Your Gear, Your Dive, Your Responsibility

[Cacia]

I am guilty of adding air to people's BC's. I can't seem to help myself...I need to keep my hands to myself. I always think if they see what it is like to be more nuetral...they will like the feeling, catch on, and get off the reef.

 

[runamonk]

I am guilty of adding air to people's BC's. I can't seem to help myself...I need to keep my hands to myself. I always think if they see what it is like to be more nuetral...they will like the feeling, catch on, and get off the reef.

Well this could be good, especially if they're dragging the bottom LOL.

 

[fabasard]

Jill, yeah, if you can't handle your own equipment in the water, SCUBA may not be for you (well not YOU (you in the general sense)). My wife coughed a river of water when going through OW training, then one day she "Got it". From then on, the only time I "Helped" her was in her actual OW cert, where she had to remove her mask and started finning (she was going up), so I reached THROUGH the Instructor and DM and grabbed her ankle and pulled her back down. I got (how to put this politely?, there is no way) reemed for doing that. She knows her stuff and I let her have fun watching the creatures.

 

[diver-t]

Oh boy, what a hot topic this is! I completely agree that all divers should be self sufficient with their equipment, etc. And, I know I've been guilty of not always being that way. My hubby is about 100x stronger than I am, and it's REALLY easy to have him pull the tanks out of the car, etc. However, I do set up all my own gear and I know how to use it! The one thing I suck at? My compass. And, that did cost us on a shore dive in WA state recently where we actually came up in the ferry lane. Not a good thing!

I've taken the nav class, but not gotten proficient in the use of that darn compass. After that experience though, I am committed to it! So, my message - while it's nice to have help with heavy gear - you've still got to have the ability, and practice, doing it all on your own, and be prepared that on one dive, you may find yourself alone, so know how to get back to shore!

And, when I do lift my own tanks, haul them and hike them back up - I feel so strong! (Just a side bene.)

One other thought - It's part of the reason we dive as buddies, so we can have the strength and security of two people. When you dive with your spouse, you naturally take on roles that compliment one another. I think that is ok - AS LONG AS YOU CAN DO IT ON YOUR OWN IF YOU NEED TO!

Happy (and safe) diving!

 

[SparticleBrane]

I don't mind carrying tanks for my girlfriend but that's about where I draw the line. She will carry Al80s but full LP95s are a bit heavy for her. We need to get her into strength training...
She sets up all her own gear and we both do a fast visual check over each other before we hop in.

 

[AmyJ]

Interesting topic...

Just back from Coz... and I admit my DH does most of my set up for me these days... reason? I can't even look down to get my fins without barfing all over the boat... (yes, I will look into some of those meds, but don't like meds!!)... I am fine looking at the horizon, but anything more than that and I'm a mess. However, I always double check everything before I go over the side. I also do my share of schlepping on land.. no problems with that. I know how to do my set up and just appreciate his assistance as we both enjoy the dive more when I'm not feeding the fish the first half. But I do agree... the whole idea of dependency... ie: "I just can't do it" makes me ill. Every diver is responsible for herself and her gear, not that we can't have some help (and I certainly help out the guys when I can), but just important not to get into the mode of being taken care of. YUCK!

 

[Teddy_diver]

I once taught a mum, dad and two teenage (15+) sons and the mum was doing everything for her "men". I had to have a "nice" chat with her about letting her do things for themselves!

 

[girldiverllc]

When I got into diving, my "then-husband" didn't start diving until after I was through Rescue. That meant that I schlep'd my own gear...set up my own gear and figured out how to depend on other divers for help in giving me a lift putting it on.

When the DH finally took up diving, then he thought it my job to schlep both sets of gear...and would set up his own gear only because I wouldn't.

So, being a single female diver now, it isn't any different for me. (Other than I don't haul "his" gear.)

I've allowed a trusted Divemaster to set up my gear when I was rushing in from my paying job to teach a class, but I definitely went through a full check before entering the water.

The water is not good about forgiving mistakes. And it doesn't care who made the mistake. No one is responsible for my set up...except for me.

That said...ANYONE who wants to schelp my gear...I have NO PROBLEM there!

Happy Diving!

 

[JahJahwarrior]

Fortunately, I'm not married and have no significant other. That's probably a good thing, becuase I don't think I could control someone else's bouyancy along with mine!

However, in the OW class I carried tanks from time to time for the two girls in the class. Often we'd suit up at the cars and walk to the spring to dive, and they carried them then, but I'd throw them into the car for them or help them get into the BC. This was really not only becuase I was trying to be a nice guy but also because when we first started, they wre having enough trouble with stuff. By the end of the course, I didn't have to help them get into their BC anymore. I did redo a few things on their kit but made sure they watched as I moved this or that and I explained why I did it and from then on they set it up differently. I was new at it all too, but I read WAY ahead (I had finished the test before our first pool dive) and was alot more comfortable with everything.

If I ever do get a significant other (I've got plenty of years to try!) then I'll gladly carry gear. However, I will not pack it up or unload it for her. She'll be doing that herself. Not becuase I wouldn't mind helping, but because it is her gear. Much the samew ay, she could carry thigns to the car but if she moves anything of mine before I'm ready for it to be moved, I'll go out and bring it back in. I respect other people's stuff and I expect my stuff to be respected too. And I'll help her in and out of her BC on land, but not in the water: no one has ever died because they couldn't get an arm through a BC on the boat, but in the water you have to be able to do it yourself. And we would probably both do the BWRAF thing (always reminds me of giraffes) to each other's gear, just as a buddy thing.

Being female is not a disability, but it's not saying you are disabled to help a female. It bothers me when I open a door for a lady and she looks at me like "I coul dhave done it myself." It's common courtesy, I would open a door for anyone but a thief. I would carry tanks for a guy buddy, and I have. However, I won't flirt with a guy buddy. I also won't marry one. And I certainly won't become a member of the famed "40 feet under" club (is that the proper name? Heck, how can such an improper thing even have a proper name?) with one! However, I would never execute a Warhammer with a female dive buddy.

 

[MissyP]

I don't like anyone touching my gear, plain and simple. Yep doubles are heavy, but they're mine and they're my responsibility.

Although if they had wheels on the bottom of them , I'd be a lot happier when it was time to go from the boat to the car or vice versa