Herding cats, or tips on managing chaos

[TSandM]

Thanks, Crowley. Your point about buddy separation is a good one -- the last dive I did was led by a DM and I was buddying with one of the students. Two others were buddied together, and Peter was diving cleanup. One of the buddy team had to go to the surface rather suddenly and Peter took him there, leaving the other diver trailing us. I saw her alone and went back to join her, unsure what had happened. This of course left MY "buddy" by himself to a degree, although he was only a few feet behind the DM. I could see him looking kind of confused for a moment, until he swam forward to join the DM.

I'm learning all kinds of things happen, and can happen quickly, when you have brand new divers in drysuits

Of course, Peter got let go by the shop tonight, so it looks as though most of my DMing will be in the smaller types of classes he'll have as an independent.

 

[Crowley]

You're very welcome - we learn proper situational awareness through experience and we learn best when things are going wrong - you know this from your other career, I'm sure.

After a while you will find you can identify possible "problem" students from the moment they arrive in your class (but not all of them!), and then you have an opportunity to start addressing those problems before you even get into the water. Once you've done this for a while you will see all kinds of crazy things underwater. The learning curve is steep, but it flattens out after a while.

One comment I get frequently during IDCs I staff would be something like "why am I learning this stuff, nobody's going to spit out their regulator, remove their mask and lose a fin at the same time! This is ridiculous!"

I would just smile, nod and think privately to myself: "ooooooh boy, have you got another thing coming!"

Good luck - it's hard work but I LOVE it!

C.

PS I read about Peter's job in another post - there are always silver linings.

 

[scubadiver888]

If a diver is that nervous, have a good long chat to them topside and find out why they are diving. Is it because they don't want to disappoint their significant other, is it a personal challenge to help them overcome their fear of water or fish (yes, I've had to help people overcome that). I've spent time floating about in shallow water one-one with some people just getting them used to being underwater without the pressure of being in a class. This can be very valuable because then peer pressure is automatically eliminated.

I've heard of this before but never seen someone who has a fear of fish. How do you help someone who has a fear of fish but wants to overcome that fear?

 

[Crowley]

I brief them very thoroughly, of course but I show them, by example, that the fish are not all out to get them. A favourite of mine is to get up close to a lionfish or scorpionfish and wave my hand at them so that they display their defensive "spikes up" reaction, without actually bothering to move. I let the 1.5 metre long Napoleon Wrasse get right up close and demonstrate how it is clearly not trying to eat me. I get my teeth cleaned by cleaner wrasse or shrimp and swim alongside the Great Barracuda just to show it is not trying to bite my silvery earrings. I think that by demonstrating through example that fish are not actually very scary at all, people relax a bit more.

The only way to overcome a fear is to face it.

C.

 

[scubadiver888]

I brief them very thoroughly, of course but I show them, by example, that the fish are not all out to get them. A favourite of mine is to get up close to a lionfish or scorpionfish and wave my hand at them so that they display their defensive "spikes up" reaction, without actually bothering to move. I let the 1.5 metre long Napoleon Wrasse get right up close and demonstrate how it is clearly not trying to eat me. I get my teeth cleaned by cleaner wrasse or shrimp and swim alongside the Great Barracuda just to show it is not trying to bite my silvery earrings. I think that by demonstrating through example that fish are not actually very scary at all, people relax a bit more.

The only way to overcome a fear is to face it.

C.

Thanks Crowley. I was thinking they were too afraid to even get in the water.

On my first open water dive, a dive shop, known for feeding the fish bread, was just leaving the dive site. As I descended I had my left hand holding the hose high (feet first descent). A dozen fish came at me and started nibbling my hand thinking I was holding up bread. I can imagine someone with a fear of fish might get a little freaked out by something like that.

 

[TMHeimer]

Thanks, Crowley. Your point about buddy separation is a good one -- the last dive I did was led by a DM and I was buddying with one of the students. Two others were buddied together, and Peter was diving cleanup. One of the buddy team had to go to the surface rather suddenly and Peter took him there, leaving the other diver trailing us. I saw her alone and went back to join her, unsure what had happened. This of course left MY "buddy" by himself to a degree, although he was only a few feet behind the DM. I could see him looking kind of confused for a moment, until he swam forward to join the DM.

I'm learning all kinds of things happen, and can happen quickly, when you have brand new divers in drysuits

Of course, Peter got let go by the shop tonight, so it looks as though most of my DMing will be in the smaller types of classes he'll have as an independent.

I had a similar situation. The DM and two of us DMCs were bringing up the rear when I noticed someone out the side of my vision about facing to return to shore. So I followed, knowing there were still 2 others following the group. Turns out it was the DM who turned. But with maybe 10 ft. viz lost him and then my group was of course gone. Felt like a dork alone! Turns out the DM had to return to shore to get or do something. I should've recognized his odd coloured fins and good buoyancy, but didn't want to take the chance it may be a panicked diver afraid of going deeper.

 

[Tom Kreider]

Aggressive underwater signals and commands place undue stress on nervous divers and are the underwater equivalent of "yelling". This will make some people angry, disappointed, potentially aggressive and then they are focused on beating themselves up (or you!) and not concentrating on the task at hand. Smooth, gentle gestures as reminders, not demands, to reunite with a buddy will serve you well.

I know my Cavern instructor never received this advice.

 

[DBailey]

TSandM,

Unless the ratios have changed with the new Instructor Manual, you should not have been put in the position you described. DM's can not lead a tour on OW1. A certified DM can lead the tours for OW2/3/4, but only a ratio of two students per certified DM.

Perhaps we are saying the same thing, but the instructor must be in direct supervision for the dives. The lead position can be delegated, as long as the instructor maintains direct supervision.

In my case, my dive master is an instructor as well. I will send my DM to lead with the second worst buddy team. The "best" buddy teams in the middle. I will have the worst buddy team at the end. If anything happens with the groups in front of me, I will see it and can react. The "quality" of the buddy teams is soley based on guesses, instructor comments, how they gear up, how well they did in my pool class, etc.