How many people won't dive with a new diver?

[pasley]

I have dove with many new divers. So we only get 15-30 minutes out of a 80 CF tank of air. I was that way when I started, and others took the time to help me out by diving with me. It is kind of payback to those who were there for me. Now I also enjoy going out with other experienced divers and getting 90 minutes out of that same tank on a shallow dive.

I like the idea of letting them plan the dive. I also have a hard and fast rule, if anyone in the group says "do you think its ok?" or "I am game if you are?" then I thumb the dive. I have learned that is our common sense speaking up and anything we do after that to justify our diving is just our dumber side talking us into trouble.

 

[Juls64]

one reason some people may not want to is...

This weekend I voluntarily buddied with a new diver for his first Great Lakes Dives. We did the Dredge. It was a 19 minute dive because he ran low on air. I ended with 1900psi. The second dive was the Prins Wilhelm. This time we got 20 minutes. I had about 1800 psi remaining this time. Its Lake Michigan, its cold water, and its something new. People are stoked and they suck air!

Would I do it again? Absolutely. Looking at my log book, my first Great Lakes dive was my 11th dive. It was for 23 minutes. Gotta start somewhere. I saw my new diver buddy tonight at the LDS and he said he had such a great time.

I don't want to buddy with a new person all the time, but in doing so occasionally, it teaches me to be a better diver. There were a lot of things I think I could have done better this weekend. I learned from the experience!




Juls

 

[ASUPaula]

EVERYONE had to have someone dive with them while they were a new diver.

I've had the great pleasure in my first month to dive most often in a foursome with three experienced divers. Ideal, I'd say. I get to benefit from their attentiveness, encouragment and instruction, and they get to introduce their passion to a new diver, and feel safe and secure at the same time.

 

[Queen]

I remember the nervousness on my first "real" OW dives inthe Keys. I was afraid no one would want to buddy with me, I'd waste their time or worse yet, ruin their dive. A diver in the group who was also solo took pity? on me and dove with me. He was into photography and showed me the COOLEST things, the dive was a little truncated because I was SO excited.....but a few weeks later back at home I got a packet of pics he'd taken and a nice note saying "he'd dive with me anytime". It sent my confidence soaring and led me to all sorts of adventures, that was 25 years ago and I always ty to remember his kindness when faced with a scared newbie...that was me a short 25 years ago.

 

[PuckX]

Being a new diver I can understand why people might hesitate to dive with an FNG, as having to work with my fellow noobs in my OW class. However, not all of us are the same, I for one have always been one of those irritating people that pick up things very quickly and easily. Having dived with a buddy thats been doing it awhile just last weekend for the first 15 mins he was watching me close for obvious reasons... after that he was confident in my ability and went about the rest of the day as he would with a more experienced buddy. So you cant necessarily lump us all in the same group.

 

[ninjamuzo]

I keep on wondering about doing solo dives like that, but I know I don't have the experience and as I get the experience I tend to be attracted to the idea less and less.

The feeling of the first Solo dive is very similar to the first time you drive a car/fly a plane etc. by yourself. A mixture of apprehension and excitement.

 

[El Orans]

Any time, any place, any buddy...

As long as I feel comfortable with the dive plan knowing that I'm diving with an inexperienced diver.

 

[DORSETBOY]

Any time, any place, any buddy...

As long as I feel comfortable with the dive plan knowing that I'm diving with an inexperienced diver.

I'd agree with that, there are some dives I'll do with regular buddies whom I know and trust that I wouldn't do with another diver even if they were fairly experienced.. I think it's a trust thing.

There are plenty of other dives though that I can do with a new diver which we will both get enjoyment out of.

 

[SDAnderson]

I don't have a problem with diving with new divers and do, several times each year. Plan the dive, dive the plan, stay within the limits of experience and training of the diver, etc. I'm a extra careful when I do, not necessarily because I don't trust the new diver (obviously, I don't) but because I don't always trust myself to remember what it was like to be new. Cornfeds idea about letting the newbie take the lead in planning the dive is an excellent one and I'm always very thorough in the BWRAF phase - much of my technically oriented gear is unfamiliar to them and I want to make sure that they know how to work all the doodads on their new recreational gear.

It's a vicarious thrill to see someone quivering with excitement at the prospect of a dive - even a quarry dive - is fun and I'm often surprised at how well the newbies do. Although their air consumption always sucks (pun intended) they usually have a good grasp of the basic skills and are anxious to perfect them and learn more.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Do most divers not want to dive with new divers? I've had two experienced divers tell me they won't dive with others unless they are AOW and rescue certified divers. How common is this? I'm planning on getting the AOW and rescue diver (i'm a former EMT) but I'd like to dive in between.

You're hanging out with the wrong people. My guess is that if they're impressed by an AOW card or think that it means much at all they aren't much more experienced than you are and maybe think a little too much of themselves to boot.

I do some dives where I couldn't take a beginner but I also do some of the same dives today that I did as a beginner. Those dives are more fun to show to some one else. They're good places to work on skills that might be lacking comming out of OW training and I'm pretty confident that we can do the dive without you're lack of inwater rescue skills being the end of us.