What would you do??

[Skeptic14]

Whatever you do or say the goal is not to create a more stressed diver who will just be entering the water more stressed out. Sometimes that is less what you say and more how it is said.

... For the 10 minutes I just spent I can then live with own conscience that I did everything I could to help this person learn something important.

You're on a dive boat ... part of the experience is socializing and enjoying the companionship of like-minded people. Not everyone is built to be nurturing ... but it's in your best interest to do whatever you are willing to help your companions remain safe ... an accident, after all, is going to ruin your vacation as much as it will everyone else's on the boat.

Above all be nice. I don't want to contribute to an already nervous situation. There is always another dive. IMHO. YMMV.

These seem like good ways to respond and mindset when dealing with the scenario. Annoyance, especially conveying annoyance or impatience is probably the least helpful even if it feels warranted.

Some context is always helpful too, was the diver making a little joke about being a out of practice due to the recent types of dive operations they've used? Was this a way for the diver to bashfully seek a little help/reassurance because of maybe some nervousness for whatever reason?

OP didn't mention anything about the level of difficulty of the dives, was this a tech dive trip, AOW dives only or was merely a OW cert sufficient?

Everybody was new at one time, unless this was a boat doing strictly advanced dives, a little patience is probably wise.

 

[SillyQuestions]

I would go through assembling his rig methodically, explaining each step in the process and emphasizing that they need to know how this is done in order to protect their own safety. I'd then have them disassemble the rig and reassemble it themselves. For the 10 minutes I just spent I can then live with own conscience that I did everything I could to help this person learn something important. I'd then mention to the DM that they may want to keep an eye on this person to make sure they don't do something dumb and hurt themselves.

You're on a dive boat ... part of the experience is socializing and enjoying the companionship of like-minded people. Not everyone is built to be nurturing ... but it's in your best interest to do whatever you are willing to help your companions remain safe ... an accident, after all, is going to ruin your vacation as much as it will everyone else's on the boat. And you asked what I'd do. What you do, really, is up to you ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Always look forward to your posts!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bob DBF]

You're on a dive boat ... part of the experience is socializing and enjoying the companionship of like-minded people. Not everyone is built to be nurturing ... but it's in your best interest to do whatever you are willing to help your companions remain safe ... an accident, after all, is going to ruin your vacation as much as it will everyone else's on the boat. And you asked what I'd do. What you do, really, is up to you ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I'm not the nurturing type, however I have been known to help out in my own roughshod manor. Unless I have a specific reason for the dive which precludes an inexperienced buddy, I have no problem diving with a rookie unless he acts like a dick.

I don't know my reaction on the OP's circumstance, it would depend on how I got along with the other diver and whether it would actually impair my dive plan. I would have a chat with the DM and/or Captain to make them aware of the situation, as they may have procedures in place to deal with that issue. As jonhall mentioned, the diver may always have the dive op set up his gear, which may or may not be an indication of his underwater skills.

Besides, if your in SCUBA for the adventure, there is nothing more exciting than trying to figure out what an inexperienced diver will do next.



Bob
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I think that advocating unsafe and dangerous practices is both stupid and foolish. That is why I don't tell people to do what I do. Dsix36

 

[Altamira]

Shortly after I stopped laughing, I would suggest this person get with his DM to perform the equipment check. This also serves to notify the DM he has an ignorant, under qualified diver under his/her supervision.

I hope you are just being sarcastic and would not actually laugh at the diver's round about way of asking for help. Laughing at him or her would not be helpful, and would reflect poorly on you. New divers that may not have dived in more than a year often struggle with assembling their gear (especially if they have had valet service in the past), and they need help, not laughter and condescension.

 

[Doctorfish]

The fact that the potential dive buddy asked for help demonstrated that he/she had some insight into their limitations. I would show this diver how to set up their gear and gently enquire into their experience. I would do a one tank dive with them and watch them closely. We were all newbies once. Don't understand why this is such a big deal for some of you.

 

[geoff w]

You travel to a foreign country for a dive trip. The dive shop you choose is of good repute, and asks about diving history, last dive, and checks a C-card.

On day two on the boat, while checking your gear, the diver next to you says "I dont remember how to check all this. They normally do it for me."

What would you do?

Travel to a foreign country or Hawaii is similar for most dive operators that cater to vacation divers (I just got back from Hawaii last night). Dive shops usually ask about dive history and last dive to group divers of similar skill together, especially for multiple groups each with guides. Resort dive operators of good and great repute often assemble gear for guests as the norm, and I would guess on most trips I've been on most guests expect it. This was the norm when we were at Wakatobi, and I was the exception for putting my own gear, and my wife's, together on every dive. As far as checking gear, that's really a personal responsibility issue, just like analyzing your own nitrox tanks - most vacation divers couldn't do it on their own, but should at least watch someone do it for them to confirm the reading and then set their own dive computer accordingly

If it happened to me, I would reply to the diver next to me "Do you remember the BWRAF check from your open water training? That's what you should check", and if I got a blank look back, suggest they talk to someone on the boat from the dive shop for help. Despite what many on Scubaboard might say, there's nothing wrong with being a vacation diver, but it is important to remember the basics to stay safe and know when to ask for help before you get in the water

 

[DarinJ]

When I started out diving locally, if my usual buddy wasn't available, I would generally be paired up with a much more experienced diver. I never hesitated to ask questions if I was uncertain about something. I learned a lot from those more experienced buddies, and I still dive with many of them today. I hope that I would be as supportive and helpful to the newer / less experienced / more nervous diver on the boat as those divers were to me.

I strongly agree with the comments about weighing the dive site, difficulty, etc with the other diver's perceived abilities and scrub the dive or change buddies if things seemed too risky. I don't often travel to dive, so I would hate to miss out on any planned dives, but my non-diving wife has sworn that she'll kill me if I do something stupid and get myself killed while diving

 

[scubadada]

I would go through assembling his rig methodically, explaining each step in the process and emphasizing that they need to know how this is done in order to protect their own safety. I'd then have them disassemble the rig and reassemble it themselves. For the 10 minutes I just spent I can then live with own conscience that I did everything I could to help this person learn something important. I'd then mention to the DM that they may want to keep an eye on this person to make sure they don't do something dumb and hurt themselves.

You're on a dive boat ... part of the experience is socializing and enjoying the companionship of like-minded people. Not everyone is built to be nurturing ... but it's in your best interest to do whatever you are willing to help your companions remain safe ... an accident, after all, is going to ruin your vacation as much as it will everyone else's on the boat. And you asked what I'd do. What you do, really, is up to you ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Exactly. You're a good man Bob

 

[Dhboner]

I hope you are just being sarcastic and would not actually laugh at the diver's round about way of asking for help. Laughing at him or her would not be helpful, and would reflect poorly on you. New divers that may not have dived in more than a year often struggle with assembling their gear (especially if they have had valet service in the past), and they need help, not laughter and condescension.

True...but it is a GIANT red flag...if they can't remember basic gear set up what else have they forgotten. I would never laugh at a vacation diver who can't remember how to set up their gear but I would stay clear of them in the water (maybe it's just me but I tend to enjoy dives more when I don't have to deal with a preventable emergency because someone treats diving like snooker...once or twice a year is enough to keep up their skills).

 

[scubadada]

It's a good thing to give back to diving. I have no problem in spending time with a diver who could use some help in getting up to speed with regard to equipment set up. My small contribution of time may end up being very valuable, you never know. I certainly can't see what harm it can do.