Moral dilemma

[Wayfarer2]

you cannot save or help anyone if you are hurt yourself.

BINGO!
Letting go of a panicked diver you can’t get control of is not just about self preservation.

 

[diverdowndh]

But cant be guaranteed to - thats the whole point of supervision. They haven't be assessed or trained enough to guarantee they'll do the right thing. They make a good diver, may not be a good diver yet, may make the right call, may make the wrong call.
Especially in this case the OP said it was the first weekend.
Instructor is EXPECTED to do the right thing, has trained for it and is insured and covered for it. A DMT isnt.

If you just allow any diver to instruct or supervise others as you think "they're probably a good diver" it defeats the whole point of training and also extremely dangerous to make assumptions like that.

I totally agree and stand corrected... to a degree. You definitely have me on the insurance thing although wouldn't a DM candidate have to be covered to participate in a class? Thanks for not being harsh, you never know if you're going to get shot down in flames <grin>. At any rate, my point was that a DM candidate must be a fairly special diver/person even to be where he/she is, and sometimes it doesn't sound like it. I'll go back to being a dork{diver}...lol

 

[Dave in PA]

I will admit to not reading every single post, but will still add my $.02: If you feel that you are hazarded by another's actions, distance yourself from that person to remove the hazard to yourself. I have had students who decided they didn't want to be at 30'. I had hold of their BCs and flared myself, and dumped my air, slowing their ascent. I ask calmly on the surface, why are we up here when we are supposed to be down there? The answer is always "I don't know" I try to see which student is likely to bolter in the water and try to work that out of them in the pool. Sometimes a student will decide that diving isn't for them and remove themselves from the class.

I think the OP did Ok, given the circumstances. You need to maintain situational awareness whenever you are diving with practicaly anybody. You need to work out in your mind what your decision chains are and which you will take and when. Keep practicing and learning. My opinion also, is that as a DM trainee, you were in a situation that you shouldn't have been put in by the instructor.

 

[Bobyjimmie]

The first thing they teach you in EMT school is if you get hurt then you cant help others. Im thinking that would apply to you and your students too. Besides in 15 feet shooting up isnt gonna get you DCS maybe possibly a lung overexpansion injury but not DCS.

 

[Tigerman]

Hah! You cannot be both brave and also place self-preservation ahead of any other principle. One or the other. Not both. Decide, as well.

Youre confusing brave and foolhardy...

You cannot save or help anyone if you are hurt yourself.

Been there, made that decision.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/near-misses-lessons-learned/171289-runaway-buddy.html

 

[ThunderdiverD]

Man you do have a dilemma. I have always been taught SAFTY first. Meaning you can not help anyone if you are not safe yourself. I think that you did what you have been trained to do and via your experience. Trust me there are times no matter what you do students in a panic mode will find a way to do what they want to do. As a rescue diver I know. So do not be hard on yourself. File that experience in your mental file and press on to fulfill you goal as a DM. Sounds like you will be one of the better ones.

Good luck

 

[String]

although wouldn't a DM candidate have to be covered to participate in a class?

Yes but for the activities the course standards dictate - in other words fully supervised at all teams.
If anything went wrong the instructor is DEFINITELY at fault and liable, the student probably as well - they're meant to know the standards and keep within them.

At any rate, my point was that a DM candidate must be a fairly special diver/person even to be where he/she is, and sometimes it doesn't sound like it. I'll go back to being a dork{diver}...lol

Huge variation. Some DMTs are very experienced already and just need a bit of mentoring. Others in some resorts do the "nothing to divemaster in a month" type courses. So you could have a DMT who in theory only has about 22 dives, of which at least 13 of them would have been in training themselves (OW/AOW/Rescue) and the remaining could be shallow ones done over 3-4 days.
Because the entry level of DMTs vary so much you cant really make assumptions.
Hell even someone with 400 dives maybe totally unsuited if they've never dived with anyone who isn't an instructor or at a certain site before whereas someone with 30 dives in a variety of conditions and buddys maybe more switched on as to what to expect.

 

[diverdowndh]

Yes, I guess you never know.... A DMT with only 20 or so dives... wow. guess that proves yet again there is lots for me to learn.