Why do you Lie?

[jpro]

I very seldom have insta buddies since I dive with family members or good friends. On the rare occassion that I do have an insta buddy, I seldom take their word for it. I will either ask to see it or I will move to a possition I that can sneak a peek. Especially if they claim to have more than I do.

Let's hope the datamask doesn't become popular... ;^)

Julian

 

[The Chairman]

Let's hope the datamask doesn't become popular... ;^)

Julian

VT3s allow you to program your buddy's pressure sensor. You can peek without them ever knowing.

 

[HenrikBP]

I wouldn't want to dive with the person you could do that to. I doubt anyone could unclip my SPG and replace it without me knowing it.

I know someone who can steal a stage/deco bottle off of a diver without said diver noticing ... an SPG would be no problem at all

That said, the way I prefer to dive, my buddy carries my emergency air and vice versa. So sharing air reserve information IMO is just a natural extension of that attitude. Once I get to know you, and know that we're on the same page wrt. gas and dive planning and Rock Bottom gas numbers, then I'm happy with an "OK" as reply to a "how much gas" question.

But trust is earned, not freely given - I guess I could've just referred you to my sig line

Henrik

 

[Pauly854]

I have not had the pleasure of an instabuddy. I dive mainly with my son and a few friends. The idea of someone lying about their remaining air is foreign to me, and leaves my ghast rather flabbered. My buddies and I always indicate the pressure to each other, and I trust them enough that I don't have any reason to see their gauge. If they show it, fine, but not neccessary. Learning about people's tendency to exagerate their remaining air gives me pause, though. The procedure for air checks should be agreed upon before the dive, and adhered to. But I must agree that I do not really think I would appreciate someone reaching over and grabbing my gear. Personally, if my buddy wanted to see it, I would be happy to show...but don't go handling my gear, and I will reciprocate.

 

[MarineResearch]

Very interesting thread.

I rarely have an "instabuddy" and have logged a lot of dives with a small number of buddies. When I dive with my wife, it is not uncommon for me to have more air remaining at one part of a dive, and then for her to have more air remaining towards the end, or vice verse. While we may be close to each other, being 10-20 feet apart vertically can change the equation during the course of the dive.

I don't care if an instabuddy wants to lie on an OW dive; it's their life. I plan every OW dive as if there is nobody else in the water. My instabuddy is not my spare air. If they run out and need mine, that's OK because I will still have adequate air remaining. If I have a catastrophic equipment failure, I'm going to head to the nearest air source, whether it be my buddy, someone else or the surface.

If instabuddy doesn't believe me when I signal my pressure, we have a trust problem and I have an ex-instabuddy. I don't have a problem with instabuddy sneaking a peak at my SPG or computer (if I'm using my Uemis, people can see it clearly from 10 feet away). However, grabbing at my equipment is no bueno and will result in ex-instabuddy having a very uncomfortable and embarassing experience during our "debrief" back on the boat.

The above all pertain to OW dives. If anyone lies on an overhead (cave, wreck or deco) dive, they are an ex-buddy or ex-instabuddy for life. In this case, we dive as a team and there is no room for dishonesty.

 

[herman]

Nope, not a chance. If anything I'd hear your reg way before you got that close. I don't want to dive with anyone that feels like they have to 2nd guess me on my air. Herman do you really want to dive with someone that makes you feel like you HAVE to look at their gauge?

-Charles

I don't want to dive with some one I don't trust either and normally I don't have to but remember, what started this thread were 2 a less than honest buddys who was either lying or confused about their gas level. Had the OP taken a sneek peak at his buddies gauge he could have avoided dealing with a panicked OOA diver - twice. The do exist and I think it's irresponsible of me to not be proactive.

I see it this way, if you (insta-buddy) refuse to respond with your gas pressure when ask, you (insta-buddy) have violated my trust and I have assume there is an issue. If I am mistaken then no real harm but it there is an issue, I just turned an OOA into an early intervention. I dive with new divers and students all the time plus I have seen some scarry things on dive boats, so yea I watch everyone carefully until I get to know them and believe it or not I like it if they feel the same way.

 

[charlesml3]

I don't get the privacy thing here. If it makes my buddy a bit more comfortable to look at my gauge, then why not?

I never said anything about privacy. I've had plenty of insta-buddies and we sit down and talk before the dive so we both understand what's going to happen. If I get a bunch of attitude or the feeling that I can't trust them to tell me the truth then I just dive solo. Really now, would you trust someone to save you in an emergency if you DIDN'T trust them to give you an accurate gauge reading?

I know someone who can steal a stage/deco bottle off of a diver without said diver noticing ... an SPG would be no problem at all

Not off of me he wouldn't. And not off of any diver I'd want to be with. If someone is so distract that they a) Can't hear another reg 18 inches away, b) Can't feel someone unclippping their crap, and c) Can't feel the bouancy difference when their deco bottle goes away then they really do not belong in the water.

The rules need to suit the situation. In an easy, clear-water drift dive in Cozumel, anything over 1000PSI I just want an "OK" signal. Overhead, deep, wreck, etc requires different rules and conventions. I think we can all agree on that.

I'm also quite sure that any of us would do whatever we could do to help a distressed diver, buddy or otherwise. There are plenty of ways someone could go OOA and not all of them involve lies. Being mentally prepared for the situation goes a long way towards a favorable outcome.

-Charles

 

[Sat Diver]

I use a lot of gas, and so, I carry a lot of gas. I am not a very beautiful diver, and find I use more gas than anyone I dive with. Most ofmy diving was umbilical supply, so you develop pretty bad habits as far sagas consumption goes. But I always plan for my own needs and carry redundant travel / deco gas as well.
One day I will be a good diver, but I fear that I have too much to unlearn.

 

[Firefyter]

I don't mind buddying up with new or infrequent divers at home in the quarry, and I'm always glad to help any way necessary. However, when I'm on vacation, I'm not wasting a dive tending to them or cutting a dive short because they are low on air. I don't mean to say I wouldn't help a diver in distress, just that I plan on getting my money's worth...

This I believe is the kind of attitude which prompts people to lie.

Taking that particular section out of context the way you did, I might agree. However, when you read what I actually wrote, it makes you look like you have a problem with reading comprehension.

All of this is the reason I dive solo, even in Coz. I go out on the boat with the other divers, drop in with them and the DM, then proceed to do my own dive. I've used the same op for years, and they're comfortable with me doing this. If conditions warrant, or we're diving Barracuda, they let me know and I follow their plan to the letter. Otherwise, its all me.

I don't mind buddying up with new or infrequent divers at home in the quarry, and I'm always glad to help any way necessary. However, when I'm on vacation, I'm not wasting a dive tending to them or cutting a dive short because they are low on air. I don't mean to say I wouldn't help a diver in distress, just that I plan on getting my money's worth...

How does me diving solo prompt anyone to lie?

 

[Darnold9999]

"Not off me" "wouldn't dive with a diver that wouldn't notice" - you have got to be kidding. I too know an instructor that could easily clip and unclip an spg without you noticing. He does such things all the time to very experienced divers as part of their tech training. He had done such a thing to me and surprised the hell out of me, disconnecting my BC inflator within 5 seconds of me checking that it was working.

He was laughing at the look on my face when I went to use it - knowing that I had checked it just a few seconds before and now I had to deal with it when I needed it. This was a solo check out dive so he was trying to throw the unexpected at me to see how I would deal with issues.