Scary Wreck Tale - Ghastly 'Trust Me' diving...

[chrpai]

I've read a bit more of his blog. I don't like the part where others have put their faith in him but that's really their fault. I can't say I'd make the choices he's made but I think I get a feel for his spirit. He's going to have a lot more stories to tell when he's old then I will. I'm going to cut him some slack.

 

[DevonDiver]

...I get a feel for his spirit. He's going to have a lot more stories to tell when he's old then I will. I'm going to cut him some slack.

I can only see a moron.

We can all do adventurous, challenging dives. We can all push the boundaries. We can all live a lifestyle that leaves us with wonderful stories to recount when we're old and decrepit.

Why not do it safely? And in line with your training?

To be honest... from my perspective, it's a very easy penetration. Not much of a story, unless embellished and added BS. Nothing ground-breaking. "I dived in a wreck that 000's of divers visit and enter every year...whoo-haaa." That he would do such a pitiful wreck penetration dive, at such high personal risk... that's the mark of a moron.

The only 'daring' thing about the dive is that he didn't have the training or mindset for it. Big deal... what a hero.

 

[Searcaigh]

He's going to have a lot more stories to tell when he's old then I will.

He might not get old with that cavalier attitude!

I hope that somebody points out to him what he is doing wrong and he mends his ways before he kills himself or worse is responsible for another diver's demise.

 

[PeterNBiddle]

He might not get old with that cavalier attitude!

I hope that somebody points out to him what he is doing wrong and he mends his ways before he kills himself or worse is responsible for another diver's demise.

Lucky idiots with sufficient cash can do quite well in life.

It's just statistics. If sufficient people roll enough dice, a few of them will wind up getting away with being dumb and lucky forever. If he keeps getting away with being an idiot - keeps rolling 20 on a D20 when it really matters - he won't ever change his general approach.

 

[DevonDiver]

Lucky idiots with sufficient cash can do quite well in life.

It's just statistics. If sufficient people roll enough dice, a few of them will wind up getting away with being dumb and lucky forever. If he keeps getting away with being an idiot - keeps rolling 20 on a D20 when it really matters - he won't ever change his general approach.

 

[kaerius]

*cringe*

My first wreck dive was after I had been working as an instructor for 3 months, and had read the materials for the wreck course(including the instructor aids), and I followed another instructor who had much experience with the wreck(the Zenobia), second dive we did penetration(in relatively safe parts, that don't have silt issues, we did the bridge, cafeteria, and crew quarters). I never officially took the wreck specialty, but I knew what I was getting myself into.

 

[DevonDiver]

It's great how being an instructor makes you immortal and the font of all knowledge..

 

[Divealpha]

Well, after reading this thread, I guess I've been lucky.... Seems to me that as a new fresh diver, with few dives, you trust the DM or instructor 100%. It takes some dives until you realize that you're responsible for yourself. My regular buddy is my wife, and we went though our OWD on a holiday in Asia, with an instructor who could'nt pronounce english very well... Now, when we both have passed our 100ed dive, it's a bit weird looking back on what we actually has been through... Dive 5 was in cold water at home, one eardum set my wife out for 3 months...but we ended at last up with some great guys who "took care" of us We where lucky to have to great greek instructors leading us on our dive 20-30ish, where we got used to sharing air etc.(which I know some on this board strongly advises against;another discussion..)- Then we went to Asia for AOW& Nitrox, and prepared for the Deep Diver exam before a dive holiday in the Mediterrean--- With a lot of wrecks, we just followed and trusted the DM, on dives down to 30-40 meters with a single 12... Forgot, also had a cave dive on another Greek island...So I think it's kind of usual to experience "the local attractions" this way. After you build up more experience, and doesn't feel like a complete newbie,you can question the DM's decisions.
Most of the DM/Guides we have met are responsible, there's only 3 on my list of complete, or almost complete idiots, but I think we had about 40-50 dives before we really got pissed off...because we both had near drowning experiences(on different dives).
Since I became addicted to diving, I've read so much about incidents, deco, tech, wreck, etc. on both this and local boards, and learned a lot...and my SAC is better than after OWD.. And I agree with J.Lapenta & others, but I think that this not an isolated case, I strongly feel that such incidents/diving happens frequently.
The different learning organizations are focused on getting more divers, because in the end it's just business, and does not seem to emphazise or focus nearly enough on the dangers of diving. To scare away people will not generate money........
And, yes, I've also been on a wreck dive with 2 DM's/or maybe DM students, where diver number 4 took the initiative and guide us in a wreck, because he had been there before(and the DM's not..).
I'm just hoping more fresh divers would read and learn from the Scubaboard forums, so maybe, just maybe it could lead to less such dangerous approaches to diving..........

---------- Post added May 7th, 2013 at 01:22 AM ----------

Forgot: we did'nt get time to finish our Deep Diver Cert.....

 

[Heisenberg]

Being an old Merchant Mariner, I can tell you it' easy enough to get lost on a floating, upright ship. Wow.

 

[goflyplanes]

*cringe*

My first wreck dive was after I had been working as an instructor for 3 months, and had read the materials for the wreck course(including the instructor aids), and I followed another instructor who had much experience with the wreck(the Zenobia), second dive we did penetration(in relatively safe parts, that don't have silt issues, we did the bridge, cafeteria, and crew quarters). I never officially took the wreck specialty, but I knew what I was getting myself into.

Yeah but you have to see the difference between what you did and what they did. First, the Zen is a relatively open wreck. Our shop policy was bridge, caf, and crew quarters were all acceptable swim throughs. Second, you did do prep work. You knew about the dangers of silt, you were with someone who knew the wreck, and also its not like your an AOW diver on dive 10 in their life that is like weeeeeee lets go into a dark silty environment with no plan!

And I agree...the guy is a complete moron. The thing that worries me is I know instructors out there who do the same thing. Hell I know course directors who do. I refuse to sign off my AOW students without teaching them how to plan, lead, and mange a dive independently purely cause I know the idiots out there. I believe someone said it before, but I think it comes down to teaching divers how to say no and know what is a safe situation. However, like does attract like and the reckless instructors end up with reckless students....