Do You Know When To Call (Thumb) a Dive?

You're not feeling well; you paid a fortune for this vacation; your spouse / BFF is your dive buddy . . . You KNOW you shouldn't dive . . . but . . . .

. . . one item that has probably helped the diving community at large avoid more mishaps than any other is what originally was called the “Cave Diver’s Credo,” also known as thumbing a dive or the preferred, no-fault bailout. You may see it written in textbooks as: ANY DIVER can call ANY DIVE for ANY REASON at ANY TIME without fear of REPROACH or RETRIBUTION.

This phrase may strike you very differently, but to me it sounds a little as though it was written by a legal assistant trying to win brownie points. The parking lot version goes along the lines of: “Any time during our dive you ain’t comfy, y’all thumb the dive! We can go drink beer instead… I got no problem with that at all!”

Click to expand...

Read the whole article at this link:

When to call a dive: the definitive guideline to no-fault bailout

Typical lovely essay by Steve.

I've told this story before, but I flew all the way to Florida, my friends arranged their schedules so they could dive with me, and on the first dive (with me leading) a couple of minor things went wrong, and I found myself about 15 minutes into the dive thinking, "I just don't want to be here any more. I want to go home." The feeling wasn't going away, and I thumbed the dive. My friends looked at me in consternation, because they knew darned well I hadn't hit turn pressure, and there was nothing obviously wrong. And there wasn't anything obvious. I just wanted to go home, so we did. We got out of the cave and I had a chance to float around and compose myself, and we went back in and did the same dive and everything was fine.

It was one of the hardest things I've done in diving, to disappoint my friends, and my husband (who, like me, doesn't get nearly the opportunities to cave dive that he would like). But I think being honest with yourself is a critical quality in a diver. If you don't want to be there, go home. If you don't want to get in the water, don't. As someone says, and I can't remember who, "Better to be on land wishing you were diving, than underwater wishing you weren't."

One of my catch phrases is "discretion becomes the better part of valor." Typically I use this when there are two or more options to decide on. Generally speaking you can cut a corner and take a chance or be more conservative. This may mean cancelling something that is already scheduled and lots of people are going to be inconvenienced. I hate taking unnecessary chances and almost always opt for the more conservative choice.

I usually ask, "what' the worst that can happen?" If the answer is, "you can get seriously injured or even die!" it's time to reconsider your plans. If disappointing your dive buddy for an expensive dive trip is the worst that can happen, think about how dissapointed they would be if they can't EVER dive with you again because now you had an injury that ended your diving or worse you died. Now that would really ruin their day.

When in doubt, sit it out.

I turned a shore dive once in Rhode Island. It was open ocean. The viz was poor, and lots of surge. Being unfamiliar with the site and having less than 20 dives, I didn't like the conditions. I also have ended dives early once and a while due to cramps. Other than that, I have been lucky so far with major boat/deep dives and expensive trips/charters--never had a reason to cancel there yet.

So if all posters agree, and those who disagree are not yet taking time to post their position, what is the conversation? Perhaps this. We know there are people who press to do a dive when they really aren't up for it, but more often that not a person who is not feeling up to a dive for physical, psychological, or emotional reasons, is pressured by others to do it anyway. I have seen it happen as a diver along for the ride and as a divemaster leading the dive. I have intervened on occasion, sometime requiring the tact of a diplomat, something I am not known to have. Rather than tell people they should sit out a dive they are not comfortable making, perhaps the conversation should focus on how to persuade divers not to pressure their buddy (be it friend, spouse, or whoever) to make a dive they aren't up to making. I have succeeded in this through each of the following at different times:

a) inviting the buddy who wants to dive to join my wife (the Scubadiva) and me for the dive while their buddy relaxes on the boat (or shore); b) if I am without a buddy, I will invite them to dive with me; c) when my wife is diving with me, she or I will share a story about missing a similar dive (it may be a true story or created for the occasion, but we will confirm each other's tale) to let the buddy who wants to dive know that these things happen, even with famous aquatic types like us! There doesn't need to be a confrontation, but sometimes intervention is warranted. I think its easy to spot this kind of peer/buddy pressure, and it should be discouraged when ever seen. SO... fellow posters, what would you do/have you done to keep a diver not your buddy from being pressured by their buddy or group into doing a dive they aren't feeling up to doing? No need to raise your hand to respond, just post it here.
DivemasterDennis

Perhaps also, think about how you might react were your spousal unit or significant other to thumb the dive.

Are you accepting?

Do you put on an angry face? That will affect them the next time, and they may not call the dive even if they should.


One thought -- First, no dispute whatsoever! Second, check nicely, no pressure, by inquiring about their well-being. If they are okay, ask them what they want to do instead. If s/he just says, "I feel off.", ask what s/he feels like - lounging on the beach? hot tub? Nap?

And if s/he says (assuming you have someone to go with), "Just go without me.", then do so - don't add the guilt that you missed a dive to their discomfort at having called it.

Make it easy for someone to make the safe choice.

Thumbing the dive is something that I'm particularly bad at.

I've had several buddies thumb dives for reasons that ranged from the verge of panic to there being nothing to see, and I'm in favor of ending all of those. I'm theoretically very in favor of thumbing dives for no reason, and I'm very pleased when buddies (especially new divers) thumb the dive. I'm good about not starting a dive I don't want to do, but not so good at quitting halfway through.

I remember one dive I did, I was just staring at my gauge waiting to hit turn pressure because I was so cold. A few others I haven't been comfortable in the kit, or accidentally overweighted to the point that I was spending more time trying to keep my buoyancy than enjoying the dive. Another I was terrified by massive jellyfish (although I eventually did turn that one when I saw an unbelievably big one).

In any case, I'm comfortable calling dives now when I'm diving with people that I know well. Now I'm working on strangers. I did call a dive with some strangers perhaps three weeks ago, and I'm still feeling like a cool-guy from that. So, progress

Jax:

And if s/he says (assuming you have someone to go with), "Just go without me.", then do so - don't add the guilt that you missed a dive to their discomfort at having called it.

Click to expand...

That is Huge!!! The person may have the best intentions when choosing to sit a dive because of a buddy not diving, but doesn't realize how much pressure is adding for the next time around.

As some may guess I have the tendency to not care when others dive or not dive, but when it comes to my husband or sons I care a little. However from long ago we have a standing rule that it is our duty to take advantage of all the possible dives available. So if we are going out and my husband calls his dive off, it only means I have to make sure to enjoy my dive twice as much, unless he calls the dive because he needs immediate medical attention I should have the opportunity to dive, and the same if it is the other way around.

I go with my gut..if it feels wrong I dont do it and I have called some very kool dive's and honked off a few buddys for it but I'm still around!

Sometimes it isn't that easy to decide what is the right thing to do.

My cave class was an example of that to me. My first dive of class was in ginnie and it went less than smooth. I spent the whole dive giving my instructor the "I'm feeling iffy" sign. But kept pushing on to meet our planned turn point. It was a very unsettling dive and I should have thumbed it early on and stood by that decision, but I didnt. The next 4 days were long, hard, grueling days and for our final dive we returned to ginnie. As i geared up in the early morning I was physically and emotionally exhausted. I began to tear up at the picnic table as I am putting on my rebreather. My s/o asks whats wrong and I say I don't want to do this dive. He is 100% supportive and says then don't do it. But i argue back that i need to do this dive, not only to finish the class with an out of state instructor, but to know that I can finish and that I can dive ginnie comfortably in ccr. My ego didn't want me to be a quitter. I vent to another cave buddy who is as supportive as my s/o dont do it if you dont want to. In the end I made the dive and it was the right thing to do. My weight issues had been fixed, my skills were better and the dive went smooth and comfortable. And I came out feeling like i had really accomplished something. Some will disagree with my decision. But to me it was like getting back on a horse after you have been thrown. It's the best way i know to defeat the fear.

So the line of when to thumb a dive is not always black and white. However...acceptance of that decision once made by whomever is always 100%. I have had my s/o thumb a penetration dive on a wreck. Was I disappointed, absolutely. But the rule is there for a reason and i respect that and we turned the dive. The wreck will be there another day.