No Gloves allowed? Is that standard

[MikeFerrara]

The part that I still don't get is that divers who aren't good enough to control where they put their hasds are usually vertical and their fins must do plenty of damage.

No gloves rule may prevent intentional touching but...

If poching is already illegal?

Oh well it's sad and just a couple of more reasons to stay away from the tourist stuff.

 

[Doc]

I have suggested he try this but since it is coming from me, I get the "I know what Im doing attitude" I have suggested the PB cource, but for some reason he feels this is a waste of time. Our DM friend has made the same suggestions as myself but to no avial.

I want to be able to give input, but how do you do this when your SO does not want to take advise from you?

I certinaly dont want to tick him off
A Angry Buddy = a Bad Dive

Thought/comments welcome please

I would seriously examine your choice of dive buddies, if not life partner. In either venue, the couple should strive for that "perfect relationship", somewhat like a dance... this time underwater- or through life.

Communication is the key in both pursuits. You might try talking to him in regards to the benefits of what he might be able to observe without destroying. Maybe he's just never had a chance to see "the cool stuff".

I will tease new (50% level buoyancy competent) divers by showing them Pedersen Cleaning Shrimp that are hidden in Spiral Corkscrew Anemone- quite often found on lumps of broken-off Lettuce Leaf Coral- in the middle of a sandy bottom. They can't do much harm, and they like learning how to spot them. It's easy.

Then I show them Yellow Cup Coral- at night, usualy found UNDER a deep overhanging ledge- kinda' hard to clunk into it being "above" and all... but still an interesting buoyancy challenge- nothing but blackness below- solid rock and delicate cactus flower-like coral feeder polyps above!

I tell them that if ABSOLUTELY necessary, you might have to use a pinkie tip to push back from the most barren piece of rock- IF ya' gotta. You may pay for this immediately or even months later- something may have objected to your fingertip's touch!

Next is the daytime belly-in-the-sand landing, oh so gently- to see and creep up on the Garden Eels. They don't mind if you're close- they just don't like to detect visible motion- and you MUST come in at bottom level, never from anything above that- otherwise you're seen as a predator. Quite the buoyancy and movement control challenge.

Then I show them a picture of Orange Ball Corellamorphs out of the Paul Humann book. I mention that I won't point those delicate night critters out until they can land quietly on the bottom- then arise with nary a stir. All this with using breath control, weight placement and selected DIR finning techniques. I offer to teach them, if they will spend an hour or two (maximum).

Either get your buddy to accept that life is a learning experience and that everyone around him can be his teacher- or move on- for he has quit learning and is then a weight on your soul.

Hard words, but learned after 40+ years of diving and searching for a life partner. I found her, and we both learn from each other- and are not afraid of positive critique! In 4 years and 170+ dives, she has become a superb ocean diver with exquisite buoyancy techniques.

Happy Bubbles to you and yours!

 

[mer]

The no gloves thing is a pet peeve of mine. We seem to all agree that poor buoyancy is not an excuse to wear gloves... so here are my other reasons.

- If there are jellies (or parts of jellies) in the water column, I want gloves so I can shield my face.
- Entries. At some of the non-ideal sites in Bonaire where there is breaking surf gloves can save you a lot of band-aids by allowing you to fend off from the already dead, sharp coral in the surf zone. I was on a dive this Jan where the other 3 were not wearing gloves and came out of a really bad entry/exit with hands rather banged up. My gloves saved me a decent amount of pain there.

 

[IndigoBlue]

Aqua-Pixie,

Your S/O should stop sculling with his hands. Hands should be folded and not used like fins. If he doesn't learn before your Bonaire trip, then the fire corals will teach him then.

There are advanced techniques to get around the bare-hands problem. But they will only tick-off the D/M guides more. Such as using your knife or a reef hook instead of your hands. No system is foolproof because fools are so ingenius.

So to answer your original question, yes it is true, gloves are normally not permitted at tropical dive sites.

 

[IndigoBlue]

The part that I still don't get is that divers who aren't good enough to control where they put their hasds are usually vertical and their fins must do plenty of damage...

Mike is right, fins do a whole lot more damage than gloves ever would, by the buoyancy-challenged.

 

[jhelmuth]

Not when it kills reefs in the process...

So if he grabs it with his glove, that won't kill the reef? Or do you mean that if he grabs the reef without the glove he won't kill it?

Get real. If he grabs it, maybe he'll grab some fire coral and that'll teach him.

 

[Natasha]

This is a little off where the subject has been going..but just for future knowledge, you can wear gloves on the wreck the Hilma Hooker in Bonaire.

 

[IndigoBlue]

This is a little off where the subject has been going..but just for future knowledge, you can wear gloves on the wreck the Hilma Hooker in Bonaire.

But why would you want to, Natasha? If you have good buoyancy, and the water is warm? Why wear gloves? Heck, dive it in a bikini if the water is warm enough!

 

[HammerNoMore]

Otherwisae, just let him fail on his own. Failure is the best teacher.

Not when it kills reefs in the process...

So if he grabs it with his glove, that won't kill the reef? Or do you mean that if he grabs the reef without the glove he won't kill it?

If he grabs coral with or without gloves he will cause damage.

Get real. If he grabs it, maybe he'll grab some fire coral and that'll teach him.

How responsible. Killing coral is ok, as long as it teaches someone a lesson?

 

[HammerNoMore]

I want to be able to give input, but how do you do this when your SO does not want to take advise from you :475:

Try to arrage a dive with an operator that videotapes the group with the hopes of selling it to you later. Then he'll see how silly he looks skulling his hands and it will be his realization not your nagging....

James