Proper Etiquette for a New Diver Concerning Buddies on a Dive Charter

[motorref]

I forgot to add that in no way do I consider myself an experienced diver - I don't dive often enough, and don't believe that I have learned enough to say that.
The only issues I have are with insta-buddies that are careless, wander away, etc., especially the ones that swim over top of you (and kick your mask off), or rush in and push you out of the way so they can get a picture, look at something, etc. I try to make them "aware" of their inappropriate actions, but it doesn't always help - some people are just self-absorbed idiots and will never change.
One last thing I would add: if you see a diver hovering in one stop, especially with a camera, chances are they are stopping for a picture, and waiting for whatever critter they spotted to come back out. DO NOT stick your face down in there to see what's happening - swim over to look, but give them room!

KevinL

 

[Fin Finder]

Instabuddies open you up to all sorts of problems… oh, the stories I could tell.

Pony tanks and solo diving are also not the answer, in my opinion. Some of the potential problems divers get into are medical, not equipment failures. Only a live buddy can help get you to the surface safely, or drag you back to the boat if you need it. When your instabuddies leave you low-on-air at the up line to make your ascent alone, you just became a low-on-air solo diver.

Once I was the guy abandoning new divers at the up line. That was until one of those divers got bent from a rapid ascent. I felt awful. I'll never do that again. If I had been a real buddy we would have ascended safely together.

Professor Nemo, I realized this could be a difficult task, but I believe the best solution to your dilemma is to find a diver, or a group of divers, that you can dive with on a regular basis. Consider looking into local dive clubs, or ask your LDS to be on the look out for other divers who are searching for buddies.

My first year diving was very much like yours. Fortunately I fell in with a group of divers at a similar skill level. We're an informal group of about a dozen men and women, mostly DMs and instructors. We’ve been together now for over fifteen years, diving locally and on dive trips. We've gone from BCDs and split fins to backplates, doubles, and trimix. They’ve become the best friends I’ve ever had.

 

[tep]

When I re-started diving after 10+ years on the beach, I was an air hog. More like AIR HOG. I had an understanding buddy, and I bought an HP 100, which helped.

Getting more dives, focusing on buoyancy and relaxing helped a lot. Getting almost-GUE-DIR fanatical about dialing in my buoyancy and getting "zen relaxed" helped even more.

Getting serious about getting healthier made a big difference. Strength training, some light cardio and losing 30 pounds over the past year made a bigger difference.

That said, I'll be one of the first on the beach or boat to consider a newer instabuddy, at least once. Someone did it for me, how can I not do it for someone else? I'm diving to have fun, and sharing diving with a newbie can be fun.

 

[FinnMom]

Relating to improving your SAC, Steve_C wrote "What happens when you stop to look at something? Are your legs moving? They should not be." He also commented on keeping your hands still.

These are good not only for improving SAC, but also in learning how NOT to create silt. From the number of times I have pointed this out to the same new/green divers, I feel pretty sure they have no idea that they are constantly moving their legs, usually their fins and often fanning up a storm when they think they are stopped and still. They are usually looking at something, i.e. their attention elsewhere, but their feet are living a life all their own :-D

You need to make a consious effort to stay still, especially when it is your intention to be stationary. Hold hands with yourself, it's a common and perfectly comfortable stance. Think about your foot/fin movements and purposely put the bakes on, freeze them when you don't distinctly intend to move them. Even when moving only the fins & feet need to be involved, maybe the lower leg to a very slight extent. Work on moving very slowly, calmly, with fluid, easy movements. Spend most of yourtime just hovering and watching. Travel 1/2 as much and you might see 2x as much, esp. if you are no longer fanning and flapping.

You might be pleasantly surprised by how much easier diving becomes when you learn to be properly lazy.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

The best thing you can do, which you already are, is be honest with your dive buddies. If you are honest with me about your air consumption I have no problem diving with you. I'm not going to do a dive below 60 or 70 feet with you though if your SAC rate is high and you plan on using an al80. The 80 is not an appropriate tank for deep dives anyway. It is especially not appropriate for a new or newer diver to do them with.
I'd suggest going to NW Grateful divers site and reading his essay on gas management and rock bottom. I addressed this in my first book to some degree and am going into a lot more detail in the next one coming out in November.
If you are honest with me about your skills and abilities then I have no problem cutting a dive short to dive with you. As long as I did not have a specific goal to begin with. If that's the case I'll be honest with you and tell you to find another person to dive with.
It also depends on the charter and the cost of it. If I paid a couple hundred bucks to get two good deep dives in, I'm not cutting those dives short. I also don't let captains, DMs, and operations tell me I have to dive with someone. Unless they are going to comp me the trip and pay me to dive with the person.

 

[mainedvr]

Great topic, if your my buddy we go in together and come out together especially as upfront as you are about your air consumption. Remember a dive buddy is just that your buddy, what if you got in the water and your buddy were to have an equipment malfuntion and have to thumb the dive. Your dive also ends and no questions are asked (hopefully your buddy has checked his/her gear and its in the best working order it can be).

Don't worry about it, hey get some contacts and maybe you can dive with some of them more often and get more experience. Have fun

 

[olphart]

My best experience that I can offer is a dive with an instabuddy in Grand Cayman. I asked about his dive experience and he said he had 7 dives. I assured him that we would be fine. I was AOW at the time and had a little over 100 dives. My own thought was that it was gonna be a short dive..oh well no biggie, I'll watch him closely. He seemed to be fine, reasonable trim and bouyancy, no arm waving, etc. plus he checked his air frequently and after about 30 minutes I was down to 1500 so asked him what his air was and he signaled 1700 lb. So much for being a big time AOW diver! His OW instructor was obviously better than mine, or he was just a better student

 

[rongoodman]

after about 30 minutes I was down to 1500 so asked him what his air was and he signaled 1700 lb. So much for being a big time AOW diver! His OW instructor was obviously better than mine, or he was just a better student

Why would you assume that? You and he might just have different physiology or body types.

 

[BRT]

HP120's or 130's. I don't notice a lot of difference diving AL80's with the extra 6 lb of lead, HP100, about the same weight as the AL80's but minus 6 lb of lead, or the HP130's, minus the 6 lb but weigh 10lb more. I do notice that I run out of dive before I run out of air with the HP130's. We are talking 68% more air than an AL80.

 

[olphart]

Why would you assume that? You and he might just have different physiology or body types.

Not so much the gas use. More about his overall competency He took 7 dives to be as good as I was at 100 dives. I guess my point is that we shouldn't assume that a more experienced diver is necessarily better.