What are your biggest pet peeves?

[MXGratefulDiver]

My biggest pet peeves are the divers who always have to "one-up" everyone on the boat. They always have to be the best, have the most expensive equipment, go to the most exotic locations. Everything is a contest to them. You simply cannot beat these people; They always have to be better than you. You have 1000 dives, well they have 10,000 dives! Nevermind the fact, they just started diving two years ago. Your computer cost $400, well their computer cost $1000 and is way better than yours. Your a divemaster? Well, my friend Joe Shmo is a techical XYZ instructor and he says you're doing it wrong.

I don't mean to say that people don't have a right to be proud of their accomplishments if in fact they're true. Everyone is known to embellish a little here and there but some people take this to the extreme. I have no problem with people telling stories if they're true.

I always find the quieter, less macho-type people that usually have nothing to prove are the better divers. Their skills show in their diving and they don't need to brag about spending X amount on gear or how many dives they have.

You know the old saying ... "A good story doesn't have to be true ... it just has to be entertaining" ... Joe Isuzu was a scuba diver ...



... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[kmurray719]

Buddys that think 3 foot above and 1 foot behind is a great place for a buddy

Or buddies that swim so fast I can't keep up with them, and don't slow down when they see that I'm trailing behind them.

 

[DueceFire]

"Dilbert" refers to them as "Toppers". No matter what you say, they've done it more, longer, faster, better, cheaper . . .


Next time you run into one, tell him/her, "I donated a kidney."

I chuckled for a while at this response

Ill have to use this one day

 

[DueceFire]

I can deal with hand-swimming, instability and poor trim in new divers, because in many cases, proper trim, buoyancy and motionless stability in the water is an "unknown unknown" and you just don't know what you don't know. We were all there once, so I can understand.

What pisses me off is when they are exposed to all these principles, are shown a path to higher proficiency in the water, are given the tools to improve, and then blow it off and don't give a crap about improving.

"Aw, that looks too hard, it looks like work, I don't need to be THAT good in the water, I just wanna dive on vacation."

Then they rototill the bottom, wrecking everyone's visibility, scare the marine life, and if on coral, kill the marine life.

These skills aren't about "looking cool in the water", it's about protecting and conserving the environment and also not being a potential liability. When I see a flailing diver, I don't know if they're just diving, or having a situation.

Which relates to poor team skills, since all their available bandwidth is being taken up just being underwater breathing. But that's a whole 'nuther topic.

Ive made quite an effort towards trying not to silt up everyones view and feel that ive trimmed up my buoyancy a bit. I only hope to master this soon for everyone!

 

[RikTikTavi]

Helpful people that turn my tank off and then on 1/2 turn. At 80' it suddenly got very hard to breathe, as in nothing there. Good thing buddy was nearby and training kicked in, as I don't quite have that breathing liquid thing figured out.

- Ric

 

[WoodyLompoc]

1) Macho divers. Hey, my twelve year old got certified and my wife is 100 lbs. Neither is too macho, but they have hundreds of dives. (12 year old just turned 16.) Even my teenager is offended by macho divers.
2) The way American divers are stereotyped. It is not fun going to destinations, not overly frequented by US divers, and having to hear the "subtle comments" from the other divers (until after the first dive). We all seem to be seen as PADI "vacation" divers, who only get wet once a year and are just accidents waiting to happen. It was funny how quickly someone shut up after finding out that my (at that time) 15 year old had more dives than the DMs on the boat and had a much larger variety of diving experience.

 

[DennisH]

This has been a fun thread to read, thanks everyone! My pet peeve is people touching stuff underwater. I just got back from Mexico where I watched people pick up conch shells (until the guide saw him and told him not to), try to grab turtles, nurse sharks, poke fish, grab reefs (or bash reefs with bicycle-kicking fins and dangling gauges/octos/straps...). Thank god the guy leading our group saw it happen once and made it clear he wouldn't tolerate it. Depressing that other groups didn't have the same ethic.

 

[TSandM]

What pisses me off is when they are exposed to all these principles, are shown a path to higher proficiency in the water, are given the tools to improve, and then blow it off and don't give a crap about improving.

"Aw, that looks too hard, it looks like work, I don't need to be THAT good in the water, I just wanna dive on vacation."

Then they rototill the bottom, wrecking everyone's visibility, scare the marine life, and if on coral, kill the marine life.

Oh, I've got a friend who's like this -- he also loves his snorkel because he doesn't dare use one molecule of tank gas on the surface, because he uses so much underwater. But he still can't see the connection.

I have a trip in June where I may use the kidney comment . . .

 

[Latitude 59]

We all go out to have a good time. Annoying things are people who are late to the boat, take up 6 acres of real estate with loose gear, those who think my food/drink was purchased for their enjoyment. Also instructors using camera with students.

 

[NJDiverMark]

Dangling consoles and destroying the bottom due to ignorance