Rude Divers on the Boat

[dmoore19]

Since my first night dive was such a disaster, I try to put myself in a position that the dive bombers do not have the chance to cause me problems. I try to stay away from the crowd, I may miss something the DM was pointing out but I may find something on my own. As for a photo? No single picture is worth getting riled up over.

I find that for the most part there is usually only 1 in the group that causes problems. I try to stay away from them on the boat and in the water. I am pretty outspoken so it is best for both of us if I stay away from them as much as possible.

That said, 95% of divers are friendly and courteous the other 5% are not worth the effort to confront or ruin my trip. It is sad to think that 1 person can ruin a week of vacation.

 

[Adobo]

Straw man argument, he never said anything about hanging in the same spot for 10 mins.

I'm also a photog, and I never hang around one spot for that amount of time. I have a limited supply of buddies and can't afford to p!ss them off like that. OTOH, going slow but steady gives me a much better chance to spot a nudibranch, or an anglerfish in full camouflage, or a lobster or spiny lobster hiding in a crevice. And even without stopping one moment to take pictures, I see that the majority of divers go faster than I do. Plus, they spot fewer critters.

I'm not a photographer. I bring a video camera with me occasionally. Maybe 1 out of 10 dives.

I like slow and steady pace for diving also. Maybe its the California diver in me. For vacation dives, i find that there's plenty of interesting stuff (and actually more interesting stuff) to see on a reef besides large fish and eels. In fact, a lot of interesting stuff you will only see if you take your time and are patient. For dives at home, I don't have a choice. All of the most interesting stuff requires slow and steady for you to find them.

For me, there are only two types of the divers who want to zip from one structure to the next - first, those who don't know any better and are therefore only interested in the big colorful thing that sticks out in their face and second, dive masters who know that if the guests a swimming their butts off from one area to the next, the dives will end sooner and everyone will get home sooner.

 

[archer1960]

The other thing the sticks do ,which could be good or bad depending on your POV, is let a diver with less-than-stellar buoyancy and positioning skills get his/her camera close to a target on the bottom without them laying on the bottom, kicking the coral, etc and generally trashing things.

 

[NorCalDM]

The way I see it some people are just rude it doesn't matter if they have a camera in their hand or not they are just rude in life and think the world revolves around them. They don't care about the needs of others or how their behavior affects the people around them. I just try to not be d*ck and things seem to work out for the better!

 

[KeithG]

why is everyone complaining about DMs, groups and photographers?

When did diving become a "group sport"? I claim you are doing it wrong if you have these types of issues.

My buddy and I dive as a team. No DM needed. No group allowed. Mostly because i am one of those slow poke photographers. we both like macro stuff, so we go slow and easy. sometimes extremely slow.

We refuse to dive anywhere a DM or group is required. We never have these types of problems.

 

[chillyinCanada]

What is your definition for "speed" and "quality"?
Do you expect the rest of the group to wait 10 mins because a diver found something very interesting and refused to move? And then complaint that he/she was left behind.

Where in my post say that I was complaining about being left behind? Also, I'm not a photographer. I'm just a diver that wants to look at the reef and the fish rather than fin swiftly over the site.

Yes, bowlofpetunias, it is nice when everyone discusses it on the boat and from time to time, a dive guide will delightfully surprise me by telling the divers that we'll be going slow.

 

[scagrotto]

I'm just a diver that wants to look at the reef and the fish rather than fin swiftly over the site.

That seems to put you in the minority, at least among vacationing divers, but you've got good company, IMHO.

Central's entire premise (and dissatisfaction) seems to be based on the idea that covering a lot of ground is inherently better than going slow and looking closely. That does seem to be the popular paradigm, but I'm not sure if that's what most divers really want or just what they've been conditioned to expect as a result of diving with DM's that take them on that sort of dive.

 

[Adobo]

My buddy and I dive as a team. No DM needed. No group allowed. Mostly because i am one of those slow poke photographers. we both like macro stuff, so we go slow and easy. sometimes extremely slow.

We refuse to dive anywhere a DM or group is required. We never have these types of problems.

At home (California), we don't have DMs on boats. At least not ones that get in the water.

On vacations, we don't all have the luxury of bringing our own buddy or meeting up with someone who is a good surrogate buddy. As such, for some of us, the only option is to so sign up with a dive op that takes groups of divers on DM led dives. And in those, the dive op usually calls the shots.

 

[Centrals]

You've got it completely backwards. A diver who doesn't want to do what the majority of the group wants to do should go with a different group. Feel free to blame the dive op if they promised you one thing and then delivered another by accommodating the majority of the group, but the real blame belongs with the diver who didn't make sure they got the dive they wanted.



That's some excellent advice there. Are you smart enough to take it?

Even the dive guide was irritated by their non-coporated actions!! Anyway I swam away and joined another group on the next dive. This couple won't careless anyone else. And why should they? They are what they are.

As a certified tec diver for over 17yrs. I am pretty sure I can handle that and there is nothing to write home about. BTW, do you honestly believe that even with buddy next to you you are NOT solo diving?

 

[TMHeimer]

At home (California), we don't have DMs on boats. At least not ones that get in the water.

On vacations, we don't all have the luxury of bringing our own buddy or meeting up with someone who is a good surrogate buddy. As such, for some of us, the only option is to so sign up with a dive op that takes groups of divers on DM led dives. And in those, the dive op usually calls the shots.

Same here. If you dive at home ("up North") solo or with a regular buddy, you'll have nothing to complain about. If you go to the "good" places in the South or tropics, you may run into some of this stuff. Particularly on a boat with DMs and instabuddies. I don't care, because I get better shells down there.