trained to have?

Or haven't you?

Tom

 

[chiara]

Wreckwriter,

your sarcasm is higly misplaced, especially since you don't know me.

My letter to PADI was signed and with full indication of my certification number and address.

I indeed considered very seriously to give back the card, I was advised not to by someone who is now working on my techniques and is doing so for free.

If PADI wants me to give the card back, I'll do so, and I'm ready to go to court to get my hard-earned money back from the instructor.

However I did pass my final exam in a perfectly normal way, you can't cheat on a multiple-choice, and I didn't get the answers before sitting it.

BTW, despite PADI being a commercial agency, why shouldn't I complain if there is good reason to it?

I wasn't the only one to sign the letter, do you really think we are all mad?

 

[SM Diver]

I never drink before diving. When I finish my last dive, I have a couple of beers on the ride home.

I've never thought about it being a sad statement on Western Civilization. I do not get chit faced.

P.S.: One of your choices is ambiguous. "I drink alcohol a lot after diving ..." Does that mean, almost everytime I dive I drink after, or I drink a lot after I dive?

 

[tinman]

Quite right Scott - I was ambiguous. I should have split this into "drink after every dive" to track frequency and "drink to excess" to track intensity but my marketing survey skills have been dulled by a head cold - that's my excuse and I'm holding to it! Besides, I did not want this discussion to degrade into finger pointing but to increasing awareness.

I'm a patient man. This issue will not change overnight. But I look at what a great repositioning job milk marketing boards have done to make milk almost a cool thing for kids to drink - it Does Do a Body Good right!

Why can't we make Gatorade, Hyper Distilled water or V8 (yuk!) the drink of champion divers. I have a dream...no I'm not that good...well maybe just a thought...but that's eluded me too...the cold medicine's kicking in...some other time.

Play nice kids - the oceans & world are shrinking...

 

[Aquamaniac]

WreckWriter once bubbled...


Since you've taken this "interesting" action against your former instructor I assume you've also turned in that DM card which you admit to being not properly trained to have?

Or haven't you?

Tom

Easy there Tom...