Should I dive with someone that hasnt been in 10 years?

[RJTY]

I am planning a trip to the keys in May. My brother and I have been on about thirty dives and another friend has just recently got his ow cert.. A fourth person who says he was certified about 10 years ago wants to go with us. Is a refresher course required for him? Should I consider diving with him if he does not go through a refresher course? We will be diving with a dive boat.

Thanks ,

 

[Diver0001]

How much experience did he have before he stopped?

R..

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

More important, how much experience do YOU have?

Nothing wrong with being a mentor, as long as you're prepared to deal with issues that might occur due to the long layoff ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[RJTY]

He does not have much experience outside his certification.

 

[smokey braden]

rjty,
welcome to this board.
asking the question is very prudent of you.
you could inform the op in advance and give them a heads up.
they could arrange it so y'alls first couple of dives could be shallow and with a dm.
take it slow at first and work your way up to the advanced dives.
most of the ops in the keys are very profesional and safety minded.
the keys provide some great diving and i'm sure everyone will have a great holiday.
regards,

 

[Ber Rabbit]

You don't want to mess with that, have him do a refresher. With only 30 or so dives you don't want to take on the role of instructor and that's what you'll end up doing, been there, done that.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[RJTY]

Although I love to dive and I am comfortable, I respect my level of experience. I am a new diver, not willing to get in over my head taking care of someone else.

 

[nolatom]

My opinion is No. If he's serious about being a good buddy, he won't hesitate to follow a suggestion that he take a refresher course, only a few hours and a few bucks. He'll find out how his equipment and skills have, or have not, "rusted".

If he doesn't want to put in that effort, then he's not taking the dive seriously enough and either doesn't care enough or isn't cautious enough--both bad signs. Leave him ashore in that instance.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

It depends on the boat as well. Some operators want to review your log book to see how current your skills are. If they are not pretty fresh, your party may find itself wasting the first dive in a very easy/boring location while the DM assesses if the person in question can handle a more demanding dive. If he can't, it could stay boring for the whole group for the rest of the trip.

If person number 4 were coming on my trip after a 10 year surface interval, I'd ask that he get a refresher course and dive with me locally so that I could assess his skills, etc before risking my hard earned cash with him along on a trip.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Although I love to dive and I am comfortable, I respect my level of experience. I am a new diver, not willing to get in over my head taking care of someone else.

Good call.