Shore dive with new diver: Do you mind short and shallow?

[Sas]

Hey Sas, if that person is ever me feel free to be blunt about it. I can be a bit dense sometimes

Haha definitely not you . You are the most skilled diver I have ever seen at your experience level by a long shot. So I guess I do hate you a little bit for that reason

That's why it pays off to dive with new people sometimes, how I met you, burna, Hamish, etc

 

[lucas*]

Haha definitely not you . You are the most skilled diver I have ever seen at your experience level by a long shot. So I guess I do hate you a little bit for that reason

That's why it pays off to dive with new people sometimes, how I met you, burna, Hamish, etc

flattery will get you everywhere young lady

 

[Peter_C]

I wish all experienced divers had your attitude. I was once informed by a diver (whom I had hoped could teach me a few things) that he never dives with anyone who doesn't have a computer because (in his exact words), "I'm not going to let you limit my bottom time." It certainly made me think twice about approaching other experienced divers. I haven't met many local divers, so far, but I hope this guy is not typical.

What is funny about this is most highly experienced divers do not use computers. They memorize and use tables exclusively. The OP is one of the types that does not use a computer.

I will say that learning the tables is probably one of the best things you can do for yourself as a diver. No one needs a computer to dive.

Personally I use both.

I recommend finding another person to mentor you and help you improve your diving. Keep talking about diving and you will find someone.

 

[Gombessa]

What is funny about this is most highly experienced divers do not use computers. They memorize and use tables exclusively. The OP is one of the types that does not use a computer.

What I find even more funny is that the idea that an experienced diver would come to the conclusion that NDL would be the limiting bottom time factor of diving with a newbie.

 

[ptyx]

It got me to wondering . . . for those of you who are no longer "new divers", would you mind doing a shorter and shallower dive than usual, to accomodate a new diver?

Shallow definitely doesn't bother me. Short a bit more, but I can always dive more later. Or pass them the long hose if they're really comfortable

I admit I'm not good with people prone to panic or too insecure through the surf - I try, but tend to project a 'what's the problem?' attitude that doesn't help

On boat dives or trips, or if I don't have much time to dive, I'm a bit more reluctant. When I have the occasion, I try to form a 4 people team - 2 new divers and 2 more experienced. When the new divers are low on air, send them on their way up (watch the ascent, etc...) - and then continue the dive with the remaining buddy.

 

[drdaddy]

I enjoy taking a new diver out. The owner of the LDS (who does not like to dive with newbies) will call me and see if I'm on my way over.

I really like to teach and guide to some of those special shallow places. However, sometimes it can be a little nerve wrecking when you're trying to hold them down or getting in and out of the water because they're underweighted.

 

[Tigerman]

It depends on the situation..
If its a supposedly "more advanced" dive that Ive paid 50 bucks for in addition to long flights and hotels, Id preferr to not come up with 3/4ths of my gas still in the tank. Fortunately, this havent really happened more than a couple of times and only once was it anybodys "fault".
A blown first stage o-ring at depth was not really all that controllable, it wasnt fixable and it was very educational.
The second time it was pretty much a combination of a buddys high air consumption, him being worried about his high air consumption (which acellerated it) and a clearly beginning panic as he saw his air getting low. In the end, another very educational dive.

When Im diving local sites where I havent invested a lot of time and money I dont really care about the dive time. I can go diving pretty much whenever I want (when its not frozen over like it is now) anyways. My only request is to know it at the beginning and being a bit investigative myself I tend to ask some basic questions, like cert levels and number of dives to have a basic idea of what I can expect.
I have done a few dives on my own as well where Ive just messed around in less than 60' for about half an hour and just decided that today it wasnt anything fun to see and gone home. Upside is Ill still have another (although not very long) dive left in the tank when I just "have to get wet" even if I havent had the time to top it up.

Yes, Ill dive with a new diver any day unless it disrupts my plans severely. When in places like Egypt (which is one of the places Im starting to spend way too much money) I tend to go on the local boats atleast once more than I "have to", knowing the dives is shallower, divers can be less experienced and less predictable anyways. I do it because those dives are actually very nice in their own ways.
The one thing I cant handle is self-proclaimed world champs who are so full of themselves they cant smell their own bs..

 

[TSandM]

I admit I'm not good with people prone to panic or too insecure through the surf

I can imagine that would be a project. I've been pathetically grateful to the people who have led me through surf (and picked me up out of it)!

I very specifically set this up as a shore dive, because I can understand someone's reluctance to buddy up with an unknown person of high gas consumption on an expensive charter. That's a whole other issue.

 

[ptyx]

I admit I'm not good with people prone to panic or too insecure through the surf - I try, but tend to project a 'what's the problem?' attitude that doesn't help

I can imagine that would be a project. I've been pathetically grateful to the people who have led me through surf (and picked me up out of it)!

Showing is fine. Giving pointers, techniques and reasons as well (to the extent of my knowledge). Rescuing, I can manage if needed. It's the psychological aspects I have trouble with. It's not limited to diving. It would probably be really frustrating for everyone were I to try a teaching career in any kind of physical activity.

So although I enjoy helping/leading/showing around new divers, I try to leave those who need more reassurance than technical help to others.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I did a lovely dive with a somewhat novice diver tonight. Max depth was 60 feet, and the dive was 30 minutes long (and I knew those parameters ahead of time). We found all kinds of cool stuff, and best of all, I wasn't cold when I got out of the water!

My buddy was profusely apologetic, before and after, about the short and shallow dive. He was very concerned that I would feel the dive was "wasted". I remember feeling exactly the same way when I was new. I tried to reassure him that I didn't mind at all. This wasn't an expensive charter or a dive using expensive gas . . . it was an evening shore dive in a familiar site not a long drive from home, and it didn't matter to me if it was 30 minutes or 60, as long as I got to get wet and see some fun things, which I did.

It got me to wondering . . . for those of you who are no longer "new divers", would you mind doing a shorter and shallower dive than usual, to accomodate a new diver?

(Part of the reason I don't mind is that my LDS sells a membership where you buy all your fills for the year for one price in December. So using a third of a tank doesn't offend me at all, because I don't pay a full fill price for doing it.)

Some of my favorite dives now are dives in the 30 to 50 foot range. Short is a relative term. I don't gauge a dive by how long it was, like it's some kind of contest to see how long a dive can drag out. I guage a dive by what I saw and what kind of fulfilment I got doing the dive wether it be 10 minutes or 2 hours. In that respect time doesn't matter.

When I look back at a dive and dream about it when I finally hit the pillow, it's usually about one special moment during the dive that is burned in my mind. That moment could have been in the first ten minutes which means the rest of the dive is moot.

I'm glad you had a great shallow dive. Sounds like you made the new divers day. I want to feel sometimes like I did when I first started diving. Everything seemed so big and the mystery of things and the excitement. Personally I don't see the obsession to always have to go deep. To me diving to 20 feet can be more fun than diving to 150 feet. I'm a very visual person and there's more to see in 20 feet.