noise underwater by divers
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I personally do not carry bangers while guiding or teaching underwater. I try to remember to explain to people the reasons why and that I expect divers to act like divers and have a look around.
I find that divers... no make that tourists who are out of control underwater do not respond to noise stimulus at all and it usually requires me to swim over to them and sort them out.
Nothing worse than watching mantas on a cleaning station for 10 mins until a new guide shows up and starts making a racket driving the fish away. Times like that I feel the need for an underwater shotgun.
A single ding is more than enough for attention....
Repetitive dinging at intervals should be reserved for emergencies
Going hell for leather with a shaker or quacker should result in other emergencies!
I find that divers... no make that tourists who are out of control underwater do not respond to noise stimulus at all and it usually requires me to swim over to them and sort them out.
Nothing worse than watching mantas on a cleaning station for 10 mins until a new guide shows up and starts making a racket driving the fish away. Times like that I feel the need for an underwater shotgun.
A single ding is more than enough for attention....
Repetitive dinging at intervals should be reserved for emergencies
Going hell for leather with a shaker or quacker should result in other emergencies!
I have only two pet peeves when diving. One is excessive noise while diving from shakers, bangers, clickers, etc. The other is having my personal space invaded. Just because we are dive buddies does not mean I want you or anyone else in my hip pocket. If we are 6' away and I can see you and you can see me, that is more that adequate for me.
...and I want a picture of you diving with the matching kilt
Mako...too much closeness is all relative on who is your diving buddy and how she looks like...;-)
beester
Contributor
I hate shakers with a vengeance... it creates in me an alergic reaction almost akin to an anaphalactic shock.
Seriously... why do you need this. I communicate with focused light and handsignals... not with noise. Next to that I will listen to a divebriefing religiously, make notes, ask questions about local circumstances... but once in the water, unless there is a very compelling reason, I'm on my merry way within the scope of the brief (ie if it's agreed to keep runtime to max 80 minutes I'll stick to that). I'm not going to bee-line behind a divemaster. Sure I might miss some stuff I would like to see but I won't miss the agrevation.
Agrevation that starts because I have to bee-line behind a divemaster who turns a dive because one of his followers is low on air, or having byuancy issues, or is stressed by current, etc. Me and my buddies or team love nothing more then be left alone. Luckily on most dive holidays (be it liveaboard or shoredives) the divemaster/instructors will know very well after watching people setting up equipment or latest after a checkdive how they behave. Most divemasters also don't mind a bit if you talk to them and tell them they don't need to guide your dive
Seriously... why do you need this. I communicate with focused light and handsignals... not with noise. Next to that I will listen to a divebriefing religiously, make notes, ask questions about local circumstances... but once in the water, unless there is a very compelling reason, I'm on my merry way within the scope of the brief (ie if it's agreed to keep runtime to max 80 minutes I'll stick to that). I'm not going to bee-line behind a divemaster. Sure I might miss some stuff I would like to see but I won't miss the agrevation.
Agrevation that starts because I have to bee-line behind a divemaster who turns a dive because one of his followers is low on air, or having byuancy issues, or is stressed by current, etc. Me and my buddies or team love nothing more then be left alone. Luckily on most dive holidays (be it liveaboard or shoredives) the divemaster/instructors will know very well after watching people setting up equipment or latest after a checkdive how they behave. Most divemasters also don't mind a bit if you talk to them and tell them they don't need to guide your dive
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Shakers are the best invention for getting the attention of divers.
It's the way I communicate all the time. As some places in the world do not permit use of knives to prevent from damaging corals. Shakers are the thing.
To use it for no reason is a nuisance.
Have fun diving!!!!
It's the way I communicate all the time. As some places in the world do not permit use of knives to prevent from damaging corals. Shakers are the thing.
To use it for no reason is a nuisance.
Have fun diving!!!!
modzs
Contributor
I've never been in a situation where I felt that there was excess noise underwater. My LDS teaches that you and you dive buddy/group should always be in visual range with each other. Also the use of lights and hand signal is advocated over the use of noise makers.
SoccerJeni
Scuba Baby
This is so weird to hear people say that others do it too much. Not that I have a lot of dives, but I've only heard 1 noise maker underwater 1 time ever.
charlesml3
Contributor
Ha! ha!
"Traumatic Experience"
"Sickening"
and my personal favorite:
"Reminded me of downtown Manhattan at 2pm"
Jeez, exaggerate much? If a few shakers or bangers on a dive cause you to become physically ill or traumatized, then what happens when you see the photos of people leaping to their deaths from the WTC on 9/11? I realize that forums cause almost everyone to grossly exaggerate due to the lack of inflection, body language and volume but please, noise makers are not traumatic or sickening.
Like everything else, they can be useful or somewhat annoying. After a couple days of diving with a group I know who has what noisemaker. I also keep a decent eye on where the other divers are so when I hear a given sound, I know where to look.
They were very useful a couple of weeks ago in Sulawesi. If it hadn't been for the shakers very few of us would have seen the Hammerhead, the Pink Leaf-Scorpion Fish, the Mantis Shrimp, and the Cuttlefish.
If someone on your boat is shaking it at every Squirrelfish that swims by then politely and calmly talk to them on the boat and explain how the proper use is for something really interesting.
If you just absolutely cannot stand them at all then quit diving Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, and probably Bonaire. These are very popular dive destinations. Cozumel has some 50 dive operators for only a dozen or so dive sites. You're going to get a lot of new divers there using noisemakers. Go to St. Eustatius instead.
-Charles
"Traumatic Experience"
"Sickening"
and my personal favorite:
"Reminded me of downtown Manhattan at 2pm"
Jeez, exaggerate much? If a few shakers or bangers on a dive cause you to become physically ill or traumatized, then what happens when you see the photos of people leaping to their deaths from the WTC on 9/11? I realize that forums cause almost everyone to grossly exaggerate due to the lack of inflection, body language and volume but please, noise makers are not traumatic or sickening.
Like everything else, they can be useful or somewhat annoying. After a couple days of diving with a group I know who has what noisemaker. I also keep a decent eye on where the other divers are so when I hear a given sound, I know where to look.
They were very useful a couple of weeks ago in Sulawesi. If it hadn't been for the shakers very few of us would have seen the Hammerhead, the Pink Leaf-Scorpion Fish, the Mantis Shrimp, and the Cuttlefish.
If someone on your boat is shaking it at every Squirrelfish that swims by then politely and calmly talk to them on the boat and explain how the proper use is for something really interesting.
If you just absolutely cannot stand them at all then quit diving Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, and probably Bonaire. These are very popular dive destinations. Cozumel has some 50 dive operators for only a dozen or so dive sites. You're going to get a lot of new divers there using noisemakers. Go to St. Eustatius instead.
-Charles
bracko
Contributor
we had this with one of the DM's on a liveaboard, except it was a rattle (I also have one, but it lives tucked into the shoulder of my BCD until i need it).
after about 3 dives (and some discussions with other clients) it went "missing"
to be surprisingly found as we departed the boat.Similar threads
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