How to handle violation of a dive site rules (Solo Diving)

[vincent54]

I haven't heard of the Scuba Police until now, but I don't think expressing concern for another persons safety as interfering or policing. It's fun talking to people.

Maybe that's why I end up alone on the boat. Bastards don't like my thoughtful critiques.

Cheers

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I would mind your own business in general.

While the person may have been technically in violation of a rule, they were not putting themselves or others in harms way nor breaking any laws. If I thought they were inexperienced and just ignorant of the rules, I might mention it to them. Other than that, I would enjoy my dive.

 

[agilis]

I haven't heard of the Scuba Police until now, but I don't think expressing concern for another persons safety as interfering or policing. It's fun talking to people.

Maybe that's why I end up alone on the boat. Bastards don't like my thoughtful critiques.

Cheers

I assume you respond to those who critique the way you set up your gear and your diving techniques with a cheerful appreciative openness.

 

[vincent54]

I assume you respond to those who critique the way you set up your gear and your diving techniques with a cheerful appreciative openness.

That would mean someone cared, so the answer is yes.

 

[TN-Steve]

To answer a few questions and points that have been raised, directly or indirectly.

1. No, I did not start the thread to bait the bears and start a friday feud. I haven't been here nearly long enough or have established any credentials that entitle me to do an occasional drive-by trolling. The question was asked out of a sincere desire to get the opinions and recommendations of people with more experience than I.
2. Some of the advice, both that which I may incorporate and some that, while I don't agree with it, was presented in a logical and reasonable manner, in the way that reasonable people can sometimes agree to disagree
3. Some of the responses (and I'm not going to call them advice) seemed to consist of little more than poo-flinging and name calling. That surprised me a bit, since I made a point to post in the Basic Forum. If I were a newbie to the world of forums, that might well run me off for good. Since I've been involved in online communities since pre-internet (dialup BBS, then Usenet), I can honestly say that I've been flamed harder by 12 year olds.
4. Some of you I would look forward to meeting for a dive, a drink and a night on the town. Some of you, perhaps not so much, but that may change
5. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better, I know that sometimes ones intent or meaning doesn't always translate from a physical conversation to text. Nuance is sometimes lost in the translation.
6. In any case, I'm here for the duration, have a lot to learn, and some good role models here to learn from.

Have a great evening,

Steve

 

[drrich2]

I've noticed over time that threads involving the theme of community responsibility/paternalism/site protection vs. individual autonomy/liberty/MYOB tend to elicit a fairly strong reaction and some debate.

As an example, quite awhile back I recall a thread where people were talking about how to react to people who (to certified, seasoned cave divers) appeared to be regular OW divers (none of the caving gear, for example) in the process of entering a cave. There are folks who will, if it comes down to it, grab somebody and haul them out. At some point in the past such a case even made it to court per one post. Save a life, save a site (for other divers the cave community is quite aware access can be denied). One of the members indicated he said a 'pig sticker,' I believe it was called, and if that were him grabbed underwater by a stranger, he'd consider it an assault and react accordingly.

If I were a betting man, I'd give higher odds of survival for even a fresh OW grad. doing a simple solo dip in a scuba quarry alongside shore with no current, vs. an untrained diver entered a cave, so I'm not equating the two, just pointing out that some of the basic themes come up in a number of threads.

Richard.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Most folks don't listen anyway. Let's recall that the father and son who died in Eagle's Nest last Christmas had a friend who had told them repeatedly to stay out of the cave. Didn't do much good ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[TONY CHANEY]

I would mind your own business in general.

While the person may have been technically in violation of a rule, they were not putting themselves or others in harms way nor breaking any laws. If I thought they were inexperienced and just ignorant of the rules, I might mention it to them. Other than that, I would enjoy my dive.

Yea, it is OK to think that way until you have to include the recovery team. Do you not think that the ones putting their life at risk in recoverying the body deserves a little more respect that you care to give.

But screw it, it is not you and it is what it is. I have had friends die diving and I have never heard one person who said, "I am glad that I did not say something to them when I felt that they were doing something wrong." Quite the opposite usually happens. Please take a very close look at the search for Ben at Vortex.

 

[redacted]

Yea, it is OK to think that way until you have to include the recovery team. Do you not think that the ones putting their life at risk in recoverying the body deserves a little more respect that you care to give.

But screw it, it is not you and it is what it is. I have had friends die diving and I have never heard one person who said, "I am glad that I did not say something to them when I felt that they were doing something wrong." Quite the opposite usually happens. Please take a very close look at the search for Ben at Vortex.

With that rational, shouldn't all scuba diving be prohibited?

 

[NAM001]

Well BOB

I think i mostly agree with you on this. A quick glimps at equipment or hearing a partial conversation just isnt the justification needed to report an unproven assumed condition.

Not necessarily so ... and it's an assumption that doesn't take anything about that diver into consideration.

FWIW - I've known, and trained, some divers I would inherently trust as a dive buddy far more than some old-timers I've known. Being a good buddy has less to do with experience than it does attitude and habits.

Much the same can be said about the scenario posited in the initial post. You can't tell much, really, about a diver by looking at him. And you can't tell much about how safe he's likely to be by the gear he's using. Having a pony bottle is only worthwhile if you have the presence of mind (and the ability) to deploy it in a timely manner in an emergency. I once dived with a fellow who told me his solo strategy was to dive until his main tank runs OOA, then switch to the pony and come in. I'm sure he wasn't trained that way ... but even after I explained to him why that wasn't a very good idea he continued to not see anything wrong with it. Divers like that can't be reasoned with ... and it's best just to stay away from them and let Darwin sort it out.

The problem with people like that is that they aren't just a danger to themselves ... but to those around them. And you don't have to be someone's dive buddy to be accosted by them once they put themselves in a position to discover that they're not nearly as well-prepared for an emergency as they thought they were.

So no ... give me the new diver who paid attention to his training, and who is working hard to improve any time over the older hand who thinks he's got it all figured out and routinely cuts corners. Chances are pretty good that even in an emergency, the former will be better prepared to think their way through the emergency without creating an even bigger problem. A good attitude frequently trumps a good number of dives in that respect ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)