Do not ever say you are a rescue diver

[DirtFish]

That has been discussed countless times on ScubaBoard during the 18 years I have been a participant. I have yet to see anyone cite and example in which someone got in any legal trouble simply because they happened to be on the boat when an incident happened, regardless of their certification status. Besides, if an attorney were so inclined, it would not be hard to find your true certification status.

In my previous post, I was differentiating between what card you show to the operator and what you announce to the people on the boat. Most people don't say a word on the boat. I wonder about those who feel a need to do so.

An example I have cited often is the time I was on a very large boat, about 25 people, on the main island of Hawai'i. We had been divided into three groups before we got onto the boat. Before we left harbor, a man pulled my group together and told us we had been selected to dive together because we all had more dives than the DM trainee who would lead the dive. We were told the DM was mostly just learning the site, and we could pretty much do what we wanted, as long as we stayed near. Our group splashed first and got back on the boat last, having had a great dive. I wondered how many highly certified divers had been in the beginner groups because they had fooled the operator by showing a low level card.

I dived in Cozumel this past June with a couple of friends. The dive operator had a number of boats. The three of us spent that week on a boat with highly experienced divers, and we did some great sites not normally dived by the madding crowd. In fact, we only saw other dive groups on a couple of dives. Again, that is because they knew we were not run of the mill divers.

So, if you want to be sure to do all your dives with the beginner groups, by all means show a beginne

The dive operators will know from their paperwork how many dives I have and I will use my cert card from 1973 and a advanced tri mix card on the paperwork, they can figure it out. Other than that it is never again mentioned. On the boat my lips are sealed.

And I have been summoned by the attorneys to be questioned, (deposition), several times, (in good old California). Once for a diver that died on the boat and was given CPR while I was in the water already, and another when a diver died in the parking lot after leaving the dive boat, both cases I was no where near when the incident occurred, but I spent several days of my life in the attorneys office getting interviewed. Both times they stated that I was a Fire Dept. paramedic and a search and rescue certified diver and what did I do to help???
It's all fun and games until the attorney's get involved............

 

[Ninjapug]

There has been a lot of threads about how a diver should introduce herself or himself to a new DS. I have a DM C- Card but I never claim I am a DM as I have never worked as such. I always say I am a Rescue Diver. 90% of the time, I dive with my wife as a buddy. I jump first, tell her I am ok and watch her jumping. I am more experienced than her and I want to be there if she has a problem (overweighted, valve problem,…).
Last week, diving in the Philippines, the DS decided that we would be three in a group. Two groups of 2 including the guide or DM and our group at the back. To make a long story short, the third « buddy » jumped without inflating his BCD and was probably overweighted. He immediately sunk. He was AOW, and should have been able to correct that rapidly but he was not. I saw it, went down in a rush but I could not equalize fast enough so had to slow down.
Eventually, the diver managed to to inflate his BCD and get back to the surface. A bit too fast though so we aborted the dive. Then, one Dive Director blamed me for not helping him and said I thought you were a rescue diver. I think he will never say that again after the sh*** I gave him but the point is:
1- If it was my wife, I would have risked rupturing my inner ear. I won’t do it for an insta-buddy.
2- I was a customer and not a guardian. Of course, you care for your buddy (even in a 3 guys team) but there are limits.
3- I should never have said that I am a rescue diver. Those folks believe that I would help them protecting their customers. From now on, I am just AOW with a 40 meters clearance.

There has been a lot of threads about how a diver should introduce herself or himself to a new DS. I have a DM C- Card but I never claim I am a DM as I have never worked as such. I always say I am a Rescue Diver. 90% of the time, I dive with my wife as a buddy. I jump first, tell her I am ok and watch her jumping. I am more experienced than her and I want to be there if she has a problem (overweighted, valve problem,…).
Last week, diving in the Philippines, the DS decided that we would be three in a group. Two groups of 2 including the guide or DM and our group at the back. To make a long story short, the third « buddy » jumped without inflating his BCD and was probably overweighted. He immediately sunk. He was AOW, and should have been able to correct that rapidly but he was not. I saw it, went down in a rush but I could not equalize fast enough so had to slow down.
Eventually, the diver managed to to inflate his BCD and get back to the surface. A bit too fast though so we aborted the dive. Then, one Dive Director blamed me for not helping him and said I thought you were a rescue diver. I think he will never say that again after the sh*** I gave him but the point is:
1- If it was my wife, I would have risked rupturing my inner ear. I won’t do it for an insta-buddy.
2- I was a customer and not a guardian. Of course, you care for your buddy (even in a 3 guys team) but there are limits.
3- I should never have said that I am a rescue diver. Those folks believe that I would help them protecting their customers. From now on, I am just AOW with a 40 meters clearance.

Sounds like the DM was trying to cover his own butt. We would always check the divers before they hit the water. No exceptions. Glad the diver was ok.

 

[doctormike]

It is the ear drum -- between the outer ear and the middle ear -- that ruptures, not the inner ear.

Hah! Off topic, but you picked up on the thing that always grates on me, sort of like reading articles about scuba diving in the media that talk about the diver's "oxygen tank".

However, I should point out that it IS possible to have inner ear barotrauma leading to a type of rupture...

 

[Baker_Dive]

A strong diver can equalize very fast and effortlessly- on most days anyway. You were the guys buddy and allowed him to apparently plummet in an uncontrolled manner and were unable to provide assistance. If that were me, I would feel bad about that.

On the other hand you are a paying customer, and I would have told the guide to F off, for sure. Witnessing similar incidents has caused me to try to be very aware of the amount of lead a buddy is using. If it looks stupid, I would rather say something on the boat, and look like a dick, rather than be presented with an eardrum challenging incident in the water. Perhaps that is a good lesson from this situation?

However, with the popularity of integrated weights, it is not so simple as just looking at the skinny guy’s weight belt.

Hard disagree man. First is making sure you are good to go. Would you injure or kill yourself to assist with a buddy? I would not. The poster said he had trouble equalizing, boom he’s not going to hurt himself to save someone else.

If this was an instructional class where there is a student, then the DM or instructor would be more obligated to help. Vacation diving I wouldn’t risk my health to save someone else

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

IMO (re:Equalization) An overly broad statement that is misguided.

People can equalize as fast as they can equalize, subject to the interactions of anatomy, techniques/skill, and current constitutional status (congestion, recent traumas, etc.) Shaming someone who can't equalize fast enough to match someone in an uncontrolled descent is mean and, frankly, pretty arrogant.

When I started diving, I could drop like a rock. I was hardly anything remotely resembling a strong diver.
Now? I have to drop a lot slower. I won't claim to be a "strong diver" as I don't believe in self proclaimed accolades, but I think I'm a fair bit better than I was in my first year diving.

There's so little we still know about the human body.

 

[Edward3c]

In the Philippines some of the guides are only rescue certified. Many of DM certified most will tell you they are DM certs even if only rescue level. Twice today my dive buddy and I who are similar on air had to cut our dive times short to 75 mins as the guide only had 40 bar when when had 80 bar. Guide was complaining about being cold as he did not wear his wetsuit. Water temp was 31C lol.

The first time I dive in the Philippines my guide was proud to announce that he was a BSAC Ocean Diver (basically an Open Water diver), but with hundreds of dives. He was good at pointing out critters for me.

 

[Joneill]

Diving with DMs? I don’t do that. The only guided dives I’ve been on have been in caves.

Great - but the thread is not about you! Many folks do dive with DM’s/guides, esp. on boat dives in tropical destinations.

 

[rhwestfall]

Let us discuss the core of what we learned in obtaining a "Rescue Diver" certification (or at least I did)...

Simply put from my learning, the first two "rules":

1. The best rescue is one that never had to happen,

2. If responding to a situation, it is first important to not become a second person in need of assistance.

It seems the operator was far off in his expectation of his guests in these concepts.

If he was expecting more, he should have provided the staffing to fit the expectation.

 

[-JD-]

When I started diving, I could drop like a rock. I was hardly anything remotely resembling a strong diver.
Now? I have to drop a lot slower. I won't claim to be a "strong diver" as I don't believe in self proclaimed accolades, but I think I'm a fair bit better than I was in my first year diving.

There's so little we still know about the human body.

I have found that when I'm diving multiple days/dives in a row, it can get worse due to irritation.

 

[rhwestfall]

Great - but the thread is not about you! Many folks do dive with DM’s/guides, esp. on boat dives in tropical destinations.

True that, And also where laws may require it.....