What do you consider the role & limitations of a mentor?

[Blackwood]

• Is it to dive with someone of less experience and allow them to gain experience?
• Is it to give post dive feedback?
• Is it to introduce the person being mentored to new environments they might not go to without some encouragement?

• Yes
• Yes
• Yes, provided said encouragement isn't perceived as coercion.

In many instances, I think that informal mentoring is at least as valuable as formal training.

Instructors (even the good ones) will always be evaluating you with an eye on official standards, even when those standards may be outdated or irrelevant.

The few times people have approached me as the mentor (it's FAR more often the other way around), I've generally treated it as: here's what I'm looking for as a buddy/teammate based on how I/we approach dives.

I've had people ask me, "Do you think Instructor X would pass me in Class Y?" That's a question I will never answer.

The same is also true of most of my mentors, even those who have at one time or another been my formal instructors. And personally, that's what I'm looking for: realistic, informal experience in actual (not classroom) diving.

 

[rjack321]

[*]Yes, provided said encouragement isn't perceived as coercion.

How much following makes it a trust me dive? I have seen many people do what appear to me as "trust me" dives that are actually within their level of training. And I have seen people do dives that aren't trust me dives beyond the levels printed on their cards.

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

some thoughts

Ok one thing I disagree on is the scooter comment. I have seen visability greatly reduced very fast by inexperienced people trying to scooter. A simple jump where you might put in a jump reel that cover 10 or 15 ft should not be an issue. You are doing it during apprentice class for the first time anyway, probably with more inexperienced people that just you and a mentor on a dive. Now I would not even agree with doing a jump if it involved any restrictions or anything.

 

[Blackwood]

How much following makes it a trust me dive? I have seen many people do what appear to me as "trust me" dives that are actually within their level of training.

I'd say that if you aren't independently capable of determining or understanding the dive plan (i.e. if there are any dangling "why's"), it's a trust me dive.

 

[rjack321]

Ok one thing I disagree on is the scooter comment. I have seen visability greatly reduced very fast by inexperienced people trying to scooter. A simple jump where you might put in a jump reel that cover 10 or 15 ft should not be an issue. You are doing it during apprentice class for the first time anyway, probably with more inexperienced people that just you and a mentor on a dive. Now I would not even agree with doing a jump if it involved any restrictions or anything.

Well I don't have a cave DPV card but I have 200 OW scooter dives and was scootering JB (only to the 2nd T) a few weeks ago with someone I consider a mentor. I didn't stir up anything but I sure did smack the ceiling a couple times.

As far as jumps go, I cave dive in MX where the every 100ft mainline arrows don't exist. The mainline may be original exploration line, and you might only have 3 arrows total on an intro level dive, with one pointing to a different exit. Most jumps I have not done and unless you live down there there's no such thing as "well known" when it comes to lines and changes thereof. So no jumping before formal instruction, no more than 1 T either (rare but possible in a few places).

 

[rjack321]

I'd say that if you aren't independently capable of determining or understanding the dive plan (i.e. if there are any dangling "why's"), it's a trust me dive.

And what's someone to do when they aren't trained to what they shoulda been train to? Go back to class? Classes are often the worst trust me dives (like a blind cave exit), its just with a "mentor" that has insurance and a card formalizing their paid role.

 

[Blackwood]

Agreed, mentors are often much-needed supplements to formal training.

I guess what I meant was that in the pre-dive briefing (which hopefully takes place any time something radically new is in store), if the mentee has any 'big picture' questions, they need to be addressed before splashing.

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

I

Well I don't have a cave DPV card but I have 200 OW scooter dives and was scootering JB (only to the 2nd T) a few weeks ago with someone I consider a mentor. I didn't stir up anything but I sure did smack the ceiling a couple times.

As far as jumps go, I cave dive in MX where the every 100ft mainline arrows don't exist. The mainline may be original exploration line, and you might only have 3 arrows total on an intro level dive, with one pointing to a different exit. Most jumps I have not done and unless you live down there there's no such thing as "well known" when it comes to lines and changes thereof. So no jumping before formal instruction, no more than 1 T either (rare but possible in a few places).

I was there 2 weeks ago. If you had went further you would have went through low silty areas only experienced guys can seemn to make it through. That's kind of what I was talking about. Well as far as the jupms, I do live there basically LOL, there are great jumps that would be great to take someone on if they were ready to start apprentice training, and if they were with a qualifeid mentor. I can see easily circumstances makes all the difference here.

 

[rjack321]

I was there 2 weeks ago. If you had went further you would have went through low silty areas only experienced guys can seemn to make it through. That's kind of what I was talking about.

Yeah that's why we left the scooters and swam to the trash room (which really didn't do anything for me, junk, yawn)

 

[Cave Diver]

Well I don't have a cave DPV card but I have 200 OW scooter dives and was scootering JB (only to the 2nd T) a few weeks ago with someone I consider a mentor. I didn't stir up anything but I sure did smack the ceiling a couple times.

You could try wearing one of these for a while to help with that:

Spoiler