Tampering with other divers' gear

Deefstes · Apr 28, 2009

Some discussion in another thread prompted this question. I can understand that it is none of my business to tamper with another diver's gear and I would be furious if someone tampered with mine. But are there perhaps circumstances where it is acceptable?

Example:
On a recent dive I saw another diver making a sudden ascent. She was head down and finning furiously. Another diver beat me to her and took her by the hand to start dragging her down. I could see that her BC was noticeably inflated so when I got to them I immediately grabbed her kidney purge valve and purged some air from the BC. This seemed to rectify the buoyancy-gone-wrong problem and they both returned to the reef where she fiddled a little until it seemed she was comfortable again.

I'm not sure if she accidentally inflated her BC and I should actually have asked afterward but forgot. She did thank us both after the dive for helping her out.

Anyways, my question is, would any of you have frowned upon such action? I mean me purging air from her BC? She was trying to purge from her shoulder purge valve but seeing as she was head down that obviously had no effect. Should I rather have indicated to her to rather purge from the kidney valve? That certainly would have taken longer so I decided to simply purge some air myself.

Your thoughts?

Cave Diver · Apr 28, 2009

Deefstes:
Some discussion in another thread prompted this question. I can understand that it is none of my business to tamper with another diver's gear and I would be furious if someone tampered with mine. But are there perhaps circumstances where it is acceptable?

Example:
On a recent dive I saw another diver making a sudden ascent. She was head down and finning furiously. Another diver beat me to her and took her by the hand to start dragging her down. I could see that her BC was noticeably inflated so when I got to them I immediately grabbed her kidney purge valve and purged some air from the BC. This seemed to rectify the buoyancy-gone-wrong problem and they both returned to the reef where she fiddled a little until it seemed she was comfortable again.

I'm not sure if she accidentally inflated her BC and I should actually have asked afterward but forgot. She did thank us both after the dive for helping her out.

Anyways, my question is, would any of you have frowned upon such action? I mean me purging air from her BC? She was trying to purge from her shoulder purge valve but seeing as she was head down that obviously had no effect. Should I rather have indicated to her to rather purge from the kidney valve? That certainly would have taken longer so I decided to simply purge some air myself.

Your thoughts?

In general, I tend to live by the "you dont touch mine, I wont touch yours philosophy." This is especially true when the owner of gear isn't present and/or aware of someone messing with gear.

In that case you cited, I wouldn't consider that "messing with gear," rather "helping a diver." As such I wouldnt take issue with it, but I'm sure there are some that would.

pittyyofool · Apr 28, 2009

When the gear is siting on the beach or the deck of a boat etc. If someones gear is sprawled out everywhere, the only acceptable action that I see is to tuck it in a bit so it is out of the pathway.

In the situation that you have named. I have done this twice to noob divers I have dove with, and do not see it as messing with someones gear. I see it as a way of safely and easily preventing a potentially serious situation.

ScubaSarus · Apr 28, 2009

Good job. You can be my dive buddy anyday. You did the right thing and could have saved the girl from an embolism as embolisms are also more common if a diver acsends uncrontrollably upside down trapping air in the lungs.

Hats off to you

TSandM · Apr 28, 2009

I wouldn't think of this as tampering with gear. I think you saw, correctly diagnosed, and stepped in to help rectify a problem which could have become dangerous.

In general, if I see something which is wrong (tank slipping out of cambands is a typical one) I'll try to communicate it to the buddy pair involved (wetnotes are good for this). Only in a situation like the one you described, where intervening has to be done fast to be effective, would I touch another diver who was not my buddy. Within our pairs, if you see something awry (eg. backup light on) you can simply give the "hold" signal, and fix it; we trust each other.

letterboy · Apr 28, 2009

To me tampering would be someone loosening gear on your rig, or something that could be deemed "detrimental" by the owner.

I also agree with CaveDiver, you stay off my gear I will stay off yours. If I need your help, I will ask for it, but don't go arbitrarily messing with my gear.

gypsyjim · Apr 28, 2009

Normally my philosophy is summed up by the sticker: "Is there life after death? #*^&% with my gear, and find out!"!

That is not what you did. You reacted to a situation and assisted a diver in need.

vtxkev · Apr 28, 2009

Deefstes:
Some discussion in another thread prompted this question. I can understand that it is none of my business to tamper with another diver's gear and I would be furious if someone tampered with mine. But are there perhaps circumstances where it is acceptable?

I know which thread you are refering to and this person was out of line in my opinion and if they ever did something like that to me there would be a tank into their skull when they returned to the boat. Just the way I am.

Deefstes:
Example:
On a recent dive I saw another diver making a sudden ascent. She was head down and finning furiously. Another diver beat me to her and took her by the hand to start dragging her down. I could see that her BC was noticeably inflated so when I got to them I immediately grabbed her kidney purge valve and purged some air from the BC. This seemed to rectify the buoyancy-gone-wrong problem and they both returned to the reef where she fiddled a little until it seemed she was comfortable again.

I'm not sure if she accidentally inflated her BC and I should actually have asked afterward but forgot. She did thank us both after the dive for helping her out.

Anyways, my question is, would any of you have frowned upon such action? I mean me purging air from her BC? She was trying to purge from her shoulder purge valve but seeing as she was head down that obviously had no effect. Should I rather have indicated to her to rather purge from the kidney valve? That certainly would have taken longer so I decided to simply purge some air myself.

Your thoughts?

I think you did the correct thing here and being a new diver myself would have thanked you and possibly some beers if it went that way after the dive. This is not consdered "messing" with someones gear. Great Job!

Cave Diver · Apr 28, 2009

TSandM:
Within our pairs, if you see something awry (eg. backup light on) you can simply give the "hold" signal, and fix it; we trust each other.

I have no problem with my normal dive buddy touching any of my gear at any time (except for my crotch strap! :shocked2

. I trust him to correctly fix/adjust anything he saw that was wrong and not to jack with something just for the sake of doing so.

Of course the fact that we've been diving and taking classes together since 2000 plays a major part in that.

Anyone else, not so much.

Guba · Apr 28, 2009

Considering that the diver you assisted was attempting to do the same thing (purge air), but was in the wrong position to do it effectively, I think your immediate action was entirely called for. Nice job.

However, there is a big difference in what you did and "tampering".

I once was on a boat where a diver hit the water and immediately had trouble getting a full breath. Turns out another 'diver' on the boat "checked" his valve just before the dive, but had been trained to back off the valve a quarter turn. Well, this fellow backed it up about a turn and a half (or more), and the result was restricted air flow.

That's "tampering".

Tampering with other divers' gear

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Deefstes

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Cave Diver

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pittyyofool

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ScubaSarus

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TSandM

Missed and loved by many.

letterboy

I'm the reasonable one

gypsyjim

I have an alibi

vtxkev

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Cave Diver

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Guba

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