"Good Buddy" or "Dive Natzi" ??????

[Codiak]

Unless you're a solo diver you and your buddy are a team - it's that simple.

I've been solo with so many pickup "buddies" it makes me sick.


To the original poster:

The term DiveCon implies this is an SSI shop, regardless the agency this person's comments do not reflect training standards. That the comments were made, even if in jest, reflects poor judgement on the speakers part and you were wise to select another dive operations.

Your desire to audit the class shows good judgement as well though I would suggest that you do more than just audit. If your not up to repeating an OW Scuba class, on even just doing book work, perhaps a scuba refresher course would be something that would be of interest. Even better you could start working toward a more advanced certification as the basics are always reviewed and you'll a great opertunity to ask questions. Considering you certified at a resort, I'm going to make a big leap here and guess you certified under PADI making AOW (Advanced Open Water) the next logical certification. You can find their online classes at www.padi.com/elearning/


Don't be concerned if you can't specifically find a PADI shop (Should not be an issue) as inter agency training is common. I've cross trained with PADI, SSI, NAUI, SDI and TDI and have enjoyed every class.



The trick is find an instructor you TRUST!

 

[GrandpaScuba]

I wasn't there, but it sounds like he was yanking your chain.

 

[Codiak]

"sounds like he was yanking your chain."

In all likelihood... however, considering the audience it was very poor judgement.

 

[Brian Sharpe]

I've been solo with so many pickup "buddies" it makes me sick.

Perhaps I could have phrased it "should be a team"....

 

[paddler3d]

'good buddy' or 'dive nazi'...

After going through all 13 pages of posts, I'm going to lean to towards 'dive nazi'.

I think with, what you present, as your husbands cavalier attitude towards diving safety, you may be a bit twitchy, on edge, hypersensitive, obsessive, controlling towards safety?

Is there any chance that the DiveCon in question here could be a dry, sarcastic person and you just didn't get it?

To hand carry a letter to the owner of the LDS and requesting a written response in 30-days?

If I'm that owner, the first thing I'm doing is calling my lawyer. Already there is nothing he can do or say that is going to make you happy.

If you're really concerned, you would have contacted the shops agency ASAP.

Find another shop. Make sure you like the staff of the shop. Make sure you have life insurance on your husband. Make sure you're kids are self sufficient divers.

Personally for me a dive buddy is someone to share the dive experience with and to give the shark another option. I don't count on a buddy to really assist with an in water diving emergency and I plan and dive accordingly.

 

[ThePir8]

-or passive aggressive.

How about a selfish ass. Sorry DiveMom, I know he's your husband but he is no dive buddy! Find someone who dives the same style as you.

Pre-dive safety checks are there for a reason. So is a dive plan. My friend often talks about how when he and friends were younger they'd plan dives to within 10 litres of air and compete to take the smallest tank they could. It was all great until someone had a blown o-ring and no-one on the dive had spare air. Then it was not cool at all.

Plan your dive so that you end it with enough air in the tank to safely get both you AND your buddy to the surface in the event of an emergency. If you start breathing air past that point you are effectively breathing your buddies air - not cool.

Needless to say, after that incident they all dive with 10.5L twins.

 

[ThePir8]

The ironic part is how "safety concious" it has made the younger kids. They cringe with dad's dive style. On just about every dive we practice some safety manuver. Low on air, buddy breathing, OOA, lost weight, lost equipment... something so that "IF" anything actually happens they will know what to do "instead of panic".

Seems like you're getting some great groundwork in there DiveMom. My partner and I will often practice safety procedures and adapt our dive style when we find something not working as well as it could. Keep up the good work.

I've already told hubby that until I find another regular dive buddy [several friends now in OW classes] the kids and I will just putter on our pleasure dives. I have twice the fun showing the kids all the "wonders of water" and the creatures of the deep. We are not only studying a UW sign language course but always have our magnetic slates and even a checklist for all the local fishes, plants and nudies. I love diving with the kids.. although I still will only go with 1 at a time as I don't feel comfortable with multiples yet. Yep, my comfort level not theirs.

Slow and steady is the way - and once all this stuff becomes second nature the actual enjoyment of the diving will become greater. It's just like learning to drive a car - once you've been doing it for long enough it's built into your synapses. Oh, and I've become a nudie freak since a dive trip to Jervis Bay, NSW - so cool!!

I have played "back seat diver" once.. eek! They were a buddy team and I just followed behind them. They did not carefully monitor depth.. or direction... I finally stepped in and called that dive! They need more one on one for my comfort. I try to let them lead our dive... with me as their "Bubba" buddy and they need to get me back safetly. LOL It's fun for both of us... and builds their skills and confidence [and my confidence in them]

When you're kids are diving on their own the patience and time you have put in will really pay off - kudos to you!

 

[DiveMom1]

Sorry to leave you all hanging in the shallow end here, but it's been a busy month of dive classes for us. I'm very proud to announce our last son is now a certified OW diver with an awesome education and awareness. I sure wasn't that pulled together after finishing my OW an eon ago.

Also my hubby and I completed a Stress and Rescue course while #1 son was doing classes. Boy, was that a good bit of real world education for us! The LDS wouldn't allow hubby and I to buddy but put us with other classmates [what a great decision]. It helped both of us learn more about our styles and that of others. I was so thrilled that the buddy I ended up with had a mirror dive style to mine... made me feel good that I wasn't spoiling someones fun. Conversly, poor hubby got a partner that was all over the map. It made him a basket case worrying about him. It let him have a taste of what I had been feeling and now he gets my anxiety.

It's great because we both have a better understanding and ability to communicate about it. We should be diving together again for the first time since all this started in a couple of weeks. I think what we've learned will help us "plan" and "execute" our plan much differently. He still a daredevil streak, but now understands the risks involved better. He wants to cave dive... but he also see the need for training and experience before attempting it! I'd say it was a win win for all of us!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Mom ... seriously ... if you love the man, keep your husband out of the caves until he loses that daredevil streak. It's a different world ... and caves are very unforgiving of those who don't pay attention to what they're supposed to be doing.

Best wishes ... may the coming year be one of continued growth and learning for all of your family.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[psychocabbage]

The wife and I and our 3 kids essentially dive as a team of buddies. Since we are odd numbered, if we dont have an extra, we will be in groups of 2 and 3 for the dive and we do our dive as spot on as possible. If air on one of my kids hits 700psi (our normal point to end a dive) then I head up regardless of how much air I have. Often one of the others will want to ascent as well so we all three grab the computures and start our slow ascent. Repeat as often as possible.. My youngest was just recently certified and now has over 20 dives under her belt. Not too shabby for a just turned 11 yr old.