Photographers make the worst dive buddies?

[PapaBob]

This is going to sound odd from the guy who spent time this past weekend looking at slides he took with his Nikonos III in 1982, but I have never gone diving with another photographer. None of my dive buddies owns a camera. So if I want to stay with my buddy team on a drift dive, I have to shoot and keep up with them. Our rule, each diver is obligated to keep up with the guy with the flag and I find it tough to carry a flag and full camera rig (especially in current). This required a new skill set ... finding a subject, setting the camera, composing the shot, and keeping track of the buddy team so they don't get away. I can't count the number of times I wanted to spend more time on a shot but pulled away so my team did not leave me behind. This said, I think I would rather be the only photog with in an alert buddy team attuned to my diving style versus diving with a bunch of shutterbugs each focused in their own little world. So, Catherine, I guess my advice is to tell boyfriend that you are going to enjoy the dive together, but when you just have to get a shot he has to cover your six.

---Bob

 

[Charlie99]

I appreciate the fact that you had both done this before, but in my mind, once you are sharing air everything else besides a nice, controlled, safe ascent goes out the window.

OTOH, I see sharing air early in the dive, when both divers have plenty of air, as no more dangerous than diving with different sized tanks. You're just effectively shifting some of your air over to him.

 

[H2Andy]

oh man... i thought the name of this thread was "Philosophers make the worst
dive buddies" and i was ready to jump in and agree... bassirds always going on
about something or other on the boat and then always trying to write their
deep thoughts on their slate while you try to dive...

but... anyway...

nevermind

 

[jeckyll]

OTOH, I see sharing air early in the dive, when both divers have plenty of air, as no more dangerous than diving with different sized tanks. You're just effectively shifting some of your air over to him.

Charlie: I hadn't really thought of it that way. It does make sense if you do it given that there is a significant gap in SAC's, or of course that different sized tanks were used.

Bjorn

 

[Leeward]

As a fairly new diver I like diving with a photog. I get LOTS of time to work on my hover, kicks (including the back kick) and other boyancy skills. My buddy asked me if I mind the picture taking. I said I'm not just hanging around...I'm working on stuff..She was suprized. Also important is I get lots of cool pictures.

 

[onbelaydave]

To answer the question, photographers are not the worst buddies; Macro photographers are. They will spend a whole tank of air covering 10 sq.ft. while the non-photo buddy hangs around twiddling his thumbs.

That's why I dive solo (w/ my pony "buddy"). Actually, my wife who is not a photog, can sit in 5 ft sq ft and be perfectly happy. If everyone took the time to really sit and "LOOK" a whole other world opens up. I've sucked a whole tank (1 1/2 hrs) at a colony of Yellowhead Jawfish and never moved an inch.

 

[Jim Ernst]

cathrine, i had some of the same type of issues, so i started to solo dive very often, i am like you unless i am the dm for a class i DONT AND WONT dive without my camera, it is part of my equipment, i have got lucky recently and now have two dive buddies ,both dmc, that are happy to just follow me around and let me do my thing with the camera plus some great diver shots, they the both of them stick right with me and also point out many neat things for me to photograph, this all said, i have to agree with some of the othere posts and that it would be best for the two of you to take turns or have a plan for the both of you to be involved as a photo team, i like to solo dive , but i have found that i like the photo team even better, and i also dont have a pony bottle, but i do have a large tank, so if i pay a little attention to that stuff i try to stay real safe when i do solo dive

 

[scubak]

Luckily I have a dive buddy that lets me take some pics...he also does the navigation if I get too engrossed in the pics and don't know where the heck I am....He also points out the cool creatures he wants a photo of and I try and oblige...then he also gets a fresh CD of the pics...I also try and include him and his skills in pics so they get photo'd...but I admit...sometimes we/I get so engrossed in the dive and the quiet or critters that I forget that I am carrying a camera...and don't take any pics...oops!
K

 

[jamesbeal]

i am that dive buddy that catherine is talking about. before most of the dives, we will talk about the pics that she wants to get and how she wants to get them. for example, if we dive a particular wreck like the Corsair airplane (107') off oahu, we will discuss the shots and from where she wants to be as the photographer and where i need to be as the model (hehehe-like the sound of that). we may say, we will go straight to the bottom and she will be at 10 o'clock while i will swim from right to left over the airplane. and then, some other ideas for what shots she wants. so it actually makes it pretty easy to stay connected as buddies. when we are down there, i keep up with the navigation and keeping one eye on the group while keeping one eye on her.
catherine does put on the blinders for anything outside the camera view, but i have a realistic expectation of that before we get in. as someone else in the forum mentioned about sharing air early-great point (sometimes more than a 1000psi). something that catherine and i had practiced before going to palau on the more advanced dives. which, paid big dividends down there.
you guys make a lot of great points, while there are a myriad of things that can go wrong, it is of acceptable risk for my joy of diving with her and her camera and for her to get the shots that she wants. the plus side is that my short diving career is the most well documented in history. she does want a pony bottle, any thoughts on sizes?

 

[Cacia]

As a fairly new diver I like diving with a photog. I get LOTS of time to work on my hover, kicks (including the back kick) and other boyancy skills. My buddy asked me if I mind the picture taking. I said I'm not just hanging around...I'm working on stuff..She was suprized. Also important is I get lots of cool pictures.

That is an excellent attitude. I tell divers that the safety stop time is well utilized "next to the line" but not "on it" in order to perfect bouyancy control.

I appreciate everyone's feedback, I know I have pushing it a little and I cannot shake the sensation of being "photo drunk" and doing things that I later look back and feel a lttle sheepish about. Merci!