Interfering Diver

[Bratface]

I was on the boat today diving with 6 others. One was a 10 year old who was newly certified and his dad who was fairly new as well. The interfering diver made it quite clear to all aboard that she had Dive Master status and had 120 dives.

The 10 year old was doing well, he really paid attention to his lessons. He swam next to me for part of the dive and I would show him interesting sea life. At one point he was looking at stuff with his dad and ascended to about 25 feet (we were around 37 feet at the time). I was directly below him and so was his dad and the dive leader. He was doing a fine job of getting himself back down when the interfering diver swam up to him, placed a weight in his pocket and sent him to the sand.

When she got back on the boat she explained to him that SHE was a DIVE MASTER so she could put weights in his pocket like she did. She didn't bother to check his air or encourage him to dump some air from his BC, she just took it upon herself to "help" this young new diver who was doing just fine on his own. No harm was done, but I felt like telling her to make sure she was really helping before she acted the next time.

Thanks for listening.

 

[Johnny Mojo]

Did I read this correctly? The interfearing diver was not the DM correct? Was she associated with the dive in any way other than being a diver on the boat? Just want to be sure I understand this correctly. Also, what di dthe dive leader have to say about this? The father? Was this with a dive op or what?

Thanks for any insight.

 

[Bratface]

She was a guest on the boat, a diver like everyone else. I don't think anyone knew what she did. I learned when we got back on the boat. The child was seated next to me and we were looking at a fish ID book. She came up and told the child that she had put a weight in his pocket because she was a DM and then she walked away. My eyebrows went up. I told the dive leader about it and I don't know if he said anything to her or not. His eyebrows went up. The dad was also fairly new and I think he was clueless. I know I would have had a few words with her if he were my child. So what to do without causing conflict or making the woman feel alienated from the dive op?

 

[Rythmmaker]

Some people either fail to recognize boundaries or simply have no respect for them. I'm sure she just thought she was being helpful, but I feel it would have been appropriate to take her aside later (out of earshot of any others) and thank her for her helpful intentions, but gently remind her that you were the one who was responsible for working with the student and explain to her that she interfered with the lesson - that you were watching him self-correct and that you had the situation under control.

She will likely continue to assert her misguided attempts to "help" until someone helps her get the message that situational awareness has more facets than she is paying attention to.

 

[Hemlon]

I hope she is a member here on SB and that she reads this thread.

Bad form, Madam Dive Master.

 

[oly5050user]

freaking nut case..not her kid,she is not leading the dive,nobody asked for her help...gives kid weight that he did not need,and he sank to bottom.Sounds like assault to me. Kid may have gone shallow because of ear issues and her giving him weight making him sink could have injured him very badly.I can hear the personal injury lawyers getting ready right now.
I hope it was not a kid that I taught recently here in NY that went to St Thomas this week for his 4 ow dives.

 

[Bratface]

Actually, I was not the DM either but I dive with my friend's dive op. Naturally I don't want to make any hard feeling with their customers and I like seeing everyone enjoy themselves on the dives.

I do like the way you worded it Rythmmaker, to thank her for her intentions and that the situation was under control. Since I told the real DM, I feel it would be up to him to say something. Hemion, it was bad form, and oly5050user, I felt the same way. Obviously she didn't think through any of those issues before she "helped". BTY, they weren't from NY and he didn't have ear issues. He just got distracted looking at all the cool stuff and ascended, realized what he did and was making his way back down.

 

[The Chairman]

Good intentions can often have unforeseen results. I have well intentioned people turn off my air, pull my weights, point me in the wrong direction and so forth. Most times, the consequences are benign, like landing in the sand. Other times they are less so, like landing on a bristle worm or fire coral. It's easy to get angry at them, and indeed I have done that. Better yet, is to discuss things with them calmly and help them see that their actions could have unintended consequences. Sometimes you are successful, but quite often you end up in a confrontation. It's important in dealing with interfering divers that we don't become one ourselves.

 

[Insta-Gator]

It's unfortunate that the father was not experienced enough to recognize her miss-applied good intension. If it were my child or grandchild .... (use your imagination) :flame:

Perhaps you could have quietly advised the father that this is bad form, to give him support should he feel like asking her to butt out.

 

[Hemlon]

It's probably because of my occupation, but I always think about the liability with things like this. By asserting her authority as a DM in this action (even though she was not employed as such) could open her up for liability if something went wrong due to her actions.