Miss Scuba Manners....What's your unwritten dive etiquette rule?

[TMHeimer]

Wow. I never assumed that my snot-filled, running nose could be appreciated by anyone






(Sorry, but sometimes I just can't resist low-hanging fruit. Even if the joke's pretty bad... )

---------- Post added February 9th, 2015 at 10:52 AM ----------


If that bothers you, try a dive trip up North. With a snug-fitting 10mm neoprene hood on, you can hardly hear a thing. Even my own PDC's alarms are impossible to hear, so other peoples' gear beeping definitely isn't an issue

Even with my 5 mm hood I can't hear my own tank banger....Found it is useful in strapping the poke spear to my leg.

 

[cb5150]

I call the second pet peeve "the tormentor", these are divers that happily terrorize animals underwater and won't stop. For example, we were doing a night from a liveaboard in the Bahamas one time when I found an Octopus out in the open. I enjoyed watching it for a short while and then showed it to my fellow divers - that was a mistake. A group of divers circled and trapped the poor creature and bombarded it with bright lights and photo flashes. It was desperately trying to get away and it even "inked" in an attempt to escape - but they just kept playing with it, pulling it back, and tormenting the poor little thing. I felt guilty because I had showed it to them. I finally had enough and I broke into the circle, wagged my finger at them and went around turning off all their lights while the octopus made good with an escape! I could hear my husband laughing underwater but my fellow divers were rather upset with me when we got back on the boat - I didn't care, they were tormenting jerks IMO! I usually try to mind my own business, but not when I see an animal being stressed or harmed.

I'm sure you meant well, championing the cause of the lowly octopus, but I'd caution you about getting that aggressive with your fellow divers. Many folks, me included, don't take kindly to the "in-your-face" nanny types...especially underwater.

So yeah...dive etiquette...stay outta my business and I'll stay outta yours.

---------- Post added February 9th, 2015 at 01:33 PM ----------

Uh, guys, I don't like the behavior witnessed, either, but word of advice; do not accost strangers underwater and try to shut off any of their gear.

Most people will just be shocked & irate; a few will administer an attitude adjustment. It'd be pretty easy to reach out & snatch your mask off, and that's probably one of the tamer things that could happen.

Richard.

Well said. Couldn't agree more.

 

[kwinter]

Over 50 posts and this one hasn't been mentioned specifically? Unsecured weights belong on the deck, not the bench. Those of you using weight belts or drop weights, or who have taken weight pockets out of BCs or harnesses, please do not leave them on the bench. Boats pitch and roll. Broken toes are not fun to dive with. This is the voice of personal experience.

 

[diving4ever]

I'm sure you meant well, championing the cause of the lowly octopus, but I'd caution you about getting that aggressive with your fellow divers. Many folks, me included, don't take kindly to the "in-your-face" nanny types...especially underwater.

So yeah...dive etiquette...stay outta my business and I'll stay outta yours.

---------- Post added February 9th, 2015 at 01:33 PM ----------



Well said. Couldn't agree more.

So I would not touch anyone's gear underwater...even a light. Some divers are highly reactive.
That said, I disagree with th "mind your own business" sentiment raised by several posters. The idea that we can never intervene when people are acting atrociously---that is why the human race can't have nice things.

---------- Post added February 9th, 2015 at 11:56 AM ----------

The things that rub me the wrong way:

1) Braggarts: I get it...you once dove with great whites during the Sardine run and had to save the life of your DM while single handedly fighting off a kraken
2) Comparison shoppers: Endless comments about how the viz isn't that great, or the topography should be more varied, or complaining about the lack of pelagics. How hard is it to just be in the moment?
3) DMs or Dive buddies who dive the reef like its a race.
4) Excessive noisemaking. You don't need to bang your tank and signal everyone that you've found the 6th moray eel of the dive.

Good ettiquette:
1) Let the impatient people go first
2) Don't let newbies or rusty divers bring up the rear
3) If you can make someone's dive easier....with defog, or a zip-up, or pointing out the boat. Do that.

 

[cb5150]

So I would not touch anyone's gear underwater...even a light. Some divers are highly reactive.
That said, I disagree with th "mind your own business" sentiment raised by several posters. The idea that we can never intervene when people are acting atrociously---that is why the human race can't have nice things.

Perhaps a wee bit of drama in your response, but I see it comes from a good place. Maybe a word to the Captain or DM about inappropriate behavior underwater would achieve the same results. Getting in a diver's face underwater or grabbing at his gear underwater because of a perceived lack of etiquette around a sea critter might earn you a lesson you won't soon forget.

 

[FishLovingStudent]

Perhaps a wee bit of drama in your response, but I see it comes from a good place. Maybe a word to the Captain or DM about inappropriate behavior underwater would achieve the same results. Getting in a diver's face underwater or grabbing at his gear underwater because of a perceived lack of etiquette around a sea critter might earn you a lesson you won't soon forget.

If divers are surrounding and photographing critters, sure no problem...but if they are forcefully grabbing and pulling the animal back or if a divemaster is crushing an octopus in his fist to show it to everybody I wouldn't hesitate to give them the light flash, wtf face/hand gesture, and get in their face about it right there and then. Respect other living things. Its simple. We are in the water to observe and record, not to harass and touch everything. That being said, I wouldn't touch their gear though.

 

[gcarter]

If divers are surrounding and photographing critters, sure no problem...but if they are forcefully grabbing and pulling the animal back or if a divemaster is crushing an octopus in his fist to show it to everybody I wouldn't hesitate to give them the light flash, wtf face/hand gesture, and get in their face about it right there and then. Respect other living things. Its simple. We are in the water to observe and record, not to harass and touch everything. That being said, I wouldn't touch their gear though.

And there's the key. Don't invoke "road rage" under water.

There are ways of getting the message through without ****ing with someone's gear.

 

[StefinSB]

Use your eyes for a buddy check, not your hands.

I assume you are a DM with one of the big agencies. Maybe you want to let them know that they should "correct" their OW training manuals then. I have to look for the SSI one but the PADI one on page 110 clearly does not agree with you.

 

[BB`]

I assume you are a DM with one of the big agencies. Maybe you want to let them know that they should "correct" their OW training manuals then. I have to look for the SSI one but the PADI one on page 110 clearly does not agree with you.

This is part of an ongoing conversation me and my regular dive buddy have. He likes me to verify that his tank valve is completely open by turning it and I have no problem doing so. He has been advised that if he touches my tank valve without me explicitly asking it is understood that he will be looking for a new buddy.

I like the guy but end of the day that valve being opened could be my life and I don't trust anyone else to sign off on it so it is opened by my hand and then verified by SPG.

Ability to inflate/deflate is pretty easy to watch without touching.

He gets a visual check of his weight pouches from me and I don't wear weights.


Doesn't sound like much need for touching to me.

 

[Laurie S.]

This is part of an ongoing conversation me and my regular dive buddy have. He likes me to verify that his tank valve is completely open by turning it and I have no problem doing so. He has been advised that if he touches my tank valve without me explicitly asking it is understood that he will be looking for a new buddy.

I like the guy but end of the day that valve being opened could be my life and I don't trust anyone else to sign off on it so it is opened by my hand and then verified by SPG.

Ability to inflate/deflate is pretty easy to watch without touching.

He gets a visual check of his weight pouches from me and I don't wear weights.


Doesn't sound like much need for touching to me.

Exactly, there is no reason to touch your buddy when doing a check, unless expressly asked to do so. When my husband (MSDT) and I dive, we verbally and visually do our checks with each. If any instabuddy put his/her hands on me or my equipment without being asked, they would find themselves without a buddy. I dive solo most of the time, so that has not been a problem yet.