Ever find yourself babysitting now?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

khblair

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
173
Reaction score
10
Location
Tennessee
# of dives
200 - 499
Now that I have my DM I find myself not being able to enjoy myself on dives as much. Just returned from a few dives in St. Thomas. Although I only submitted my AOW card on the boat, I stayed at the back of the dive group and felt obligated to "babysit". Good thing I did as there were actually a couple of problems that I assisted with that the DM leader was oblivious to, but....I'd like to enjoy my dives too. Any tips on being able to relax and enjoy my dives?
 
Stay away from guided dives. Don't go places that require you to be part of a group. Dive with just the folks in your group. You'll still be watching out for your dive buddy and your friends in your group, but you know what to expect and hopefully your friends will not need babysitting.
 
Just dive and enjoy it. Don't put yourself in a position to trail the group and supervise. Stick with your buddy and enjoy the dive. Let the boat crew do their job (or not) and just make your dive. Help someone, of course, if they need it, just like any other good diver would....but don't make the focus of your dive the "divers". Just because you're a DM does not mean that you are responsible for the group. That'd be like saying, even though my ENT was diving with me, since I burst an eardrum it's his fault....sorta...ya know? As long as you're not working for the crew or functioning in a leadership role, you have no responsibility to supervise the group. If an incident happens, you probably will be held to higher standards due to Duty of Care, but not to the level expected of the crew or DM's leading the dive.

When we go to Coz....if one of the group is doing, say, AWARE Fish ID on one of the dives, then one of our Instructors is now conducting a training dive and is fully responsible for this student, no matter the relationship with the boat crew or DM's....and on the very next dive 2 hours later, the situation may totally change because the student is done with the specialty and now the Instructor is on a pleasure dive. BUT, I'm now functioning as a DM because a couple paid me to lead them around the outside of the C53 and show them stuff.....on the next dive they're on their own and so am I.....see?

BTW - Nice triple black vert......I just sold my mag red 6sp....thinking of a new Z06 this spring....maybe....drooling over that LS7....
 
You have no obligation to herd someone elses customers for them.
 
On a dive trip you don't even really want to give the appearance of being professionally responsible for the group. You are not there working in a professional capacity and don't want anyone to think that you are. Focus on what you like to see and let the people that are getting paid take care of the group.
 
So in Roatan next year, are you going to watch me, or am I going to watch you?

I don't have a problem separating myself. I help my buddy, and anybody who asks for help, but I don't play babysitter when diving for fun.
 
I am currently am a Dive Master candidate and I got in to it because I wanted to teach.

To me being an Dive Master or Instructor I felt it had some level of “babysitting”; if that is something I felt strongly against I would have just become a PADI Master diver.

I just spent last weekend diving a quarry in VA and not being able to enjoy the dive because I was assisting an Instructor with his class. I guess the point I have is I find it very difficult to enjoy the dive as well at which time I am normally observing others and in disbelief by how careless people can be.
 
I think the "mothering" tendency is the hardest thing I have had to learn to deal with as a diver. I even felt obligated to mother Walter when we dove together and he's a far better diver than I will EVER be. When I'm diving for fun I prefer to stay away from the herds, my buddy/friends and I go our own way like Walter suggested otherwise I'm in serious mother mode. It's taken a lot of time and work on my part but going out on my own with strong divers I know and trust has helped me rein in the mothering instinct a bit.
Ber :lilbunny:
 
So in Roatan next year, are you going to watch me, or am I going to watch you?

I don't have a problem separating myself. I help my buddy, and anybody who asks for help, but I don't play babysitter when diving for fun.

hi dear. actually, i was thinking about hanging back in stealth mode with you and observe your photography skills. i think less pics for me this time and more viewing..and there is NO ONE on our trips that need babysitting. Our group is awesome and im looking forward to it already!
 

Back
Top Bottom