kanonfodr
Contributor
I've recently completed a night dive with some regular buddies, but we were with a good sized group on a shallow reef. After we had finished the dive briefing and doing last-minute gear checks before gearing up my friend remarked that I needed a specific color of glowstick on my gear so they would know where I was because they felt safer with me close by.
Now my buddy is a fairly new diver, but the thought ran across my mind of "Why do they need me to feel safe?" We had 13 divers in the water, and their assigned buddy was their significant other who is on the same level (they both got their certs at the same time) whereas I was insta-buddied up with another diver, but we had an instructor leading the dive with a few DMs in the group and divers of varied experience along with us.
Granted, when diving with divers newer than myself (wow...I just turned over 50 dives) I generally take the lead but I feel that, as certified divers, they are completely capable of running their own dive. But then again, not all dive training prepares divers to the same degree that other training curricula does, so I take that into consideration.
The ultimate question is: Am I possibly doing my buddy a disservice by constantly taking the lead, and should I take an active role in trying to develop them as a better diver? I'm not an instructor or any other professional rating but I believe that, as certified divers, anybody should be able to lead a dive at any site when all others are of equal skill levels. More importantly, when diving with others of similar or lower training/experience levels (and really, all dives period) a round-table discussion of the goal of the dive should be discussed by all so that everyone should get to experience part of what they want, within reason of course.
In other words, am I being TOO good of a buddy??
Peace,
Greg
Now my buddy is a fairly new diver, but the thought ran across my mind of "Why do they need me to feel safe?" We had 13 divers in the water, and their assigned buddy was their significant other who is on the same level (they both got their certs at the same time) whereas I was insta-buddied up with another diver, but we had an instructor leading the dive with a few DMs in the group and divers of varied experience along with us.
Granted, when diving with divers newer than myself (wow...I just turned over 50 dives) I generally take the lead but I feel that, as certified divers, they are completely capable of running their own dive. But then again, not all dive training prepares divers to the same degree that other training curricula does, so I take that into consideration.
The ultimate question is: Am I possibly doing my buddy a disservice by constantly taking the lead, and should I take an active role in trying to develop them as a better diver? I'm not an instructor or any other professional rating but I believe that, as certified divers, anybody should be able to lead a dive at any site when all others are of equal skill levels. More importantly, when diving with others of similar or lower training/experience levels (and really, all dives period) a round-table discussion of the goal of the dive should be discussed by all so that everyone should get to experience part of what they want, within reason of course.
In other words, am I being TOO good of a buddy??
Peace,
Greg