why do people do this ???

[DandyDon]

But if I came back from a group dive and people were suggesting that I was less than safe - whether the facts were 100% accurate or not - I would take a good hard look at myself and my overall diving attitude. I would go to divers who are better divers than me and whose opinions I respect, give them the facts, and accept their assessment.

Yep, I agree, and have been. I'm meeting with my Tech Instructor again soon. We have a couple of Tech Courses planned.

I once was diving as a part of a foursome when we went down to my 1.6 PPO and I stopped. I do carry air in my pony in part so I can switch to it to possibly help another below my 1.6 PPO if needed, etc, but it seemed the 3 air divers I was with had a plan they hadn't advised me of. Two of them stopped maybe 20-30 feet below me, and the head Instructor just disappeared into the abyss. We all waited at our respective depths - I was stunned, and he came back. He'd been to 265.

I was pissed. I talked to them privately, and made it very clear I was not pleased with their surprise dive plan, and made it clear to the deep diver that I was really pissed about his stunt. I said my piece directly to the divers involved and moved on. I did not broadcast it.

But again - your suggestions are very good ones, with which I agree, and I will continue to do so.

 

[HydroAuto]

<snip>
I posted a partial explanation on the report thread - more than deserved. here There were other details I didn't post as I am just sick of the gossip, as well as the way people have taken it for fact.
<snip>

For the record, where does this link go?

 

[lamont]

uhm, i hate to ask this, but why did this thread turn into a pile-on-dandy-don thread?

i'm not defending him here, but i don't know why he's getting chased around scubaboard from thread to thread. can we just setup a dandydon thunderdome in a single thread and have it out there?

 

[JeffG]

Yep, I agree, and have been. I'm meeting with my Tech Instructor again soon. We have a couple of Tech Courses planned.

I once was diving as a part of a foursome when we went down to my 1.6 PPO and I stopped. I do carry air in my pony in part so I can switch to it to possibly help another below my 1.6 PPO if needed, etc, but it seemed the 3 air divers I was with had a plan they hadn't advised me of. Two of them stopped maybe 20-30 feet below me, and the head Instructor just disappeared into the abyss. We all waited at our respective depths - I was stunned, and he came back. He'd been to 265.

I was pissed. I talked to them privately, and made it very clear I was not pleased with their surprise dive plan, and made it clear to the deep diver that I was really pissed about his stunt. I said my piece directly to the divers involved and moved on. I did not broadcast it.

But again - your suggestions are very good ones, with which I agree, and I will continue to do so.

This is too funny. You were pissed because someone did (almost) exactly what you did Utila. Pot meet Kettle.

Add in your incident with your pony bottle....

And yet you still can't see the issues that surround you when you dive.

You make excuses, you defend the "undefendable", give some lip service to getting some training.

 

[JeffG]

uhm, i hate to ask this, but why did this thread turn into a pile-on-dandy-don thread?

i'm not defending him here, but i don't know why he's getting chased around scubaboard from thread to thread. can we just setup a dandydon thunderdome in a single thread and have it out there?

Well, unfortunately for him. He is a perfect example of the bounce diver that started this thread, except he is still alive.

 

[lamont]

Well, unfortunately for him. He is a perfect example of the bounce diver that started this thread, except he is still alive.

okay, then, if this is the thunderdome...

i'm honestly more interested in the answers to these questions...

- how does ppO2 limit your dive plan?
- how does narcosis limit your dive plan?
- how does depth affect your rock bottom and your gas plan?
- what is there to see on a wall at 180 fsw that you can't see at 110 or so? and is it worth the risk?
- and is your pony still butt mounted or is it slung with an SPG on it?

then there's the whole solo aspect, and i just don't know what to ask about that... great thing about a buddy is that one of you will probably be sober enough to look at your depth gauge, and if you stick together you won't plummet down a wall...

 

[Hank49]

Who said I'm upset? I'm just trying to understand why people feel the need to be reckless ... and why some folks want to glorify that sort of behavior. That just encourages other people to go out and do equally stupid things.

And your analogy doesn't make any sense. People have the capacity to choose their own behavior ... the wind doesn't choose to make noise.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

It seems we finally agree here. All I'm saying is that some people ARE reckless and always have been.....and always will be. It is just like that and you're not going to change it so why bother dwelling on it? That's where the analogy came from. Which does make sense. You can wonder why people are, or preach to them not to be reckless, but it's like talking to the wind. It won't change.
But I think many people don't like letting fear control them. So they try to conquer their fears by doing what they may be afraid of. Like, it sets them free. Stupid? Maybe. But some would rather escape the prison of fear at personal risk than live within those confines and always wonder, or feel like a coward inside.

 

[Charlie99]

uhm, i hate to ask this, but why did this thread turn into a pile-on-dandy-don thread?

I have to plead guilty to starting it, way back up near the beginning of the thread. NWGrateful diver describes a fatal dive and asks "Why do people do it". I described a nearly identical dive and posted "PM the guy and ask -- this one's still around".

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

NWGrateful diver describes a fatal dive and asks "Why do people do it".

And Hank just provided one reasonable answer ... which addresses why I asked the question.

But I think many people don't like letting fear control them. So they try to conquer their fears by doing what they may be afraid of. Like, it sets them free. Stupid? Maybe. But some would rather escape the prison of fear at personal risk than live within those confines and always wonder, or feel like a coward inside.

As an instructor, I see this from time to time ... for some it's their sole reason for getting into scuba diving. It's these people I want to reach. Will discussions like this one change them? Probably not ... but it might give them something to think about before they reach too far trying to conquer their fears and end up being the subject of a future thread in this forum.

Conquering your fears doesn't have to involve taking reckless risks ... education, training, and practice don't make someone a coward ... it makes them prudent. If you really want to seize that spirit of adventure, don't take shortcuts ... make the effort to understand what you're getting into.

And if all you want is a wild ride ... a thrilling experience you can brag about to your friends ... and you don't want to put any real effort into risk management ... then go to Six Flags. Scuba diving isn't an appropriate activity for that sort of attitude ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[lamont]

also, i noticed that the gas in question was 28%, which suggests that 130 fsw was the dive plan, and i really think that people don't appreciate how narced out of their mind they are at those depths. doesn't matter if you're trained or experienced, you're still higher than a kite. i can play battlefield vietnam pretty damn good when i'm drunk, too, because i'm experienced at it, but i'm still impaired and i'm not risking my life when i do that...

EAN32, MOD 110, mix for anything deeper. When I see EAN28 i immediately think 'bad dive plan' without needing to know anything else about the dive...