WARNING!!! Rant to follow!!!

[jimholcomb]

Originally posted by Ari
You can't be responsible for evey one out there, diving or doing anything else for that matter.

Choose you dive partners carefully and expect to be surprised when you don't. What can you do?

Ari

Careful....some might find that advice offensive.

 

[Walter]

Dee,

Once or twice.

Iamdoodling,

I hope you learned to start your dive from an anchored boat into the current.

 

[Iamdoodling]

That's what our "captain" said after the fact.

Of course the second dive (which I skipped) they literally came up at the stairs. Ain't that just my luck.

 

[Dee]

Originally posted by Iamdoodling
I am a newbie and I like having the "after dive" critique. We just did 3 more dives this weekend (my first since OW cert) and I feel much more compentent in my skills. I am definitely trying to be self-sufficient though. I absolutely refused to have the DM come out and get me while I was doing a VERY LONG surface swim against the current after our dive yesterday.

I appreciate hearing the opinion of the DMs out there. Though I hope you don't mind me asking continual questions to find out that valuable information you all have

I certainly do not mind any new diver asking questions and seeking to improve their diving skills through our experience. Afterall that's the main reason I became a DM. What we're talking about is those divers who never learn, or attempt to learn to be self-sufficient. Those that just because a DM is present, expect us to be responsible for you and all you do. And it's not always brand new divers!

Don't ever hesitate to ask for help if you need it regardless of how you got there. Just make sure you learn from your mistakes and don't keep repeating them. That's how we all learned.

 

[davidofaustin]

As a matter of fact, I am trying to figure out how to make them totally dependent on me. Its job security you know!

As a DM, the only thing I get to do, is help students. If they dont need it - I'm out of a job.
(Plus, I figure - once they are dependant - I can start charging em by the event. Turn off air .50 cents - turn on air $15. )

:bandito: Dave

 

[Walter]

After the dive is not the time to cover that point. Of course it should have been covered in your OW course, but a reminder during the dive briefing is always a good idea.

 

[budgy]

Is there any experienced diver here that can honestly say that at one time or another they have not neglected their buddy check. Every year experienced divers go into the water without checking their gear properly. Some divers become statistics; jumped off a boat, sank like a stone, his air was turned off! I suppose all divers get overconfident after qualifying, over the past few years I must admit that I have gone in the water with out checking and found I had failed to turn on my air, or put on my weight belt, not connected my suit feed or inflator hose, and the shame of leading a dive in poor vis conditions and finding I had forgot to take a shore compass bearing, or set the bezel. Its fortunate I normally do shore dives. I dive with other clubs now and again and see the same neglect of the buddy check, with overconfident qualified divers. Make what you like of my experience, I know those incidents could have easily been accidents; if you neglect the buddy check you could be a statistic.

 

[decapoddiver]

In regards to the dives that started this thread, I feel I need to be a little more specific about the conditions. That way hopefully you will understand why the "buddy check" was so important.

1. We were diving in New England, in February. We were the only idiots out there that day. (No one other than us to help if there was a problem)
2. Air temp was 42. Water temp 36. (Anyone else had their "ice proof" reg freeze up?)
3. 40mph winds for two days prior to this day. 6-8' waves out in the bay.We were protected in a cove but planeed on submerging and swimming out and back. (Anyone ever have a problem on a dive and need to ascend?)
4. Due to serious surge from the waves, vis was about 3'.
5. This spot is known for having 6 knot currents running parallel with shore and only one good spot to enter/exit.
6. One guy was in a wetsuit. Did I mention that water was 36. Brrrrrrrrrrrr.......

I let everyone know that I was NOT the DM on these dives but I couldn't knowingly let them do things that could harm themselves. As I said, none of these guys had ever been diving with each other before and the LOWEST cert was AOW. I think a pre-dive check was called for and in their defense, they all agreed. Once I told them they had to do it if I was going to dive! I guess I was upset because when I asked them why they didn't seem to be proactive in regards to the dive, they said " Well, you're a DM, we figured you'd say something if we screwed up." Arghhhhhhhhh

 

[DameDykker]

Recently I went diving with another group that usually. I was teamed up with an assistant instructor with 45 dives it turned out. The water was 4 deg. C and his rented dry suit did not fit properly. And he was underweighted.

Result first dive - I had to drag him down the first 4 meters or so, he got water into the system and felt bad and cold, so we aborted the dive after 20 minuts or so.

I asked him wether he intended to cancle second dive - I could go with the other group - but no he was fine. Second dive took 6 minuts and he was too cold to continue.

Was I happy?

And I'm not even a DM but do have 200+ dives and is used to looking after my self.

By the way I also had to remind the tour organizer to bring the surface buyos!

A little bit P.O.

 

[budgy]

Hi DameDykker,
It seems that whenever a person changes their dry suit they require more ballast weight. I don't know why but I suspect its just tension. At 4 C I use two sets of merino thermals and a 100 gram thinsulate under my trilaminate I am just warm enough, though I am tempted to buy a thicker thinsulate. I see some people diving in wetsuits in those conditions and I wonder.
If you have to drag a person under, to help an underweighted diver get down, I think that they may have difficulty making a safety stop at the end of the dive, when they have used up the weight of the air in their tank. Perhaps he knew enough to pick up some stones on the bottom.
Best we laugh about it now, some dives just go wrong and as long as we can learn by it and plan to do it better and safer next time, its the price of experience.