I'm your instabuddy!

[nolatom]

That's fine, I'd only do this if you had less dives than me, such as the example I gave. I also don't do it in a cocky way, I just offer it as advice of things to practice and think about, things which are a constant theme here on SB. Again in the example, the mentioned dive buddy is kicking ass at 20 dives. I honestly feel that many divers just aren't aware of how they should dive. SB reinforced this for me, but not everyone spends hours scouring through threads like I did.

I know I don't have all the experience in the world, but it doesn't mean I can't be decent underwater with good trim and buoyancy. And part of my lack of experience and self sufficiency makes me only feel comfortable if I've dove with you in a safer environment. Once I know I can trust you, then I'd be willing to dive with you in more advanced dives. We don't follow DM's out here in Jupiter. We drift dive without being babysitted by a DM, everyone dives at different speeds, you're on your own with your dive buddy for 50 minutes, and we launch our SMB's at the end. I may only have 50 dives, but I've had good practice between Jupiter drift diving and BHB shore diving. And I won't do an insta buddy unless I know I can trust you. I also won't put myself on the boat without a buddy I trust either. Unlike some, I'm not a danger to myself or others. Since I don't have a pony and neither does my buddy, I realize we are each others backup air supply in case of an emergency. I want to know my backup is there for me and I will be there for my buddy.

Have fun on the boat solo, I wouldn't put myself in the situation anyways.

---------- Post added March 20th, 2014 at 09:25 PM ----------



TC, I would say lets meet at the bridge, I wouldn't even say anything to you about how to dive since you are more experienced. I've dove with more "experienced" divers and they were train wrecks that I'd never get on a boat with as buddy. Thanks for the backup, come down, lets hit the bridge, and then lets hit a drift the next time .

Also at the bridge, I've learned that it's essential to just slow down. What's the rush. My 20 dive buddy freaked when I told him we'd be under water for 2hrs. He was like, no way. He did it with air to spare on a night dive to boot.

---------- Post added March 20th, 2014 at 09:36 PM ----------



Thanks. I'd either not book the 1 week vacation without a dive buddy or I'd take my diving to the next level by upgrading my equipment, ie at least getting a pony. I'm not experienced enough to save someone from themselves if they decide to do something stupid underwater. I'm well aware of my limitations. I learned quite a bit about safety in the service. I still practice it in daily life. It's great to have fun, I just choose to have relaxing fun . I shouldn't be babysitting someone under water nor do I want to. I want to enjoy my dive and I find it far more relaxing if I know there's someone next to me which I can trust.

FWIW, my dive buddy with 20 dives which is kicking ass is an airline pilot. His career demands safety and I like how he respects it.

Another buddy of mine was paired up with some clowns during AOW on a deep drift dive. I was sick and couldn't make it that day. He told me how pissed off he was at his class assigned insta-buddy. How the guy kept swimming off and doing his own thing. I wouldn't do that to someone.

---------- Post added March 20th, 2014 at 09:47 PM ----------

I'm also not diving split fins, jacket bcd, and have a console dangling. I dive a back inflate, long hose, necklace backup, naked spg, backup computer, lifeline, DRIS light, and hog fins. I'll move to a BPW one day when I can afford it.

I get what you're saying, but living in New Orleans, I just didn't have the luxury of a nearby try-out beach dive like Phil Foster Park (I realized what you meant with BHB, Blue Heron Bridge at the park). So i would drive over to Pensacola and take a buddy at the boat, but relying on the captain or DM to match me up. this worked out at the beginning, so I got more confidence in diving with a first-time buddy, and it has been pretty much fine since.

You're fortunate to live in Stuart. Nice town, and close to the good stuff in Jupiter and WPB. I get over there maybe once or twice a year and look up my Jupiter friends who are way excellent buddies.

In the beginning, you *are* the insta-buddy newbie. Someone dives with you, and you learn. Later, the DM may ask that you buddy with the newbie, and they learn (and you may learn from them? who knows). It's paying it forward, I think we should do it if we can, at least on the non-exotic dives when the situation presents itself, for the good of the sport.

 

[MrChen]

I get what you're saying, but living in New Orleans, I just didn't have the luxury of a nearby try-out beach dive like Phil Foster Park (I realized what you meant with BHB, Blue Heron Bridge at the park). So i would drive over to Pensacola and take a buddy at the boat, but relying on the captain or DM to match me up. this worked out at the beginning, so I got more confidence in diving with a first-time buddy, and it has been pretty much fine since.

You're fortunate to live in Stuart. Nice town, and close to the good stuff in Jupiter and WPB. I get over there maybe once or twice a year and look up my Jupiter friends who are way excellent buddies.

In the beginning, you *are* the insta-buddy newbie. Someone dives with you, and you learn. Later, the DM may ask that you buddy with the newbie, and they learn (and you may learn from them? who knows). It's paying it forward, I think we should do it if we can, at least on the non-exotic dives when the situation presents itself, for the good of the sport.

Oh I get that totally. I love that we have BHB available. If my buddy is not reliable, then there's no harm or foul but the same can't be said for a 90 ft drift dive in Jupiter.

I've met all my dive buddies by diving with them at the bridge. I'm still trying to grow my list of dive buddies. I monitor the intro forum every day. I never expect that a more experienced diver will take me out and if they do, I listen to all their feedback. In fact, some experienced divers are too experienced for their own good. One of my dive buddies paired up with someone she knew, but had never dove with before. She was mildly curious when he showed up to the boat with 120's while she had 100's. She thought, ok, maybe he's an air hog. Nope! When it was time to call the dive and surface, he kept on diving. She was left to surface on her own and was quite upset about it. Turns out that the guy solo dives. He wasn't a reliable buddy whatsoever. He invited her dive but never mentioned the solo dive part. So he took off with his 120, 30cu pony, and left her alone. Now she knows, but finding out about that at 80 ft isn't the time for it.

BHB is a very social dynamic diving meet up spot. There are some amazing divers which frequent this spot and it's a great spot to learn how they like to dive. I used the example of talking to someone about etiquette and things to think about while diving, but this would only happen if the diver was less experienced than me and it would be in the form of mentoring. If they are more experienced, then they are just being judged and I make a decision on whether I'd want to invite them to a boat dive or not. Divers can't pretend that they don't judge other divers, else we wouldn't have scuba snobs. Some people are just tourists to the area and it's just fun to meet new faces and show them around.

If you're ever in town, shoot me a PM. TC did and we are trying to see what we can schedule next month. It might just end up being an insta buddy connection due to scheduling, but I see that he gets why I'm apprehensive about random buddies. This in turn forms a level of trust. I just really don't want to get paired up on the boat minutes before getting wet without having a clue as to who or what.

 

[nolatom]

Oh I get that totally. I love that we have BHB available. If my buddy is not reliable, then there's no harm or foul but the same can't be said for a 90 ft drift dive in Jupiter.

I've met all my dive buddies by diving with them at the bridge. I'm still trying to grow my list of dive buddies. I monitor the intro forum every day. I never expect that a more experienced diver will take me out and if they do, I listen to all their feedback. In fact, some experienced divers are too experienced for their own good. One of my dive buddies paired up with someone she knew, but had never dove with before. She was mildly curious when he showed up to the boat with 120's while she had 100's. She thought, ok, maybe he's an air hog. Nope! When it was time to call the dive and surface, he kept on diving. She was left to surface on her own and was quite upset about it. Turns out that the guy solo dives. He wasn't a reliable buddy whatsoever. He invited her dive but never mentioned the solo dive part. So he took off with his 120, 30cu pony, and left her alone. Now she knows, but finding out about that at 80 ft isn't the time for it.

BHB is a very social dynamic diving meet up spot. There are some amazing divers which frequent this spot and it's a great spot to learn how they like to dive. I used the example of talking to someone about etiquette and things to think about while diving, but this would only happen if the diver was less experienced than me and it would be in the form of mentoring. If they are more experienced, then they are just being judged and I make a decision on whether I'd want to invite them to a boat dive or not. Divers can't pretend that they don't judge other divers, else we wouldn't have scuba snobs. Some people are just tourists to the area and it's just fun to meet new faces and show them around.

If you're ever in town, shoot me a PM. TC did and we are trying to see what we can schedule next month. It might just end up being an insta buddy connection due to scheduling, but I see that he gets why I'm apprehensive about random buddies. This in turn forms a level of trust. I just really don't want to get paired up on the boat minutes before getting wet without having a clue as to who or what.

I was at Phil Foster a couple of weeks ago. I'm an infrequent shore-diver, and it shows. This, from "that other forum", is my little blurb:
A boat-diver's tale of flag-dragging under low bridges, aka Phil Foster Park..

I was solo, so couldn't avoid the dreaded flag ;-) Don't know when I'll get over to Stuart next, but we can get in touch when and if. meantime, best wishes..


PS: oops, solo shore dives, this is off-topic. "Move along. Nothing to see here..." ;-)

 

[MrChen]

I was at Phil Foster a couple of weeks ago. I'm an infrequent shore-diver, and it shows. This, from "that other forum", is my little blurb:
A boat-diver's tale of flag-dragging under low bridges, aka Phil Foster Park..

I was solo, so couldn't avoid the dreaded flag ;-) Don't know when I'll get over to Stuart next, but we can get in touch when and if. meantime, best wishes..


PS: oops, solo shore dives, this is off-topic. "Move along. Nothing to see here..." ;-)

Thanks for sharing. All the regulars at the bridge have done solo dives there. On my first solo dive at the bridge, I got turned around when a tornado of a group flew past me and I swam right out into the channel. It was my fault for not checking my compass and trying to navigate by sight and not realizing the group distracted my heading.

Your story is awesome and it really shows why the dive is more difficult than it seems. You can't approach the bridges unless it's slack, so you have to buy time on the snorkel trail and then navigate to the bridge at the right time. Then we have days where vis is poor and we still do it at night. Your description of the site is a bit dated, the snorkel trail I mentioned is 2 years old and is out near the buoys, obviously installed after your post. This gives us something to do while we wait. But your description of the dreaded flag is spot on. I remember being laughed at a few times as the low man on the totem pole carrying the flag. Now I'm just in the rotation . That flag with the constant slight changes in depth and current is a job in it's own. We have certain areas we tie off and towing the flag on the west side is a non issue. But the east, I tie off the thing before going under bridge. Now carrying the flag isn't all that bad. I do it on night dives while using a camera. You also don't need to go in heavy, I use the same weighting that I use on boats and just adjust for the tank. BHB is my practice ground and I expect to get at least double the bottom time you indicated in your thread. You can get that bottom time as well, I'm sure it being your first time and all the struggles caused you to burn through your tank faster. Some trolls can stay down for 3-4 hrs. I'll get there one day.

Now back on topic, I realize how difficult of a dive the bridge can be at times. I don't expect a dive buddy to be perfect there. I'm not perfect there! But it definitely shows how well divers handle the complexities of the dive. If they don't care that they are silting up vis the entire time, then I realize they don't have enough control for me to want to do a more advanced dive where they could be my life line in an emergency. I keep going back to my dive buddy with 20 dives, because he just rocks it. No silt, no craziness, no wandering off, good communication, and gets better on every dive.

 

[freewillie]

Well, I was lucky enough to get dismissed early. I think the defense didn't want a highly educated independent thinker on the panel. The prosecution was looking for people who would be able to ignore a few holes in the evidence. The prosecution actually asked if people understand that real life evidence wasn't like CSI on TV and you might have to make an educated decision without every piece of evidence. I commented that what I do for my job. The defense excused me next.

Thanks to all who would be my buddy. Finally had some time after catching up in the office to fully go through the posts.

I do find perspective interesting. I know my dive capabilities and my own attention to safety. But until we dive together you are as unknown to me as I am to you. For all I know you can be some blowhard bragging about having "x" number dives and "y" certifications but the minute we get underwater you are like beginner and I'm the one thinking it's a wonder you haven't drowned yet. After all, how do I really know you are an dive master or instructor? You don't really. You are taking as big a chance with me as I am with you.

Its not the gear that make me safe or unsafe. It communication before the dive and attitude to overall safety. Not just mine but yours as well. Not only do I have to come back safe but you do too, even if you are a stranger. I always like to get a sense for hand signals and ask about buddy separation. Usually along the line of how do you signal your pressure and what is your protocol if separated. Getting funny hand signals underwater I don't understand it's too late to ask.

I did have a funny experience with my nephew as my new dive buddy. He was taught to indicate the thousand pressure by one or two fingers on the arm and the hundred pressures with the fingers. Okay, fine with me. But on our first dive together he had black gloves and black wetsuit. All that careful discussion out the door when I couldn't make out the fingers on his arm. At one point I was so frustrated I actually grabbed his SPG to check myself. Good thing he's family. I can only imagine the response of some of you if I grabbed your SPG!!

The other thing is that to me diving is also a social sport done in groups and pairs. I understand the I prefer do dive solo because I don't know you and you may not be safe attitude. But, to be fair, I find more reasonable dive buddies the few times I've had instabuddies than the odd you are a terrible buddy experience. I prefer to look at it as opportunities to make new friends. Even my old dive club I will still see on occasion and stop to chat with some of the guys. Some were not the greatest dive buddies but they are fun to talk to.

 

[T.C.]

I can only imagine the response of some of you if I grabbed your SPG!!

I don't know about anyone else, but if I see you don't understand my first signal of air remaining, I'll show you the SPG. Grab away.

Some people get their feelings hurt far too easily.

 

[gypsyjim]

I don't know about anyone else, but if I see you don't understand my first signal of air remaining, I'll show you the SPG. Grab away.

Some people get their feelings hurt far too easily.

+1!!!