Miserable cenote experience out of Cancun.

[Scuba Lawyer]

The most important lessons I've learned at this very early stage in my diving career:/QUOTE]

WOW! You really "get it." Your attitude and approach to diving is the exception rather than the rule and I applaud you for it.

M

 

[Jack Hammer]

I still haven't heard a plausible theory related to my original question of 'what was this guy doing'? He obviously wasn't rescuing me since it started right at the beginning of the dive...he wasn't concerned about my health status or he would have asked a question or two after we came up...he wasn't preventing me from hitting the bottom, since I wasn't doing that...he wasn't teaching me anything...and I really don't think he was just doing it to be an *******, because I think that would have come along with some other rudeness up on the surface. That's the part I still wish I could understand.

Perhaps it was as simple as he misread your trouble equalizing as though you were nervous and uncomfortable entering the overhead and took your arm to guide you, keep you close, and minimize panic. I'd suspect the lack of conversation could be a language issue.

 

[The Chairman]

I still haven't heard a plausible theory related to my original question of 'what was this guy doing'?

There isn't any. You were diving in a society that is very much male driven. I agree with @Superlyte27 that most divers who do these "trust me" cenote dives just shouldn't be there. But that's NOT why you were hurt. Learn to call the dive. If they won't respond to you being nice, give them the finger and ascend on your own. I take it you could still see the light. Don't despair that you didn't do it the first time. It took me several "trust me" dives to identify them on my own. In fact, it wasn't until I found ScubaBoard that I learned what they were. Unlike you, I wasn't brave enough to post about my own experiences, but I certainly was awed how others were being treated when they did. It's kind of hard to take that you had a hand in getting hurt, especially when some moron of a DM pulls you down. But please: learn to say "EFFIN NO!!!"

 

[JamesBon92007]

Apparently my guide was not very good at speaking english. In fact he was so bad that he would say things that were highly offensive but not because he meant to but because he just didn't have the language down well at all. Apparently he unintentionally offended so many American dive tourists in the past that his wife told him he wasn't allowed to say anything to any client - ever. Great guide though.

LOL. When my girlfriend arrived young and green from Minnesota many years ago she got a job at a car repair place. One of her fellow employees was teaching her some Spanish. She knew all the "dirty" words and he thought it was all very funny because she didn't realize what she was saying.

On her second or third Discover Scuba adventure (I think the instructor called it a "Refresher Course" by this time) the instructor held her hand during the entire dive. He also took her through some long swim-throughs and much deeper than the specified Discover Scuba depths plus did the whole tank instead of cutting it short. She hadn't yet quite mastered buoyancy control so maybe that was the reason for the hand-holding. It was a little annoying however after that she finally decided to just get certified so perhaps it was a psychological ploy. Meanwhile, I was free to do all the videos I wanted without having to wait in line or deal with stirred-up sediment etc. or people scaring away the fish.

 

[EstrellaCaribe]

You all are awesome. Thanks again. I'm looking forward to my next dives to put this whole thing in the rear view.

 

[KristenK]

Thank you!

 

[scubadiver888]

I still haven't heard a plausible theory related to my original question of 'what was this guy doing'? He obviously wasn't rescuing me since it started right at the beginning of the dive...he wasn't concerned about my health status or he would have asked a question or two after we came up...he wasn't preventing me from hitting the bottom, since I wasn't doing that...he wasn't teaching me anything...and I really don't think he was just doing it to be an *******, because I think that would have come along with some other rudeness up on the surface. That's the part I still wish I could understand.

A few people have talked about "trust me" dives. Like @The Chairman points out, a lot of us did "trust me" dives when we first started out. Mine was dive #6, not including training dives. In addition to learning to call a dive or having the confidence to just end the dive on your own, I'd say learn to get people talking.

What I do and why I do it is often related to past experience. This Divemaster did what he did based on past experience. It could be past Divemaster experience, past scuba diver experience, past childhood experience. It is impossible to know now why he did what he did, unless you get him talking.

However, one of the reasons I chat up the people going on a dive, even before I was a Divemaster, was to understand what baggage people were bringing to the dive. If I was driving, as a customer, to a cenote with this guy then I would have tried to chat him up. Maybe if you could get him to loosen up and start talking to you, you might have learned something about him and how to 'handle' him. Or maybe he might have learned a bit about you and dropped some of his baggage. But the reality might have been he never opened up to you. In this case, I'd tell him straight up, his silence and unwillingness to talk to me makes me not trust him. I'm not going for the dive. I'd also bring it up to the shop. I'm not going to worry about if he hates me. Whether or not he hates me doesn't matter when you consider I'm trying to make myself safe from harm or death.

By the way, the second cenote dive I went on someone said something about how would they know how to end the dive, i.e. how do they take care of themselves because they don't want this to be a "trust me" dive. The guide told them how they could just cover their light, do a 360 degree and at some point they'd see light. Swim for the light and you'll be able to exit the dive on your own. The guide was actually happy the diver wanted to be able to take care of themselves. If he wasn't, I'd REALLY not want to dive with him.

P.S. The fact you are posting this here means you are talking and learning. Keep it up. Learn to do it in person too.

 

[The Chairman]

P.S. The fact you are posting this here means you are talking and learning. Keep it up. Learn to do it in person too.

Such a great point. My second rule of diving, aka the "Rule of Fun" states: You can call a dive at any time for any reason: no questions asked and no repercussions. If your guide is uncommunicative, it's not your fault: call the dive. If your ear hurts or you can't equalize, it's not your fault: call the dive. If you don't have the skills, the gear, the experience or the chutzpah to do a particular dive, it's not your fault: call the dive(s). If you don't like the weather, the attitudes of others, the current, the temperature or any of a myriad of issues, it's not your fault: call the dive

IF YOU'RE NOT HAVING FUN, it's not your fault, call the fricken dive. ​

 

[JamesBon92007]

However, one of the reasons I chat up the people going on a dive, even before I was a Divemaster, was to understand what baggage people were bringing to the dive. If I was driving, as a customer, to a cenote with this guy then I would have tried to chat him up. Maybe if you could get him to loosen up and start talking to you, you might have learned something about him and how to 'handle' him. Or maybe he might have learned a bit about you and dropped some of his baggage. But the reality might have been he never opened up to you. In this case, I'd tell him straight up, his silence and unwillingness to talk to me makes me not trust him. I'm not going for the dive. I'd also bring it up to the shop. I'm not going to worry about if he hates me. Whether or not he hates me doesn't matter when you consider I'm trying to make myself safe from harm or death.

Except it was mentioned that the guide didn't speak much English which presents a different problem. @EstrellaCaribe Do you really not speak Spanish? I mean, after all, with your user name being what it is....

After my first real trip to Mexico (further South than Ensenada) I decided that I needed to learn more Spanish in spite of the fact that most of the people I encountered spoke English fairly well. The odd part is that the more Spanish I learn, the more people I seem to run into who don't speak English. Maybe it's because I'm no longer hesitant to venture into the places that have signs in Spanish only or maybe it's simply easier for them to let me put forth the extra effort, now than I am more able. In any case it would be helpful for all of us who visit Latin American countries to at least learn the basics as applied to scuba diving. Anyone know of a handy guide of Spanish for Scuba Divers? If I ever go to an Asian country I'll be in trouble but I will look for some kind of a guide in whatever language applies.

I encourage my grandkids to learn Spanish and they should be embarrassed not to considering they all have an Hispanic surname. Here in California over half the population is Hispanic so not knowing Spanish and English is probably going to become a handicap in the not-too-distant future. Plus, on my last couple of visits to Mexico, I had people exclaim "Oh, you speak Spanish!" (spoken in Spanish, of course). Maybe I'm just getting really good at saying "hola" but it's like they are saying that I'm no longer just another gringo tourist, but a real person. And instead of simply managing to get the goods and services I'm after, I'm making more friends too.

 

[The Chairman]

@EstrellaCaribe Do you really not speak Spanish?

She said that she did.