Legally Blind leading the blind

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iyakonboats

Sound reasoning and science trumps your feelings
Messages
100
Reaction score
48
Location
Sarasota, Florida
# of dives
100 - 199
Ok, so my first post ever here, but figured this was good enough to post here.

On a dive in Florida I scheduled, I confirmed a dive with a operator and I was trying to get him to allow my buddy, an instructor with 20+ years experience, to join, especially since his website allowed him to sign up and pay for a dive (another weird issue). Nevertheless, he explained to me he was trying to shuffle people around because there was a few people he knew he would have to "hold their hand", especially one kid who got certified 6 months ago and had only ever been on a dive once after, on his boat, and required hand holding.

Now, I went diving when I was younger, early 20s with friends, but was too poor to get certified, but nothing logged, and I also was a lifeguard for a few years. Fast forward 12 years and I get my open water, but by no means am I "experienced", nope!

On the boat the dive master is getting everyone buddied up and I get buddied with a younger guy, seemed cool and levelheaded, but I want you to look at my username first, carefully, and realize where my head was for most of the time while going to the dive site, lol. We get into the water and I asked as we were swimming to the drop line "So, how long you been diving?", he responds "I got certified 5 months ago and this is my second dive, with this same boat". Do you think this is where it ends? Nope! His first dive goes well, he stayed close, good buoyancy control, and seemed to check his guages often.

Second dive is where this gets interesting. Its like a small little shelf, or was it a wall, but it was basically an easy dive where it should not have gone wrong. However, I noticed he wasn't checking his guages and me being on Nitrox I knew he would be the limiting factor, so once I get his attention I hand signal for air, for which he doesn't remember how to signal back to me, so he shows me his SPG which reads under 100psi and we're 50ft down! I signal to him that he is out of air, given I still like to have a 3 minute deco stop and an emergency ascent seemed drastic when I still had 1800psi left, he didn't understand, so I switched to my backup, an SS1, and I presented my 2nd stage to him and he finally took it.

We get back on the boat and he was apologizing, which I wasn't mad, but he didn't seem to understand that as he gets colder he will use more air (he didn't have a wetsuit on). The dive master, an instructor with students, and the captain overheard this conversation and said nothing the whole ride back.
 
I had a buddy like yours on the Duane in Key Largo in moderate current, not quite as little gas. I accompanied him to the surface and then finished my dive.
 
I had a buddy like yours on the Duane in Key Largo in moderate current, not quite as little gas. I accompanied him to the surface and then finished my dive.
I should have just finished my dive, maybe I was being too nice?

Also, did I mention when I got on the boat I asked "shouldn't those two tanks marked "Nitrox" be mine (being the only diver Nitrox certified on the boat). They said "No, the two tanks marked 32" and my response "you mean painters tape with 32 written on them?" o_O
 
I should have just finished my dive, maybe I was being too nice?

Also, did I mention when I got on the boat I asked "shouldn't those two tanks marked "Nitrox" be mine (being the only diver Nitrox certified on the boat). They said "No, the two tanks marked 32" and my response "you mean painters tape with 32 written on them?" o_O
You are responsible for your own cylinders. You should have analyzed them yourself or watched them being analyzed so that you could vouch for the 32 on the tape. Best to initial and date them. I often include tank pressure and MOD
 
You are responsible for your own cylinders. You should have analyzed them yourself or watched them being analyzed so that you could vouch for the 32 on the tape. Best to initial and date them. I often include tank pressure and MOD

Yeah, I know, I was trying to buy an analyzer for three days before my trip, to no avail, even locally. I got one on order now. Honestly, I was trying to hold the contents of my stomach in during the entire trip while hearing someone say "keep your eyes on the horizon"...
 
Yeah, I know, I was trying to buy an analyzer for three days before my trip, to no avail, even locally. I got one on order now. Honestly, I was trying to hold the contents of my stomach in during the entire trip while hearing someone say "keep your eyes on the horizon"...
The boat should ensure that your cylinder analysis is appropriate, analyzing in front of you or supplying an analyzer.

Out of interest, where was this trip? I have a house just north of Boynton Beach and dive Boynton Beach, West Palm, and Jupiter quite frequently.
 
We get into the water and I asked as we were swimming to the drop line "So, how long you been diving?"

This needs to be brought up on the boat- as soon as possible after you have been assigned a buddy, so you can say "no offense but this isn't going to work out".

Me being on Nitrox I knew he would be the limiting factor

I would not allow myself to be buddied up with an air breathing diver when I'm diving (and paying extra for) Nitrox. I pay good money to dive- why shorten my dive simply to accommodate a dive Op? [/quote]

I still like to have a 3 minute deco stop

No you don't.

but he didn't seem to understand that as he gets colder he will use more air .

The slight additional cold factor at 50' isn't going to make that much of a difference in gas consumption, there are many other factors that matter much more.

Yeah, I know, I was trying to buy an analyzer for three days before my trip

If the boat supplied Nitrox tanks, they are obligated to supply you with an analyzer- either on the boat or at the dock or the shop (or at least back at the shop) and give you an opportunity to use it).

I should have just finished my dive, maybe I was being too nice?

You are asking if you were being too nice by not swimming away and leaving your OOA assigned buddy at 50'? Am I reading that correctly?
 
Sea sickness is going to make diving a lot less fun if you don't get it under control. Plus your head would have been in a better state to engage with the buddy, DM, and your gear if you were not sick.

I suggest getting some Scopolamine patches to avoid the motion sickness. I'm usually ok on boats but in rough open ocean conditions I get queasy and suffer. A patch (or 1/2 patch) before getting on the boat completely avoids the problem. There are other products, but I suggest you get something. The Scop patches are prescription in the USA but over the counter in Canada and maybe Mexico - and a lot cheaper.

Maybe you can request a name change once you solve this!
 
The boat should ensure that your cylinder analysis is appropriate, analyzing in front of you or supplying an analyzer.

Out of interest, where was this trip? I have a house just north of Boynton Beach and dive Boynton Beach, West Palm, and Jupiter quite frequently.
Tampa

I grew up in West Palm Beach though. :)
 

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