While standing on the steps near the water with my students, just after Dive One, relaxing, we see to other divers heading in.
One then yells to his friend (I won't say buddy for a reason that will be obvious in a moment) "HA! Rookie mistake! Can you turn my air on?"
I could barely refrain from yelling out "NO! That's NOT a rookie mistake! That's showing that you didn't even spend ten seconds doing a buddy check or if you did, you did a pi$$ poor check! Rookies don't make that mistake!"
All of my students heard him also and just looked at him with disbelief and disgust.
A different time, also on a SI, watching some Japanese divers walking up the steps. I can hear one talking in English, so I ask her, "Where's your depth gauge?" (she only had a pressure gauge, no depth gauge nor watch/timer/computer). She answered, "I don't need one, my Instructor has one."
"Wow, really? You trust your life to someone else? Are you PADI trained? Open Water diver?"
"Yes, PADI Open Water."
"Do you realize how dangerous that is? PADI states that you have to have a depth gauge and a timing device with you on every dive.
"Oh, I guess I'll check into that. Thanks!"
At least she seemed to get my hints....
Finally, watching Japanese divers heading into the ocean, with their alternate air sources wrapped and tied in a knot around their tanks.
---------- Post added April 17th, 2013 at 05:48 PM ----------
Sounds good to me.
There is a really good chance that the stupider statement was whatever was said telling him why he shouldn't do it.
---------- Post added April 16th, 2013 at 02:01 PM ----------
Just to make my last statement clear, by the far the stupidest thing I have ever heard, and I have heard it several times, is the warning that if you put your mask on your forehead while chatting amiably with a friend, someone will think you are in a state of panic and come frantically to your rescue
I would think that being in the pool, the student is getting trained to do things properly and safely. Teaching someone to not wear their mask on the forehead is not a bad thing, it is a good way to establish good habits.
If a mask on the forehead (in the water) is a sign of a diver in distress, why would you let your students do that any time? That's letting them get the wrong habit...it's okay sometimes but not others.
Plus the first nasty wave that comes along in the ocean has a good chance of knocking their mask completely off their forehead. (I've had my mask ripped right off my face by a nasty wave - fortunately I was prepared and holding it.)
Sure, it's a one-in-a-million chance that somethings going to go wrong. For me? That's too many chances. I want None-in-a-million.
Teach them the good habits to start and just outright avoid even giving them a chance to do it wrong.
