What's your buddy technical failure tolerance level?
- Thread starter Eric Sedletzky
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I dive solo about 95% of the time. I have occasionally had buddies with equipment problems, but none of my "regular" buddies have recurrent problems. If I had a buddy with whom I had recurrent equipment issues, I'd very nicely tell them I couldn't continue diving with them unless it was remedied. I make my meager living by being submerged and filming... dives cut short like you reference, or ones where I have to be distracted from my work due to a buddy's equipment issues are not very productive.
OP
Eric Sedletzky
Contributor
Club dives can be notorius for people having problems.
With any sizable group there will always be a variety of different experience levels, readiness levels, etc.
This will statistically bring more opportunities for things to go wrong with some people whether gear problems or personal/psychological issues, whatever.
This is one reason why I kind of got out of doing club dives, there's always something. I don't mean to sound selfish, but when I put asside a day to go dive it really needs to count. I have a lot invested in that day, I'm a busy guy. I found myself always buddying up with someone that I new had it together and would do the type of dive I was into. I didn't mean to ditch the unready diver, but there's a limit.
I've had my share of holding hands with new divers, which can be a joy and I've had many of very memorable and great dives showing new divers around, but not always.
I blame some of this on quick run through training. New OW divers aren't trained anymore on how to really check and keep track of stuff including but not limited to themselves and their personal readiness. We were taught to look at O-rings, do bubble checks, Have a save a dive kit handy (at the least), check your tank before you load it to make sure it's full, bring some weighting options if you are using a new suit, bring a spare mask and other things if you have them, all these things. And if you want to take it a step further, go buy an intermediate pressure gauge that you can hook on the end of your LP hose to check the pressure coming out of your first stage. Many times hissing regs are the result of creeping IP pressure.
New divers:
If you are a new diver reading this please don't feel bagged on. It's not about experience levels and the type of dives you are or are not ready to do, everybody is a beginner at some point.
It's more about readiness and having your gear and attitude together so as to not burden others around you and one day not having any buddies because of silly mistakes that anybody new or old could have easily prevented. The diver I'm talking about that has some issue every time shows me that they're scattered and really don't take diving or their life seriously.
Don't be "that guy".
Keep your gear maintained. Examine every piece of gear you use regularly to keep track of wear and tear. If you have reg hose protectors at the first stage pull them back once in a while and make sure the hose isn't cracked underneath.
Thoroughly check your gear the night before you go diving and make sure everything is in order.
If it's been a while since you dove and maybe you lost or put on some weight, check your suit to make sure it fits well and you can get in.
Make sure the zipper works!
Make sure you bring a few extra small weights in case you might need them (in relation to above)
Make sure your tank is full and the O-ring is good.
Visualize yourself gearing up piece by piece and gather your gear as you're doing it so you don't forget anything.
Don't forget your save a dive kit or better yet the little tool box you put together with all sorts of handy tools just for diving.
Check to make sure you didn't forget anything.
Check again.
Bring your lunch.
Don't forget cash for the park fee.
Happy diving.
With any sizable group there will always be a variety of different experience levels, readiness levels, etc.
This will statistically bring more opportunities for things to go wrong with some people whether gear problems or personal/psychological issues, whatever.
This is one reason why I kind of got out of doing club dives, there's always something. I don't mean to sound selfish, but when I put asside a day to go dive it really needs to count. I have a lot invested in that day, I'm a busy guy. I found myself always buddying up with someone that I new had it together and would do the type of dive I was into. I didn't mean to ditch the unready diver, but there's a limit.
I've had my share of holding hands with new divers, which can be a joy and I've had many of very memorable and great dives showing new divers around, but not always.
I blame some of this on quick run through training. New OW divers aren't trained anymore on how to really check and keep track of stuff including but not limited to themselves and their personal readiness. We were taught to look at O-rings, do bubble checks, Have a save a dive kit handy (at the least), check your tank before you load it to make sure it's full, bring some weighting options if you are using a new suit, bring a spare mask and other things if you have them, all these things. And if you want to take it a step further, go buy an intermediate pressure gauge that you can hook on the end of your LP hose to check the pressure coming out of your first stage. Many times hissing regs are the result of creeping IP pressure.
New divers:
If you are a new diver reading this please don't feel bagged on. It's not about experience levels and the type of dives you are or are not ready to do, everybody is a beginner at some point.
It's more about readiness and having your gear and attitude together so as to not burden others around you and one day not having any buddies because of silly mistakes that anybody new or old could have easily prevented. The diver I'm talking about that has some issue every time shows me that they're scattered and really don't take diving or their life seriously.
Don't be "that guy".
Keep your gear maintained. Examine every piece of gear you use regularly to keep track of wear and tear. If you have reg hose protectors at the first stage pull them back once in a while and make sure the hose isn't cracked underneath.
Thoroughly check your gear the night before you go diving and make sure everything is in order.
If it's been a while since you dove and maybe you lost or put on some weight, check your suit to make sure it fits well and you can get in.
Make sure the zipper works!
Make sure you bring a few extra small weights in case you might need them (in relation to above)
Make sure your tank is full and the O-ring is good.
Visualize yourself gearing up piece by piece and gather your gear as you're doing it so you don't forget anything.
Don't forget your save a dive kit or better yet the little tool box you put together with all sorts of handy tools just for diving.
Check to make sure you didn't forget anything.
Check again.
Bring your lunch.
Don't forget cash for the park fee.
Happy diving.
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The only problem I have ever experienced was when a person arrived for a trip on the AquaCat. He had problems with his SPG. I had mine in my bag. He used it for the trip and returned it at the end. I can't think of anybody else, buddy or not, on any of the trips I have been on.
On the other hand, I once forgot my mask and on another trip the glass fell out of my mask and in both instances there was an extra one on the boat. Problem solved.
On the other hand, I once forgot my mask and on another trip the glass fell out of my mask and in both instances there was an extra one on the boat. Problem solved.
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