An uncomfortable situation, Your opinions please

[Sabanist]

I don't consider myself an advanced diver, so I want to address DM in general. On this board when some posters mention the lack of attention of the DM, they are met with responses indicating the DM is basically a tour guide and not responsible for your safety. Here you mention the DM may have been over attentive and are met with responses that he is responsible for your safety.

Just curious which is it,

 

[ben_wilson3301]

I would have let it go until on the boat and explained that next he pulls me down without notice he may only lose his mask if he's lucky.

 

[mathauck0814]

What was the significance of 42m? Just curious, I suppose that plus 3 minute safety stop is theoretically a 45m dive. Was this a schedule that the dive shop had to maintain to get the boat in or one that was determined by the dive profile (e.g., were you nearly out of NDL when they surfaced you - you mention you may have been reasonably deep on the dive).

If the DM had touched me, he might have got a stern single finger signal the first time. The second I might have responded more physically. That's crap.

 

[redacted]

Did you ask for any expanded explanaiton when you were all back on the boat? Seems like the DM was being a mother hen!

Or a mother f*^%#r. I'm sure you signed some kind of waiver that relieved them of all responsibility so that is not the problem. Then it is a question of honest concern for your safety or exercise of perceived authority.

 

[TonyErnst13]

My perception as a DM:
1. If I saw anyone without a reg I would make my octo available, and give you the ok sign. If not IMMEDIATELY returned, I would have placed it in your mouth with another OK sign....
( we would have NO way to know you were purposely sucking in water to spit out phlegm)

2. Ascending solo - I would have allowed you to go because they are not required within NDL limits.... ( I however wouldd have taken notice to if you were blowing bubbles to see if you were exhaling/not out of air....

BUT - 2 questions for you... why wouldn't you just blow the phlegm out the reg the same way you would clear a snorkel? Just blow it out with a forceful blow.
And why would you abandon your buddy groups and leave 9 people own on the SS and ascend alone?? You were not "Wrong" but those types of moves DO confuse a DM who IS, to an extent, responsible for your safety. We have the potential to see the CRAZIEST things on dives - sometimes we guess right, sometimes we guess wrong - BUT WE ARE BOUND TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION... if his judgement mandated those actions - then he did what he felt he needed to get you back on that boat without an incident... He may not have been right - but he wasn't wrong either... Know that the experience has helped you BOTH learn different ways you can potentially react to things... you KNOW communication is very difficult underwater.... you need to think about that when you do things out of the norm... we are trained to NOTICE and respond to ANY DEVIATION from normal scuba practices.... Would you rather a DM who never looks back or responds to potential problems? That's no DM at all.....

 

[weitodive]

Or a mother f*^%#r. I'm sure you signed some kind of waiver that relieved them of all responsibility so that is not the problem. Then it is a question of honest concern for your safety or exercise of perceived authority.

That waiver doesn't always release full liability. A lawyer can find other ways to get you. The dm might have bad experiences before. Maybe he's new. Maybe his boss just ripped him for a diver coming up early. No one knows why the dm did it except him. It's not uncommon if they are taking new divers out everyday. Just accept the fact that stuff like that will periodically happen unless you own your own boat.

 

[ScubaSteve1962]

On a recent boat dive overseas dive I found myself in an uncomfortable situation.
The dive was to be lead by a local DM followed by two instabuddy teams (5 divers in total) all the divers were/are AAW certifide and all with at least 50 dives in the last 2 years. The dive brief was we were doing a max depth 22m dive with a total dive tme of 45 minutes or first to hit 50 bar. (we all looked at each other puzzled and muttered about still having half a tank at dive end). The DM said that they would blow THE smb at 42 minutes and we should group around it whilst doing our safety stop and back on the surface. CLEAR vis was 20m and bubbles visible up to 35m surface conditions were fairly well a millpond.
15 minutes into the dive I had a lump of phlem in my throat so I pulled my reg out, took a mouthfull of water so I could spit it out. I was in no way indicating distress The DM swam back and nigh on bust my teeth jamming the reg back in my mouth.
40 minutes into the dive I felt one of my weight pockets come loose.Rather than risk loosing it I just grabbed it out and carried on up from 8 meters to 6 meters directly above my instabuddy(who was at 8m) .I played around untill I'd done my safety stop by which time my instabuddy and the other divers had been grouped up near me and the DM for about a minute . The DM blew the SMB at 42 minutes. I held up my weight pocket for my instabuddy to see and thumbed. He nodded and I began a gentle ascent below the smb. looking up and down to watch the surface and my instabuddy. The DM swam up,grabbed the front of my rig and yanked me down to 6m again.I pointed to my computer to show I'd done my safety stop thumbed and carried on up again. Again the DM pulled me back down. At this point I'm thinking they had gone mad.
Once the DM had satisfied themselves they had done 3 minutes they carried on up to the surface normally.
The explaination given was that they wanted us to stay together and complete the safety stop.
Can anyone explain the logic of their actions? Or was I just outa line?

What country were you in, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[mathauck0814]

[sic]no DM at all.....

My preference, every time.

 

[TonyErnst13]

I don't care WHAT we type up and have you sign - we are ABSOLUTELY HELD ACCOUNTABLE for what you do - now if we used good judgement, and were within the standards we are held to - our defense is good - but not 100% in our favor.... We are there to keep your dive safe and fun... why would you do anything to prevent that?

 

[Frosty]

What was the significance of 42m? Just curious, I suppose that plus 3 minute safety stop is theoretically a 45m dive. Was this a schedule that the dive shop had to maintain to get the boat in or one that was determined by the dive profile

First dive of the day and the significance was that yep 45 included the safety stop so 42 was start of SS. Nothing about the profile was indicitive to us of a 45min cutoff. and and we went to max depth right way working or way up to a bottom at 10m at end of dive. I surfaced with 100 bar. The heaviest user was at 95 bar so we had plenty of air for at least a 60m dive

---------- Post added April 11th, 2012 at 01:36 PM ----------

What country were you in, if you don't mind me asking?

One of the small pacific islands so no issue with being sued etc.