Are all divers friendly and respect fellow divers?

[fire_diver]

I was on a liveaboard, and the diver in question was my roommate and my buddy for the dives.

My buddy was a photographer with a really nice digital camera. He found a lot to photograph on the first part of the dive. A lot. And he wanted to get just the right shot, so it was not unusual for him to take 10-12 shots of the same thing. (That is both the joy and horror of digital photography.) Every time we would find something, those who saw it first would take a quick glance and then get out of the way for someone else. When he got there, though, he set up camp. Those who were behind him in line sometimes gave up.

Eventually we all ran low on air and surfaced.

Back on the liveaboard, the divers in the first group were all aglow about how beautiful the cavern had been. My buddy was raving about how many great shots he got. I said, "You know, I kind of wanted to see that cavern. I heard it was really nice."

He replied, "Not me! I'm interested in living things, not dead stones."

The skipper of the boat, who was well aware of what happened, solved the problem by telling my buddy that he was a really good photographer himself, and he offered to take him on special dives, just the two of them, for the rest of the trip. My buddy was thrilled with the extra attention he was getting, and he apologized for the fact that I would have to get along without him.

He exemplified what I see is with certain problem participants in any activity, people whose only interest is in themselves and what the experience is for them; people who are totally oblivious to the fact that other people have needs, too, and that sometimes it's a good thing to give up a little of what you want so that others can have a little of what they want, too.

I guess these people were absent when they had the taking turns lesson in Kindergarten.

I think you are as much to blame in this situation as the photog.

You signed up for a liveaboard and took an insta-buddy. You just happened to get one with different goals than you. Would it have been "right" to tell mr. photog that he can't use his multi-$1000 dollar camera on this trip? I'm sure that the photos were the main reason for him to book the trip. If you had dragged him away form his subjects, he would have been a lot more pissed than you were at missing the "cavern".

The liveaboard should have done a better job of pairing people up to avoid the situation all together.

 

[Teamcasa]

It always boils down to two things; pre-dive communication and situational awareness.

During the pre-dive briefing, let people know your dive plan and that you plan on shooting stuff. Then stay away from the pack. As the photographer, it's your job to find and shoot stuff while not disrupting the dives of everyone else.

Situational awareness is a trait lacking in many divers. Slap a mask on these people and they are like horses with blinders - they can only see where the head is facing. I don't blame them, I just avoid and stay well clear of them as much as possible.

Here is SoCal the boats don't provide in-water DM/guides so it is easy to venture off on your own but in many resorts a guide in required. If the photography is very important to you just hire one for yourself and avoid the crowd, take smaller boats or leave the camera on deck.

 

[diverdoug1]

It is not unusual for me to take over 15 minutes photographing a single sublect..Luckily, when I dive with a buddy, it is my wife (who has the patience of Job, and I content to just hover and watch the fish swim). It is possible that the photgrapher who you were diving with would have been unable to acheive his photographic goals without spending that much time on his subjects. I am glad that it eventually worked out for you. Most good underwater photographers move at a MUCH slower pace, than other divers who want to see as much as they possibly can in a given dive. It was obviously a bad move to pair you up with an U/W Photog.

 

[scuba hamster]

Your criticism of rude behavior in general, not just divers, is certainly justified. However, if you "seriously consider punching another diver in the face" because he probably didn't see your wife due to the restricted field of view, what makes you stand out from the rude crowd? Also, if your wife gets into an uncontrolled ascent only because someone bumps into her, I'm sorry, but in that case she belongs in the pool for more training, not at the bottom of the ocean.

I agree that this guy might had restricted field of view but to me it looks pretty much like careless driving on a road - shouldn't we all try to see what is going on around us? While diving at different resorts, I see many newbie divers and always remember myself when I just started diving - that was difficult enough without careless people bumping into me. I always try to stay clear from newbie divers just to make sure that I don't create additional issues for them. While kicked out reg may not be a big problem for experienced diver, it could be unwelcome disaster for newbie - I don't want to be a cause of trouble for someone.

 

[dmoore19]

We learned during a group trip that people tend to behave underwater the same way they do on land. If they are nice topside, they will probably be nice underwater. If they are incompetent on land, they will be underwater.

And, if someone is an a-hole before jumping in the water, they will still be one underwater.

you know now that I think about it, that is exactly correct. I tried staying away from that person as much as possible on land and in the boat. Really Really snooty person didn't care for the couple much above water but........... The desire to be "in the middle and first to see" everything the DM was pointing out was the problem underwater. The person didn't even care if anyone else got to see it as long as they did.

 

[boulderjohn]

I think you are as much to blame in this situation as the photog

Yep. I didn't have the guts to push it. Guilty. I guess that's the kind of guy I am.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Photographers are the worst (speaking from experience here) ... because to them the "right" shot is more important than the courtesy of giving others a chance to see the subject too.

When we were on our liveaboard in Indonesia (where everyone had a camera), the dive guides set a "3 shot rule" ... you take three pictures, move aside for the next person. If you want more pictures, get back to the end of the "line" and wait your turn.

For the 11 of us on the liveaboard, it worked out passably well ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[scuba hamster]

Photographers are the worst (speaking from experience here) ... because to them the "right" shot is more important than the courtesy of giving others a chance to see the subject too.

When we were on our liveaboard in Indonesia (where everyone had a camera), the dive guides set a "3 shot rule" ... you take three pictures, move aside for the next person. If you want more pictures, get back to the end of the "line" and wait your turn.

For the 11 of us on the liveaboard, it worked out passably well ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

OK So should we make a conclusion that photography (like a sprearfishing) should be solo activity? You and maybe your buddy. That is it. No photography in the group swimming behind DM? I am afraid that many resort dive ops won't let you to dive your own profile unless you came with a big group of your friends. So far, the only dive ops who was OK with us diving separate from everyone else were Reef Divers at Little cayman ( awesome operator) and guys at Key Largo

 

[rstofer]

I used to do a lot of photography and I resemble that remark. Photographers are the absolute worst people to dive with. All they care about is the shot. They might as well dive solo because they pay absolutely no attention to their buddy. Unless the buddy is in the shot.

For that reason, I don't like guided tours. I've only done a very few dives like that and they worked out ok because the group was small. It's best to have your own boat or charter a small boat with a select group of other photographers.

But, no, I don't expect photographers to be courteous to other divers. They don't even know that there are other divers. And if they did know, they wouldn't care as long as the others didn't stir up the bottom.

As to other divers having any respect for photographers? Well, look at any photographic opportunity (Disneyland, national monument, sidewalk entertainment) and see how photographers are treated. It's no different underwater.

Photographers and non-photographers belong on separate planets.

Richard

 

[k ellis]

I would have to say that the majority of the divers I have met have been respectful but a lot of them seem to have egos big enough to fill the entire pacific ocean. What amazes me is how so many vetran divers always speak of hating to dive with new divers yet they were at one time new there self.

I have not to date been on a cram packed boat but I always live by the I do my thing you do yours motto. I just let people take their pictures and move on. Now when I went on an aquarium dive in epcott I was a little less then satisified with some fellow divers. One was a 10 year old who just got his cert so he did not bother me but instead I was glad to see him enjoying it. The more vetran been there done that divers that saw me diving by the window and came up right under me in my blind spot and bruised my knee while I was kicking.

They never said sorry or are you ok nothing at the end of the dive. I guess I get more frustrated with vetrans then I do newbies as they should know better then to do some of the things they do.