Hey Hoover ~ Did you ruin someone's dive?

[TCDiver1]

This happened to me when a guy I was with sprung a leak in his reg when I had 140 bar left. We surfaced, he got on the boat and I went back down and joined the group. No worries.

Different situation in my mind Hank. I don't think anyone is suggesting one should abandon their buddy if they have a problem. By all means, buddy team first.

But if the dive goes fine other that your buddy woofs his air down, i make sure the dive op knows i'm passing him off to the DM to handle. Its briefed and understood before anyone gets wet.

JMO

 

[RiverRat]

This didn't happend to me... but it has happened to others.

This is for those of you (noble souls) who would never turn down a hoover as a buddy and are more than willing to sacrifice your dive.. because after all... you were a tadpole at one time yourself...ect...

Here is your scenario ~ answer honestly:

You aren't rich but through hard work and saving you've finally realized your dream and are on a dive trip to Fiji. You have no buddy along (the reason dosen't matter.) The day comes when you finally get to dive in the fabled Beqa Lagoon. The boat is a mix of buddy pairs and singles with several Fijian DMs diving as well.

1) Do you offer to dive with the newly certified and obviously nervous fidgety guy who already has his reg in his mouth while sitting there on the boat? Remember... you are a noble soul... you were once a tadpole.

As it happens nobility doesn't come into play... the DM *assigns* you to the fidget. It is as you surmised... he is not only a tadpole but a shop vac. He sucks his air down in what must be record time. You've barely gotten to the bomies and the soft corals beckon... but your *buddy* is showing the DM his gauge and you know what that means.

2) Do you inwardly wish that the DM would just take *your buddy* and allow you to continue your dive since you still have 2/3 of your air left?

3) How do you feel when the DM gives you the <pairupwithyourbuddyandascend> signal?

4) How do you feel back on the boat as you sit out what would have been 45 minutes of your dive while the *shop vac* exults to the skipper how great the dive was completely ignoring you?

Hmmm?

OK, I posted my newbie experience so here's my answers now that I'm "not so new":

1. Depends on what I think of the newbie. I mean, is it "just" newbieness or is the guy a whack job. I'd more than likely try to help the guy out on a dive. I would make an assesment while we discussed the dive plan. Something that many don't do on the boat and I've been guilty of not going into details myself sometimes. Who knows, the 2nd dive on could turn out to be a great buddy pair. After the dive I would re-asses the situation. If DM sticks me with him I'll do the first dive and review after.

2. Depends on the dive. If it was super fantastic I may wish DM to take him up even though it may turn my dive into a solo dive.

3. Nothing wrong with the pair up signal. He's got a heck of a job trying to keep things under control. I'll evaluate his decision to do that and why on the boat. I've been in the situation (same Cayman dives) where the DM buddied up a new diver with me and my buddy. I was a little nervous as just earlier in the week I hoooved my first dive, now I'm "in charge" of 2 buddies. A "dive plan" made/modified underwater. In any event
the new guy signalled he was down to 1000 psi. I signalled to him that ALL 3 of us head to the line area and prepare for ascent. He didn't get it and headed up to the boat like 1000 psi. meant "out of the water, NOW!" At least 60 fpm. I watched him but let him go. My thinking was I'm not blowing off the buddy I dove with all week to get bent with this guy. In this case the 3 man buddy "team" fell apart.

4. Would kinda suck but I would also feel good if I helped the poor soul make a safe ascent. I was there, in need, and may be again I'm sure someday. I had many experienced divers helping me in G. Cayman on the dives I did a few posts back. They really offered good tips such as dropping my weight belt at the mooring line, do the dive and grab it on the way up, hold it on the line and see how you feel at the safety stop. What now sounds like routine stuff to me really helped me get trimmed out, diving neutral and basically helped me have an awesome dive trip in Cayman.

 

[Hank49]

Different situation in my mind Hank. I don't think anyone is suggesting one should abandon their buddy if they have a problem. By all means, buddy team first.MO

The point I was making is that I would do the same if someone I was buddied with sucked their air really fast. I wouldn't waste the dive time sitting on the boat waiting for everyone else while I had 140 bar in my tank.

 

[wolf eel]

You win that would suck and I may be upset. Did I get dinner and another dive and a couple of gins with that dinner ? If not I would not be very happy as it would be my first warm water dive and upset that I had to go home to my dry suit.

 

[FatCat]

OK, lemme have a go at this. Let's say I'm taking that dream trip to Antarctica (yeah I know, what can I say? Some of you lot like wrecks, me I'm in love with ice).

This didn't happend to me... but it has happened to others.

This is for those of you (noble souls) who would never turn down a hoover as a buddy and are more than willing to sacrifice your dive.. because after all... you were a tadpole at one time yourself...ect...

Here is your scenario ~ answer honestly:

You aren't rich but through hard work and saving you've finally realized your dream and are on a dive trip to Fiji. You have no buddy along (the reason dosen't matter.) The day comes when you finally get to dive in the fabled Beqa Lagoon. The boat is a mix of buddy pairs and singles with several Fijian DMs diving as well.

1) Do you offer to dive with the newly certified and obviously nervous fidgety guy who already has his reg in his mouth while sitting there on the boat? Remember... you are a noble soul... you were once a tadpole.

As it happens nobility doesn't come into play... the DM *assigns* you to the fidget. It is as you surmised... he is not only a tadpole but a shop vac. He sucks his air down in what must be record time. You've barely gotten to the bomies and the soft corals beckon... but your *buddy* is showing the DM his gauge and you know what that means.

The DM can bite me, unless I'm paid for the dive. When on holiday, I arrive at the dive op's waving my black card and setting the rules beforehand. If my wife doesn't feel like diving, I will not be acting as a babysitter unless the dive op is short-staffed and will recompense me. Remember, I'm on holiday.

2) Do you inwardly wish that the DM would just take *your buddy* and allow you to continue your dive since you still have 2/3 of your air left?

I won't wish it, I'll make him do it, even if I have to purge his octo to force him. I have made a deal with his boss, remember?

3) How do you feel when the DM gives you the <pairupwithyourbuddyandascend> signal?

4) How do you feel back on the boat as you sit out what would have been 45 minutes of your dive while the *shop vac* exults to the skipper how great the dive was completely ignoring you?

Hmmm?

See previous answers please.

Now for the initial question: why should I blame the "shop vac" if it's me that's too much of a wimp to stand up for my rights?

There's two kinds of situations: either I'm on holiday for some "me time" and then I'll not be inclined to babysit - I do have a right to a life of my own - or I'm on holiday in a place I know well and where, even on holiday, I won't be too bothered to abort a dive prematurely.

 

[Michael Freeman]

In addition to the short dive times, also consider in Cozumel the DMs seem to divide up the experienced divers and the new divers with poor control and only take the experienced divers to some of the nice reefs. (at least that is what my DM did with the two small boat operations)

If you had been teamed up with a less experienced diver, you missed out.

I have no problem diving with new divers, but I am more concerned about their abilities then reduced bottom time. Of course on big trips I have always knew my buddy, so I've never had to make that call.

 

[Uncle Pug]

The intent of this thread wasn't to make hoovers feel bad... just to get folks to think about their responsibility toward other divers. If you are a hoover please consider the impact you have on other divers and especially in those *special places* and on those *irreplaceable dives*.

As I've stated before, recompense doesn't mean money... infact the cost of the dive may very well be insignificant compared to the other *costs* involved. But there are ways that you can recompense another diver if you find yourself in a situation similar to the scenarios set forth here. My suggestion was that gratitude expressed in thanks goes a long way.

For the non-hoovers: what are some of the ways you could be recompensed for having to sacrifice of a significant percentage of your special trip by being paired with a hoover.

 

[wolf eel]

Uncle Pug For the non-hoovers: what are some of the ways you could be recompensed for having to sacrifice of a significant percentage of your special trip by being paired with a hoover.

Dinner, wine, dance and song :11ztongue

 

[FatCat]

For the non-hoovers: what are some of the ways you could be recompensed for having to sacrifice of a significant percentage of your special trip by being paired with a hoover.

The dive op can pay me, or at least let me have the dives in question for free. It's up to the op to recompense me, it's not the hoover's fault. If the hoover were to buy me a drink afterwards, that would be appreciated.

Provide he (or she) is not an insufferable git

 

[cowprintrabbit]

This thread makes me glad I have a built in buddy. He may be a Hoover extrordinaire, but he gets to 700 psi about the time I start to shiver in 80F water, neither of us ever feels cheated.

Hypothetically, I think the offer of a post-dive beer and a snack would help. Not that I'd accept (from a male at least) if I were diving hubby-less, but the offer (and the corresponding acknowledgement) would help...