Best Dive you've thumbed before doing

[wetminkey]

Yo! Cancelled out in Belize due to "fitness". First day, we couldn't dive due to weather so did a jungle tour,...and got to practise my nursing skills! One of the gals on the tour tried to dive from a rock, about 10', into a pool and slipped. She landed, back first onto some rocks at the pool's edge and broke three ribs. After getting her out of the water and an assessment, I decided that we would need to carry her the 2.5 kilometers down the mountain, through the jungle, to the van that we'd travelled in. We'd tubed the river prior to this and the tubes were 2.5 K away, at the river's edge, so the tour guide ran to get one of them and it sufficed, deflated, to carry our victim in sitting position down the mountain, due to the handles on four sides. Four of us carried the young woman, the fifth of us available to swap off at times. Forty miles in the van to the nearest clinic and we got the diagnosis and care that she needed. Got back late, missed dinner completely. The next morning I was a hurting unit! Hunger and inflammatory pain were enough for me to call off diving for that day,...and I'm usually the 'trooper". It just seemed like a DCI situation about to happen to me. Did very little that day and got back on track the next without incident. One has to know one's limits. Thirty five years of diving has trained me well, I guess.

 

[Bobbin-along]

I was the weiner for Salt Creek (same place NW Grateful Diver referenced) last summer for the class. I just couldn't convince myself that timing waves to surf the a mussel bed to land on the boulder slabs as the breaking wave receeded seemed like the best use of my dry suit's chafe resistant qualities.

 

[AzAtty]

I brought my equipment down to Mexico on a short business trip last week hoping to get in a couple dives. I had everything lined up to go out on the boat, it was a beautiful day, and the dives would be shallow. But I had an uncomfortable feeling about doing the dives. Perhaps it was concern about flying after diving (I would have been well within the DAN FAD guidelines), but whatever it was, I went with my gut and called it off. I got a massage at the spa instead. Not as good as diving, but just as expensive.

 

[dive_lover88]

i've thumbed 2 dives due to conditions of the water. Current was too strong and was seperated from the group.

 

[Ted S]

What a GREAT question! I've thumbed several dives pre-dive or steps into the water but my most memorable one was a few months into my diving experience. The dive was with the Southern California group in Los Angeles. The conditions weren't great but certainly diveable... however, I had issues with my tank staying in the bc (it was brand new at the time) followed up by issues with my reg free flowing and finally my weighting was off. All my gear was new and really, I needed more pool time to dial it in.


No one factor was enough to call the dive and it certainly wasn't an amazing dive to miss but what made it stick out in my mind was the willingness my buddy showed to follow my call. Despite the fact that we certainly could have addressed the issues, dived and most likely had a nice time he didn't say a word to try and change my mind... he saw that I wasn't comfertable and that was that. As a new diver I think it's essential to learn that if it doesn't feel right, it's ok to call it.

 

[mislav]

So far had a couple of dives canceled and few others relocated due to bad weather.

Also had finished one wreck dive early, after 35 minutes, because of hypothermia. I've learned something on that dive - don't go diving after a sleepless night and on an empty stomach.

 

[HowDidIGetIntoThis?]

I'm not sure if it really qualifies for what your asking for, but last month I thumbed a dive in Cozumel (arranged through the cruise ship since we had an insanely short time in port) because my wife had ear pain that had persisted after the previous day's second dive in Costa Maya.

It was definitely a prudent decision on her part since we didn't want to aggravate the situation. On my part it was a judgement call based somewhat on the uncertainty of a last-minute "instabuddy" (which I've never had) but more on the marital harmony thing. I'm sure the married amongst us can appreciate that wasn't a very easy decision to make, since it was a beautiful day with calm seas, warm water and visibility that seemed to go forever. And it's not like theres that much to do in Cozumel if you're not diving. Oh, well...

I can easily understand why your wife would thumb the dive, but don't follow the logic as to why you'd pass up a great opportunity. Skiers have a mantra: "There are no friends on powder days". I would assume that the same philosophy applies to diving. (It would, however, be appropriate to not gloat too much about how great it was when you return, unless you are really into celibacy.)

 

[TimAZ]

Last fall I was diving in Belize w/ Chuck&Robbie's. My last day conditions were pretty rough for the first dive and getting worse. Robbie refused to take us out for tank two. The previous year with another organization we dove in conditions in which I felt fortunate that nobody was hurt. I respected Robbies decision and told him so.

 

[Clearwater]

I can easily understand why your wife would thumb the dive, but don't follow the logic as to why you'd pass up a great opportunity. Skiers have a mantra: "There are no friends on powder days". I would assume that the same philosophy applies to diving. (It would, however, be appropriate to not gloat too much about how great it was when you return, unless you are really into celibacy.)

I take it you're not married.

Trust me, I have second-guessed that decision since making it, and if it hadn't been something I needed to decide on very short notice I may well have taken the other choice. Like I wrote in the Cozumel section, some days I could just kick myself for being such a nice guy! :shakehead

 

[Guba]

I can certainly remember the first dive I ever thumbed.

We were aboard the MV Fling on the Flower Garden East Bank in the Gulf of Mexico. It was to be a night dive, but the DM gave this briefing. "Well, it's like this. The wind is out of the north, so we're drifting south on our mooring line. However, the waves are still out of the west due to this afternoon's wind. But the current is from the southeast, so our tag lines are actually under the boat right now. We won't tell you not to dive, but this could get freaky."
One by one, we all looked at each other. After a few moments, all the other divers in the circle were looking at me. I was the oldest one in the group and I think they assumed I was the most experienced (most of them were fairly young).
I piped up, "Don't look at me. As far as diving is concerned, I'm the baby of the bunch (less than 50 dives at the time). I have nothing to prove, so I'm going to see what's on the counter in the galley!"
Everyone else made the same decision and we had a fine snack together. I don't regret it at all. That dive sounded like it was out of my level of experience, so I had no problem at all in pulling the plug.