Would you dive with me?

[dwhthediver]

1 and 2...yes, as long as we did a full buddy check, discussed the plan, and dove the plan.
3...maybe, but it isn't you or your experience per se, I only dive those conditions with someone I am very comfortable diving with, and them being comfortable with me so. IF we did the other dives and IF we understood each other in the the water and we were happy and comfortable with each other I would dive with you, but might add few personal helpful hints when we plan the dive so the dive not so stressful for either of us.

 

[boulderjohn]

I think a lot of the people who responded added their own limiting conditions.

1. Yes. I have not dived in a literal quarry, but I dive quarry-like conditions in the reservoirs of Colorado frequently. I have done it with brand new divers and students.

2. Yes, with limitations. I have done many drift dives in Cozumel that are nice and benign for even raw beginners. I have done many other drift dives in other places in the world with people far less experienced than you, and I have done them when I myself was less experienced than you. Limitation: Barracuda Reef in Cozumel or other similar reefs can be a real challenge when the current is ripping. There are thus some drift dives in some conditions that do require serious skill.

3. Yes, with limitations. I have done the Spiegel Grove enough times to know that even with a pretty decent current, you will be diving within your capacity. You mentioned rough seas. How rough? Remember that the Spiegel Grove was lying on its side until "rough seas" (Hurricane Dennis) set it upright. I would not have wanted to be diving then. There is a point when seas are too rough for me, and I don't know how to describe the cut off point.

 

[waynne fowler]

OK, here's something a bit different, a little game for anybody who cares to play.

I am curious who would, and who would not, dive with me (as in be my dive buddy), and why.

I don't mean this to be a personal thing about me... I mean it to be about whether you would or would not dive with ANY person with my experience level and equipment, given the information that I am going to list below, and I am going to give three scenarios that I would like you to answer "Yes, I would dive with you" or "No, I would not" in those conditions. All three of the conditions are ones that I personally WOULD dive without hesitation.

First, about me.

Personal: I have a bit over 100 total dives in (including 20+ training dives) plus at least 50 pool dives where most of the "coursework" is done. I was certified in September, 2008, so at the time of this posting I have almost one year's worth of diving in. I learned to swim three weeks before my open water class and passed the PADI swim test... but I am not a strong surface swimmer. I am a big guy but I am also a cyclist who rides 25-30 miles a day so I am in excellent cardio shape (even though I look a bit like the Pillsbury Dough Boy). I am level headed and not prone to panic (although I do realize that ANYBODY can panic).

Training & skills (or lack thereof): I have taken and passed the PADI OW, AOW and Rescue class plus have 8 other specialty cards at the moment, most of which are silly and pointless. Of those classes, I do feel that the Rescue class was of great value. I would rate (for my number of dives and experience) my underwater swimming skills as average, my buoyancy skills as significantly above average (I concentrate on underwater photography, and buoyancy is my thing) and my buddy skills as average. My navigation skills are horrible.

Diving experience: Most of my dives have been made in fresh water cold water in 15 foot visibility or less with no current or surge. I have about 20 dives of 40 minutes or more with visibility 5 feet or less. The coldest water I have dove in was 58 degrees on the surface and 48 below the cline (I dive wet... kids, do not try this in a 3 mil farmer john without hood or gloves like I did... worst 42 minutes of my diving life). The warmest I have dove in is 84 degrees. The deepest I have dove is 112 feet (while doing Deep Dive training) at Kona. I regularly dive within 8 feet of the surface taking pictures, spending nearly entire dives at that level. When diving above 60 feet and not rushing about all over the place, I have a SAC that will allow me to get an hour or more on an AL80. I am strictly open water, and I generally do not dive below 60 feet unless there is a reason for me to go lower (like, say, garden eels... I like garden eels). I have dove in swells up to 6 feet, in moderate (but not strong) current and in some very strong hurricane generated surge. I have about 20 open ocean dives.

Equipment: I wear a Transpac/wing with 5 foot hose primary to pass and bungied alternate, dive wet (although I am going dry this month so let's assume I can dive dry for the purpose of this game). I wear (for the purpose of this game) split fins (I actually DO wear them a lot in the cold water). I wear a non-AI computer, a bungied wrist compass and I wear a snorkel

OK, here are the three Scenarios:

ONE: Quarry dive, the visibility is 15 feet above the 'cline, 1 foot through the 'cline and 35 below it. Temperature is 76 at the surface and 68 below the 'cline. Would you dive as my buddy (or anybody else's for that matter).

TWO: Drift dive, warm water, 100+ foot vis (something I have absolutely no experience whatever with) in a group containing one DM of unknown quality.

THREE: Spiegel Grove, rough seas and strong current, average visibility. Dive plan calls for us not to exceed 90 feet or penetrate the ship.

OK, would you dive as my (or somebody with similar training & equipment's) instabuddy any or all of these dives

If so, would you have any concerns. If not, would you share why not (things like "I only dive DIR and you are not DIR" or "I don't dive cold water" or "I don't dive with people with your experience level" or whatever would be great).

1 - yes
2 - yes
3 - yes

Your staying within your training it appears, I'd be down! When we goin?
if ya try to vent your snorkel like your BCD though I'm gonna crack the heck up.... K.

 

[imwright1985]

Umm... I dont know if you arnt stubborn and would be willing to keep open communication 1&2 i would dive with you. I dont want you insisting i stay down if i happen to be consuming air faster than you just would need to know when to signal to turn dive. With 2 if you would be willing to hang out kinda near the DM since they usually drag a marker bouy and if your taking a cam or lobstering wont sit there all day on one thing. Asfar as 3 goes i would want more info on the dive atmosphere and some tips before attempting and maby as a group of it.

I think aslong as your buddy wont panic, has basic understanding of standard scuba and keeps important or interesting communication open there are no problems with basic OW dives. Almost everyone has Air2 or Octo so sharing air isnt really a problem in those situations and aslong as your familiar with what AAS your buddy has and lay out a decent plan their shouldnt really be a problem

 

[gcbryan]

If I would do any of them with you I'd do all of them with you unless conditions were so unpleasant on number three that I just wasn't interested in doing it myself.

I guess it would be more accurate to say from your description it's likely I'd do them all with you if I was interested in doing them. I'd rather have one dive with you before number three if that was possible.

 

[Buoyant1]

1 Yeah.. I dive in that sort of thing all the time, low to no viz is fun!

2 Yeah.. I don't see any issues there either, as long as the boat is a reputable op.

3 Yeah.. as long as you can stick to a dive plan (hold the line on the way down, find relief on the wreck and stay out of the nasty current, then hang on the line on the way back up, and not panic during the swells) Did the same type of dive on the Duane last year, and the Thunderbolt the year before.


When do we leave?

 

[Jupiter31]

1. NO - I would not do it w/ Custeau in his prim as my buddy - I stopped doing quarry dives 30 years ago when I left Peoria - my idea of a thermocline is when the temp goes from 85 to 80

2. YES - assuming you are NITROX certified - 90% of my diving is wreck or drift - if you are on air, you get a max of 30 min's bottom time - w/ a computer and NITROX, 45 - sorry, I did not see that you were NITROX certified, but assuming you are - lets dive!

3. PROBABLY NOT - I have seen too many attempt a wreck in strong current and not be able to make it down - also, you can use 1/2 your gas getting down if the current is screaming -

 

[Puffer Fish]

1> Yes if I did that sort of diving...

2. Yup...as long as your SAC rate is below .55, or you don't mind going up by yourself.

3. Al80... no. As it would most likely be a very short dive.... 120's.. yea.

 

[raviepoo]

Maybe on all 3, but here are the concerns and questions I would ask you .
6) Seems like you have done a lot of diving / classes in the last 2 years, are you sure you really did them?

I wouldn't consider questioning this person's dives. FYI I did 150 dives in my first two years of diving and finished my rescue cert and was woring on DM. (Moved to another state and never finished but- oh well). Some people dive 5 or 6 times a year on vacation. Other people grab their cert card and dive, dive, dive. Nothing strange about that.

 

[Walter]

ONE: Quarry dive, the visibility is 15 feet above the 'cline, 1 foot through the 'cline and 35 below it. Temperature is 76 at the surface and 68 below the 'cline. Would you dive as my buddy (or anybody else's for that matter).

No problem.

TWO: Drift dive, warm water, 100+ foot vis (something I have absolutely no experience whatever with) in a group containing one DM of unknown quality.

Do you mean a real drift dive (extremely rare) or do you mean a float dive or live boating? No problem with the drift dive (if I trust the captain) or the float dive. I've done some live boating, but I really am not fond of it and you're not ready.

THREE: Spiegel Grove, rough seas and strong current, average visibility. Dive plan calls for us not to exceed 90 feet or penetrate the ship.

Not if I'm limited to 90 feet. I'll dive it if we can go to 100 feet, the seas aren't greater than 4 feet and the current isn't keeping our regs in constant free flow.