How to Avoid "Guided" Dives? I don't need/want my hand held.
- Thread starter avengedkevinfold
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Damselfish
Contributor
Aside from an occasional dive where it makes sense, we have not been to anyplace in the Caribbean that made us dive with a group in ages. Read lots of reviews/descriptions, ask about places and ops you're interested in, you'll find the right op.
If it seems like the thing to do, we'll go along for at least one dive if they don't know us, to show we can dive. They don't know you yet, so maybe they don't want to promise anything - and honestly if you're copping an attitude about beginners being morons and the other stuff you said, when if your profile is correct you are still pretty much a beginner yourself - you may be coming across as someone they _do_ fear they may need to keep an eye on.
Note that photographers can have an even worse rep than your "moronic" beginners. Not paying attention to other things, hogging critters, barging in front of someone already looking at something feeling entitled because they have a camera.
Some guides are great critter finders and are worth hanging out with for at least part of a dive. Sometimes they know exactly where something is that will be hard to find on your own. Especially if the place and critters are new to you. With good viz it's also possible to dive in proximity to others to get the advantage of other peoples discoveries, without being on top of each other. If it's really a small group, like 6, there may not be a need or reason to swim the other direction. If they go too fast for you, well let them go.
I've found sometimes an op will just assume people want to go with the group, but don't actually require it, we just clear that up with them as needed.
If it seems like the thing to do, we'll go along for at least one dive if they don't know us, to show we can dive. They don't know you yet, so maybe they don't want to promise anything - and honestly if you're copping an attitude about beginners being morons and the other stuff you said, when if your profile is correct you are still pretty much a beginner yourself - you may be coming across as someone they _do_ fear they may need to keep an eye on.
Note that photographers can have an even worse rep than your "moronic" beginners. Not paying attention to other things, hogging critters, barging in front of someone already looking at something feeling entitled because they have a camera.
Some guides are great critter finders and are worth hanging out with for at least part of a dive. Sometimes they know exactly where something is that will be hard to find on your own. Especially if the place and critters are new to you. With good viz it's also possible to dive in proximity to others to get the advantage of other peoples discoveries, without being on top of each other. If it's really a small group, like 6, there may not be a need or reason to swim the other direction. If they go too fast for you, well let them go.
I've found sometimes an op will just assume people want to go with the group, but don't actually require it, we just clear that up with them as needed.
It is amazing that some folks seem to quickly forget that all of us were beginners in diving and underwater photography at some point in our diving hobby/career. A little humility and patience seems to be in order for the Op because no matter how experienced we become, we can usually find a lot of people that are more experienced and better divers/photographers than we can ever hope to be.
I don’t mind the beginners, I mind the guides.
I don’t want the wild life poked with sticks and moved to make a better shot.
I want the opportunity to spot stuff before someone who has been there three times this week ‘finds’ some creature.
I don’t want to have to fin like **** to keep a guide in sight.
Some guides are good and not intrusive, but not all.
I don’t want the wild life poked with sticks and moved to make a better shot.
I want the opportunity to spot stuff before someone who has been there three times this week ‘finds’ some creature.
I don’t want to have to fin like **** to keep a guide in sight.
Some guides are good and not intrusive, but not all.
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Sports Chalet ?
Diving for a year ?
Less than 25 dives?
Underwater photographer ?
Incredible !
@CathyE
Really?
'Moronic beginners'? That is very harsh.
Your profile only lists your dive count as 0 - 24, if that was just the default you might want to update it. You wouldn't want anyone to lump you in with them beginners.
I suggest you hire a private boat.
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I have a new heroine !
Her name is CathyE
A Canadian who tells it like it is.
Keep up the great posing !
The SCUBA board needs posters like you !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RE the OP
Suggest that you & wife obtain more experience
As a diver -- dive the wonderful OC beaches and visit @Dr bill at the Catalina dive Park
Participate in the 3 Rs -- free !
Join Orange County Underwater Photographic Society (O CUPS)
You will become an accomplished UW photographer rather than a snap shooter
You will have more experience and certain credentials
Sam Miller, III
Diving for a year ?
Less than 25 dives?
Underwater photographer ?
Incredible !
@CathyE
Really?
'Moronic beginners'? That is very harsh.
Your profile only lists your dive count as 0 - 24, if that was just the default you might want to update it. You wouldn't want anyone to lump you in with them beginners.
I suggest you hire a private boat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have a new heroine !
Her name is CathyE
A Canadian who tells it like it is.
Keep up the great posing !
The SCUBA board needs posters like you !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RE the OP
Suggest that you & wife obtain more experience
As a diver -- dive the wonderful OC beaches and visit @Dr bill at the Catalina dive Park
Participate in the 3 Rs -- free !
Join Orange County Underwater Photographic Society (O CUPS)
You will become an accomplished UW photographer rather than a snap shooter
You will have more experience and certain credentials
Sam Miller, III
dlofting
Contributor
We've done almost 200 dives...not a lot compared to others on this board but enough to get a sense of other divers. Quite honestly I can't remember a dive that was ruined by other divers. There were a couple where someone did something stupid but we just left that up to the divemaster to deal with. If we really wanted our own experience we'd hire our own boat and divemaster.
I can think of only two dives that were ruined by other divers. Not really ruined, but certainly negatively impacted. A married couple who own a popular dive shop harrassed an octopus continuously. I surfaced fuming.
During another dive a group of experienced DIR divers kept dropping down on me while I was photographing on a wall. They had no situational awareness despite lots of training and years of diving.
During another dive a group of experienced DIR divers kept dropping down on me while I was photographing on a wall. They had no situational awareness despite lots of training and years of diving.
wsr523
Registered
I agree with the hire your own guide suggestion. My wife and I do most of our diving in the Caribbean and as we have experienced all have been group dives except for the shore dives we have done. We ususally hang to the back of the group and do our own thing but we keep the group close enough to us that the DM doesnt have to look for us. In the past we have been on dives with photographers who have held up the entire group causing the rest of us to wait until the DM regained visual contact. Hiring your own DM works two fold; you get to do your own thing and the group doesnt have to adjust their dive to your's.
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