leadweight
Contributor
I really love to scuba dive, but sometimes I feel like i am on a blind alley in diving. Folks that dive a lot either go pro, tech or center their diving around video or still photography. My situation makes being responsible for other divers unattractive to me, so pro is not really an option. I have dabbled in tech, but never really caught the bug. I have yet to take a picture underwater which really seems to annoy my fellow passengers on live aboard trips, all of whom rate their diving by the quality of their photography or video. My logbooks show almost 900 dives in many locations and some variety of conditions.
The frustration sets in when I get on a boat and the dive guide/dive master treats everyone like a beginner. Jump in the water, wait at the surface, everyone starts together, dive ends when the first wimp runs out of air, which means safety stop at 35 minutes. I climb out with 1550 psi. Its not this bad everywhere, but when it happens it burns me up. God help you if you try to do anything differently with some of these idiots. They probably want to sell me nitrox for the short 60 foot dive.
Some guides give no help at all with dragging gear around, but are total underwater cops. If there is a crowd at the ladder and you try to do an extended safety stop behind the boat (which is safely moored in zero current and good visibility) they will come down and give you a thumbs up sign for no other reason than they can't let well enough alone. Please don't tell me about safety because on the same dive the moron took a new diver to 100 feet and then shot off at full speed way ahead of the group while the new diver descends to 120 because he did not know any better.
Some guides who are instructors can't stop teaching. They insist on all sorts of details whether it matters or not. I had one in Indonesia that made a fuss when I took off my BC before my weight belt. Yes, the belt should come off first, but does it matter when there is only 4# on it?
One thing I have noticed is that those with DM or instructor cards often get a pass to do what they want. It annoys me as it should be obvious to anyone who sees me dive once that I learned something in those nearly 900 dives and I have a not so easy to get IANTD advanced nitrox certification as well. I guess its the secret handshake because there are lots of instructors in the US with day jobs who I would not trust to teach a rock to dive.
Thank god its not this way everywhere, but the bottom line is things usually go better on live aboard boats and dedicated dive resorts, and the problems are more likely when staying in some hotel and finding some dive shop whether it is on the hotel grounds or not.
Well, I don't know what to do next. Perhaps I will be assimilated and buy a camera or try tech diving again.
The frustration sets in when I get on a boat and the dive guide/dive master treats everyone like a beginner. Jump in the water, wait at the surface, everyone starts together, dive ends when the first wimp runs out of air, which means safety stop at 35 minutes. I climb out with 1550 psi. Its not this bad everywhere, but when it happens it burns me up. God help you if you try to do anything differently with some of these idiots. They probably want to sell me nitrox for the short 60 foot dive.
Some guides give no help at all with dragging gear around, but are total underwater cops. If there is a crowd at the ladder and you try to do an extended safety stop behind the boat (which is safely moored in zero current and good visibility) they will come down and give you a thumbs up sign for no other reason than they can't let well enough alone. Please don't tell me about safety because on the same dive the moron took a new diver to 100 feet and then shot off at full speed way ahead of the group while the new diver descends to 120 because he did not know any better.
Some guides who are instructors can't stop teaching. They insist on all sorts of details whether it matters or not. I had one in Indonesia that made a fuss when I took off my BC before my weight belt. Yes, the belt should come off first, but does it matter when there is only 4# on it?
One thing I have noticed is that those with DM or instructor cards often get a pass to do what they want. It annoys me as it should be obvious to anyone who sees me dive once that I learned something in those nearly 900 dives and I have a not so easy to get IANTD advanced nitrox certification as well. I guess its the secret handshake because there are lots of instructors in the US with day jobs who I would not trust to teach a rock to dive.
Thank god its not this way everywhere, but the bottom line is things usually go better on live aboard boats and dedicated dive resorts, and the problems are more likely when staying in some hotel and finding some dive shop whether it is on the hotel grounds or not.
Well, I don't know what to do next. Perhaps I will be assimilated and buy a camera or try tech diving again.
