How to ensure my safety when there is no guide dive with me?

[H2Andy]

Like I tell my students upon certification, " Now it's time to try pulling up your big girl panties and dive."

frag!

i ain't got none of them ....

honey!!!

 

[EastEndDiver]

This is such an easy problem to overcome for the OP...........just marry a Divemaster...........geez

 

[merxlin]

Yep. Exactly. But he sounds like he wants his own personal DM buddy. He can pay for them. They are professionals and should be treated as such. Not as scut labor.

As a DM candidate I can tell you not everyone agrees, primarily my instructor.

 

[Walter]

how to ensure my safety when there is no guide dive with me?

It doesn't matter if you have a dive guide or not. You are responsible for your safety. People who haven't learned that fact or who've forgotten it sometimes find themselves having close calls or worse. You may want to consider reading this thread. I hope you'll learn from it.

 

[Sas]

I dove in Asia ( Philippine, Malaysia) , Jamaica and United States for several times.

I found a major difference for scuba diving in United States than in Asia is that DM in United States won't get into the water take care of divers. All the divers in United States are asked to get into the water by themselves, no DM would take care of the divers underwater and lead the team.

But in Asia, u will see DM and instructors lead the team all the time, in case of anyone get lost or any emergence happen. In Jamaica, there were always 3 DMs take care of divers, one in the front of the team, another in the middle, while the last DM follow the last two divers.

If you are a certified diver you are expected to be able to dive without supervision. I think if you do not feel comfortable to do this, you need to get further instruction and I feel your original instructor failed you. You are solely responsible for your own safety so it will be safer for you to learn how to dive without needing a DM. I really recommend getting further training.

I would rather get a guide to dive with me in United States, however, it cost too much here. In San Diego, it will cost $120 just for guide fee for three tanks diving. ( that's too much )

If you would rather get a guide to dive with you and it is too much, then you should skip the dive. People can charge what they like to provide this service to you and if you do not like it I am afraid you have little choice.

So I wonder, how can I make sure I am safe enough in the dive trip? Would anybody share some tips with me, to let me feel more confident under water? I already know one of the tip, that is look at the shadow of the boat, is there any other tips ? Please see my questions..

My tip is to get further instruction so you can dive unsupervised. I would not advise doing further diving until you have done this.

1) If the boat is going to be anchored, there would be a big shadow on the top of water. I guess look at that shadow would help to relocate myself.

There are many ways to find a boat after you get lost. An instructor can help you learn this.

2) Always follow the buddy . But how about if my buddy and me get lost?

Again it depends on the situation. See above answer

3) Should I buy a underwater compass? Or if there's any equipment can help me to find my location?

Yes, a compass is mandatory for me. I would highly recommend getting a compass and learning to use it. There are many navigation techniques that you can learn. Again, an instructor can help you.

3) Is there any other tips to help me feel more comfortable to dive with ONLY my buddy?

Why are you uncomfortable with only diving with a buddy? What was your OW course like?

Anyway, you sound like you really got shortchanged with your OW class. The idea is that once you are certified you should be comfortable diving unsupervised. If you are not, then you need to do further instruction and work on what makes you uncomfortable diving on your own. If you can never be comfortable diving on your own (for whatever reason), just realise that diving isn't for everyone and if you continue to rely on DMs to watch over you, you might get into serious trouble one day. Please read this link http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...ering-diving/283566-who-responsible-what.html. I think it might make you rethink how you dive now (edit, oh I see Walter beat me to this link )

 

[JohnQPS122]

Plenty of dive charters in the USA provide a guide, or a DM who goes in the water with you for safety. Just because the ones YOU have used didn't, doesn't mean NONE of them do.

If you ask here about a specific dive location (Florida Keys, for example, or Hawaii, or Texas, or whatever) and do some searching online, you'll find one.

 

[dktexas54]

If your post is serious and I assume it is, then may I suggest you email dive operators before a trip and ask what they charge for guided dives. Remember, diving is supposed to be fun and relaxing. If having a DM guide you around makes you comfortable, then by all means hire one. There is nothing wrong with what you wrote and keep asking questions till you get an answer you understand. Take more classes and educate yourself. If you have not taken an Advanced or Rescue class then I highly recommend you do. It will answer many of your questions.

Good Luck and Good Diving!

 

[vladimir]

I think $120 for 3 dives is pretty cheap for a divemaster in the States, if you need one. If the guy did it 5 days a week he'd have annual revenues of ~$30k. He's not getting wealthy at that rate. But let's compare that with competent instruction. If you opted for a top-of-the-line six-week course (does that still exist?) for, I don't know, $500, you'd be set for a lifetime of relatively safe diving. What a bargain! For the price of 4 days of safe diving you could get a lifetime's worth, and not look like a pantywaist while you're at it.

 

[ivobj]

I dove in Asia ( Philippine, Malaysia) , Jamaica and United States for several times.

I found a major difference for scuba diving in United States than in Asia is that DM in United States won't get into the water take care of divers. All the divers in United States are asked to get into the water by themselves, no DM would take care of the divers underwater and lead the team.

But in Asia, u will see DM and instructors lead the team all the time, in case of anyone get lost or any emergence happen. In Jamaica, there were always 3 DMs take care of divers, one in the front of the team, another in the middle, while the last DM follow the last two divers.

I would rather get a guide to dive with me in United States, however, it cost too much here. In San Diego, it will cost $120 just for guide fee for three tanks diving. ( that's too much )


So I wonder, how can I make sure I am safe enough in the dive trip? Would anybody share some tips with me, to let me feel more confident under water? I already know one of the tip, that is look at the shadow of the boat, is there any other tips ? Please see my questions..

1) If the boat is going to be anchored, there would be a big shadow on the top of water. I guess look at that shadow would help to relocate myself.

2) Always follow the buddy . But how about if my buddy and me get lost?

3) Should I buy a underwater compass? Or if there's any equipment can help me to find my location?

3) Is there any other tips to help me feel more comfortable to dive with ONLY my buddy?

Thank you very much ... looking forward for your valuable tips. .. :kiss2:

Best way to feel safe... practice your skills until you can trust them, then practice some more...

If you earned a dive certification presumably you have the necessary knowledge to dive only with your buddy (within the limits of your certification level, of course..), if you are not confortable with that I would suggest you get some more training.

About your questions...

1 - well, probably you won´t be able to see, you would need a great visibility, plus not many boats to avoid confusing then and need to look up at the right time, as while diving you will be looking down or ahead most of the time. Definetly not a good orientation reference, you need to pick up reference in the botton, for example, a rock with an odd shape or something that call you attention, so you can recognize those reference points on the way back to the boat

2 - If you got separated from your buddy, as you probably was thauugh in your dive training, if nothing else was previously agreed before entering the water, you should look around for max 1 min and if don't find him you should surface, for two reasons, if you are both in the surface, it is a lot easier to find each other and if you don't find each other you must inform the boat crew to start a search for the missing diver.

3 - Underwater compass are usefull specially when there is no good reference to guide you in the botton, for example in a sandy botton, but you must first learn to use it... no equipment can substitute a good orientation, equipments can fail, there are some (I never used, but there is a device that beeps when you point to a place you previously left a sensor), but you must know how to do it without it

4 - Tips? Practice skills, self confidence is the best way to feel safe underwater, and plan with your buddy before entering the water emergency procedures.

 

[ericdiver]

I'm a newbie diver myself, but may I suggest finding a dive instructor or shop you feel comfortable with (in the area you live/dive), and spending your money on additional instruction? Sounds like courses in Navigation and "Boat Diving" might help, but if you discuss your concerns with folks at one or more dive shops, they can suggest specific courses. After taking a course or two, look for charters/trips that involve easy, controlled dives to practice the skills.

Several posters mentioned self-responsibility, and it seems to me the specific way we prepare to be "responsible" is practice and training.

Good luck!