Why I won't dive with you.

[MXGratefulDiver]

I don't know if I hate PV's - never had one before. Have one now. Have had it for about 3 months... just haven't installed it yet.

Me too ... had one on drysuit #1 ... haven't had one on suits #2, 3, or 4. I do own one ... it's sitting in a box in my garage.

Now that I'm doing longer dives (80-90 minutes) I'm thinking that I should really just put the damn thing on my suit and get it over with. On the other hand, I'm also thinking that there are parts of the human anatomy where adhesives just weren't meant to go ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Cacia]

I survived many years of diving with stoners in the Caribbean.
My own personal belief is that alcohol and cigarettes will get you first.

Forget the shore hike, I had to do the tired diver tow with a great diver, but a very big guy, and let's say I am pretty sure I could not tow him as far. The same anxiety would apply to a guy very fit and three times my size.

I will dive with people overweight but I really don't think I would crawl into tight confines with them...I admit it is a bit of predujice. I get a little worried if the pilot does not look fit and it is a single engine plane, etc. If he climbs on all sweaty and red faced, already huffing from the walk up, I think "oh great, we are going to die". I know it is awful but it is a survival thing, my mind is always sizing up the odds. I am sure there are people thinking that about me on some level, for some other reason. (admit it! ) has nothing to do with how great the person is, how well they dive, etc...some of us still just have that deep seated fear about being in a real tight and trying to manuever them. Certainly is not personal.

I just read Rick's list and see that I am not suitable on two counts.
I still like Rick!--it's okay, that is his code.

 

[Hank49]

I survived many years of diving with stoners in the Caribbean.
)

Stoners??? In the Caribbean????? Really????

 

[TheRedHead]

I survived many years of diving with stoners in the Caribbean.
My own personal belief is that alcohol and cigarettes will get you first.

I wouldn't want to dive with someone who is stoned. They might get narced and start looking for the 7-11 instead of the boat.

Forget the shore hike, I had to do the tired diver tow with a great diver, but a very big guy, and let's say I am pretty sure I could not tow him as far. The same anxiety would apply to a guy very fit and three times my size.

I towed my OW checkout instructor who was 300 lbs with his gear. He was a 6'5 former NYC cop who could bench press me out of the water. His smoking didn't bother me after I saw his strength and stamina.

 

[Mo2vation]

Me too ... had one on drysuit #1 ... haven't had one on suits #2, 3, or 4. I do own one ... it's sitting in a box in my garage.

Now that I'm doing longer dives (80-90 minutes) I'm thinking that I should really just put the damn thing on my suit and get it over with. On the other hand, I'm also thinking that there are parts of the human anatomy where adhesives just weren't meant to go ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

So funny.

Last weekend, Claudette and I did a 95 minute dive in the Dive Park in Catalina. I mean, c'mon. NINETY-FIVE minutes. I remember pushing her out of the way, jogging my near-empty 130 and me up the steps, stripping as I'm running across the parking lot and bursting through the restroom door like my friggen hair was on fire....

I'm hating on the post-dive jog with these longer dives we're doing.


---
Ken

 

[Cacia]

How did "they" manage to stay alive, anyway? young, healthy, relaxed I am guessing. very, very relaxed. (stoners) Well, Red, I would not do it now, but there was a time when most of my friends were smoking pot here and there. And now, the same people don't they are all paying taxes, raising kids, etc.

Just because someone looks fit, if they smoke tobacco, it is just bad news. I bet just the carbon dioxide alone, retained, sets them apart. I will dive in the same vicinity...never say a word, but my instinct is to not rely on them too much. I have reservations about someone's sanity if they smoke cigarettes on a regular basis, in this day and age. A little bell rings in my head that says they are not really in control of their lives on a basic level. Sorry, I am just being honest.

Ber.....you get even more attention trying to lick a dome port. I have stopped because, it just is not worth it.

 

[ClayJar]

Another thread just jogged my memory about the one thing I am rather adamant about:

If I see you littering, I will consider you an absolute jerk with no respect for things, and I will not consider you a diveable buddy. In fact, if my not buddying up with you will strand you on the boat, I will gladly lose the dive. I'll let almost anything by, but people who litter deserve to be clapped in irons in a seagull-heavy landfill.
:furious:

(Incidentally, if I see a diver pick up fresh, uninhabited litter from the bottom, they get several free buddy quality points right off.)

 

[Darnold9999]

Wow - a lot of fences being built here.

I will dive with anyone once - if I think at the end of the dive that you are a risk to my safety we won't be diving again. Really doesn't happen much - I am pretty much responsible for myself in the water, from a safety point of view buddy is just a potential supply of air and one I prefer not to rely on. If the dive is one where my safety requires that supply of air to be nearby and available I probably won't be doing the dive - it violates my solo dive in your head rule.

Frankly I dive solo in my head, but try to work with whatever system my buddy wants to implement to ensure that they are comfortable diving with me. My dive rules in no particular order:

1 If you are diving with me YOU are responsible for your own safety.

2 I will help to the best of my ability, but my safety comes first.

3 I will share my air, unless I need it to get back to the surface.

4 I will tow you to shore and call the ambulance - unless you are too big and heavy to do that safely.

5 Have a heart attack whatever, will bring the body to the surface - if I can.

6 If you are new or lack confidence we will do as many easy dives as it takes, I can always do another dive tomorrow with someone else.

7 Do something really really stupid I will stand back and watch, if rescuing you will get me killed.

8 Slowest diver wins - want to race all over the reef - feel free, I just won't be too close behind you, probably back where you started - taking a picture of that cool critter you didn't even notice.

8 I will keep track of your air - I might need it - but my air supply is the one I am tracking if I get low I am going up - you are welcome to join me(and I will let you know). If you don't I am going up anyway. If you are low I am going up, again you are welcome to join me.

9 Want to do a buddy check - great otherwise I will be looking at you and checking anyway. I always check my air just before getting near the water - every time - three breaths - watch the SPG - fill the BC - fill the drysuit. Learned the hard way I am likely to forget other things so feel free to ask if I really meant to try to dive with no weight in a dry suit??? Yes it has happened. Doh

Too much plan the dive dive the plan - what happened to lets go see what we can find - here are the limits we operate under - no deeper than X start back at Y, here are the issues to remember about this site.

I am down there to look around and see interesting stuff - if the interesting stuff is outside the plan then evaluate the change and if safe go look. Nothing I have yet to see under the water is worth dying for however - come back and look another day with the right gear.

Just my rules - everyone has theirs - if they conflict - we won't do more than a single dive, but it is probably you not wanting to dive with me cause I won't follow the "rules".

 

[Knight]

Wow - a lot of fences being built here.

I will dive with anyone once - if I think at the end of the dive that you are a risk to my safety we won't be diving again. Really doesn't happen much - I am pretty much responsible for myself in the water, from a safety point of view buddy is just a potential supply of air and one I prefer not to rely on. If the dive is one where my safety requires that supply of air to be nearby and available I probably won't be doing the dive - it violates my solo dive in your head rule.

Frankly I dive solo in my head, but try to work with whatever system my buddy wants to implement to ensure that they are comfortable diving with me.

I'm going to totally disagree with you on the part "Your Buddy is just a supply of air and one I prefer not to rely on" I can not stress how important your buddy is uw, alot of you seem to dive with all types of new people and groups, etc. this is fun but also can get you killed real quick, when I sport dive in netherlands it's with friends we know each other like family we know our hand signs like we do the ABC's and we know what's up with each other and if one is possibly in dis-stress we know 10x faster then a new person or if we was in a new group, if there was a sudden accident while uw your buddy is there to save your butt, and your relying on your buddy to do this if you can't make it back uptop, regardless if you have air or not it's always thankful thought to know you have friends in the water that would risk there life for yours and you the same.

Always descending,
c.h.

 

[TheRedHead]

but there was a time when most of my friends were smoking pot here and there. And now, the same people don't they are all paying taxes, raising kids, etc.

But were they diving stoned?

Just because someone looks fit, if they smoke tobacco, it is just bad news. I bet just the carbon dioxide alone, retained, sets them apart. I will dive in the same vicinity...never say a word, but my instinct is to not rely on them too much.

He wore me down on the "tour" finning away in his Atomic splits and I'm exhausted trying to keep up with him. Being a non-smoker and a 10K runner, I was surprised.

I didn't see it as being dangerous. There are other things that divers do that bother me more and to me are more risky than smoking.