Do you dive/like diving with a DM?

[BigJetDriver]

While I have met many DM's I like, very few of them seem to have rebreathers (yet). So it is that after a little while they signal that they are out of gas and depart for the surface.

Since I think it unfair that the rest of us cut our dive in half, having only spent 1 1/2 hours underwater at that point, we just continue merrily on our way! :rofl:

 

[c-monkey]

"What a silly question...
I love diving with a DM.
I love diving without a DM.
What was the question again?
Rick"

Well said. I agree.

 

[OE2X]

DM's will rot your brain.
That's a paraphrase of Uncle Pug's where he says that "Computers will rot your brain."

While I'm not a DM, I have toured people around sites like a DM. I think whatever works best for the person in question. Generally I don't like being guided. I kind of think that's up to my buddy and me. While diving in the Philippines though I had a great DM for a week. He showed me more things than I ever would have found on my own. When the DM can listen to clients needs and desires it works out really well. When the DM has to herd a bunch of cats... not so good.

 

[Doc]

1) Can she find cool stuff that otherwise I wouldn't understand how to find?
2) How does she look SCUBA diving nekkid?

 

[Azza]

Wow! Thanks for the responses guys.

The reason I thought I would pose the question is that on a few threads I mentioned I would rather do my own thing as opposed to diving with a DM and/or group. I think a couple of other board members had the impression that I had a bad attitude because I said I would rather not dive at a place that made me dive with a DM. Thanks for assuring me that I don’t.

My stance is that while I have no particular aversion to diving with a DM per se, I would rather dive with my Partner (who is currently training as a DM) and we do our own thing, our own exploring, and make our own discoveries. We both complement each others diving; have very similar tastes and diving style, similar sac/rmv rates and both hate seeing divers thrash up the bottom and destroy aquatic life (which unfortunately happens all too frequently-Katie gets very annoyed about this and wont shut up for days if she sights other divers doing this so I have to admit this is partly for my sanity as well).

I have found on the few occasions I have dived with the DM that the majority of operations only cater for the noobie/inexperienced diver and while I understand that to an extent, they very rarely cater for the experienced diver. So that makes the experienced divers dive to the level of the least experienced diver in the group.

I believe that if you are going to make people dive with the DM/group then they should have two groups at the very least. One for the noobs and one for the rest.

Here at home it’s no biggie because we can do our own thing. The whole “Diving in a group” etc is something that 95% of divers in New Zealand cannot understand, after all you have just done a course that lets you go diving with a mate/buddy/friend, why not do it?

However to head anywhere overseas from here is relatively expensive. So if I am paying $4K to go on a week or so diving vacation I don’t want to be diving in a group, diving to the least experienced diver’s level. I want to explore, discover and challenge my self in my diving.

However I am willing to sacrifice the first day if the operation wants to assess my/our diving skills before letting us loose, or to get a feel for the place if I feel the need.


When I used to work as a DM I would say to my clients
“I am going diving, if you would like to come with me then you are most welcome, however feel free to buddy up and do your own thing”.
I would brief them all, help them buddy up if they didn’t bring their own, tell them what they could expect to see and where, then let them go. There were very few I made dive with me.

 

[ScubaBabe22]

I've alwasy dove with a dm, and I absolutely adore the man! He shows me stuff he knows i'll miss, or find neat. Its not a race to the finish, its a see all you can see on one dive!

He is heaver now, (a little) , no mustache and with long hair! If you're diving in Belize, look him up! amazing guy!

http://www.underdasea.com/pics.html

 

[Xanthro]

Sometimes diving with a DM is the best, at other times it's horrible. I can usually tell before we are in the water.

I don't want or need a DM telling me how to dive, but local wildlife varies considerably. I love when a knowledgable person pre-dive briefs on what rare creatures to look at for, and what signals they will be using underwater if they see them. Sometimes I can find the rarities myself, but often I wouldn't know what to look for without a briefing. Those kinds of DM as great.

Those that simply swim from point A to B and back to A are less than worthless. I'd rather not dive than simply go in a straight line and back swimming as fast as possible.

 

[captndale]

I try to avoid being "hearded". Once in Venezula, my buddy and I were the only ones on a particular charter. The dive was around a small island (or large rock). The DM wanted to take us around the rock and see all the sites. My buddy and I said, "No, we wanted to take our time and take pictures. There is no way that if we do this we can make it all the way around that rock." Well, we got in the water and the DM proceeded to swim full out around the rock. After chasing him for the first few minutes, we just abandoned him and made our dive. The only problem was that when we came up the boat was around the other side of the rock waiting for us there. They did finally figure it out and save us from swimming the rest of the way around.

Another time in Cayman I was on a boat with several other divers that I did not know. My buddy was sitting this dive out so I was the odd diver on the trip. When the DM could not find anyone to volunteer to buddy with the photographer he said that he would buddy with me. He let me do my thing and stayed relatively close to me. During the dive I noticed that I was adding air to my BC more often than I should have been. I thought it probably was a leak in the BC hose or BC where I could not see it, but it was small so I was not really concerned. When I got back on the boat I found the connection between the corrugated hose and the BC was slightly loose. I fixed it and mentioned it to the DM. He said, "Yeah, I saw that it was leaking." Now, I ask you, wouldnt any decent buddy, not to mention a DM, have come over and tightened up the coupling? Now, I recognized what was wrong, recognized that it was not serious, and went on with the dive anyway. I could have stopped and taken my tank off and fixed the thing, but isn't this the kind of thing that a DM is supposed to be there for?

 

[TheRedHead]

I have found on the few occasions I have dived with the DM that the majority of operations only cater for the noobie/inexperienced diver and while I understand that to an extent, they very rarely cater for the experienced diver. So that makes the experienced divers dive to the level of the least experienced diver in the group.

I believe that if you are going to make people dive with the DM/group then they should have two groups at the very least. One for the noobs and one for the rest.

Yes, I agree. That's why careful research usually pays off before booking a vacation charter. Undercurrents is particularly helpful in this regard. Some charters will take you to the spot requested by the first diver booking for the day. I always research the sites I want to dive and request the sites when I book. Since I usually book months in advance, it often works out were we have fewer, but more advanced, divers on the boat. I definitely avoid all charters which carry snorklers. It can be hit or miss sometimes.

Most American charters do not have DMs in the water, but they are on the boats. They are useful for steadying you while you shuffle to the platform in your fins. They will also snorkel out a long current line when a diver gets down current and can't get back to the boat. They are there more to assist rather than guide.

I don't mind guides when I'm in new location as long as the profile is reasonable and the group reasonably sized and experienced. Again, research and get referrals before booking dives on vacation.

 

[EP3_Orion]

There is a time and place for everything. Now your hurting all the DM's feelings. I think new sites to you are well worth having a DM along but in familiar sites there really is no point. That is my feeling. My wife always dives with her DM, me! No complaints yet! Hmmm..... now that I think of it I have not recieved any tips either.
Hee, hee,hee........