How to piss off a Divemaster?

[Centrals]

Sure, any idiot -- introvert or not not -- could have caused this problem. And not only the introvert, but the DM and Captain may have shown questionable judgment in handling the situation. I'm not a DM nor a Captain, so I'm not really in a position to judge their actions. But after this experience, I'll forever associate silent introverts with accidents waiting to happen.

I do believe that the DM would have stood a better chance of averting the incident if she had more clearly been able to identify this diver's combination of lack of skill and lack of a buddy, and at least kept a closer eye on him. His reticence didn't help.

Interested to hear a DM's perspective on this incident.

Quiet does not mean "introvert".
Making mistake does not desert to be labelled as "idiot".
I fail to understand the last part. He was allowed to dive SOLO, wasn't he? So how could you keep a closer eye on a solo diver?

 

[SanDiegoSidemount]

Quiet does not mean "introvert".

Fair enough.

Making mistake does not desert to be labelled as "idiot".

If this had been an innocent mistake that could have happened to anyone, then maybe so. This incident was quite preventable. Simply diving with a buddy or following other people in the group might well have prevented it.

I fail to understand the last part. He was allowed to dive SOLO, wasn't he? So how could you keep a closer eye on a solo diver?

My feeling is that this diver's quietness and reticence kept him "off the radar" of the DM. The water was clear enough, the DM might have paid a little more attention and noticed earlier he was headed off in the wrong direction. The DM could have encouraged him to join/follow an existing pair/group if she had gotten a better read on his inexperience.

Heck, if I had known, I would have asked him to join me and my wife. My default assumption is that solo divers have strong reasons for doing so, and believe they have the knowledge and experience to do it safely. Clearly not true in this case.

 

[supergaijin]

Speaking as one of the silent people, I'm happy to tell you -- once and succinctly -- where I'd like to go. But beyond that, I'm there for the water taxi and the diving: not the cat herder I'm forced to tolerate, not the other people on the boat who I have to watch flail around and rapidly burn down their tank while I'm trying to enjoy my dive, and surely not forced small talk. That's what bars are for. The group's "dynamics" are not my (or any other introverted person's) concern.

Yep- people like you annoy me. If you're just wanting a water-taxi, then go and rent one. Then everyone is happy. However group boats usually cost much less... and so get used by cheap and gloomy divers.

To be clear I work predominantly in tropical vacation areas. For approx 5 years I have been in the Maldives and it simply amazes me how people can be gloomy in such a beautiful place... and yet there are plenty. In French we say "there are touristes and toustriste". I sometimes wonder, if they're like this on vacation, imagine what they're like at home!

 

[Dr. Lecter]

If you're just wanting a water-taxi, then go and rent one.

Until and unless you put up a big CHATTY BIMBOS AND BLOWHARDS ONLY! sign, by hiring a spot on a vessel like the one you serve...I just did.

it simply amazes me how people can be gloomy in such a beautiful place... and yet there are plenty

I cannot decide if your presumption to psychic knowledge of others' mental states is incredibly arrogant or laughably cute. Probably a good bit of both.


Sent from my Shearwater Petrel using Tapatalk

 

[Hickdive]

...I'll forever associate silent introverts with accidents waiting to happen.

.

Hmm, you may believe as you wish but the fact that he didn't do enough talking to satisfy you has no bearing on this incident. The fact that he didn't do enough listening has.

Besides which, anyone with any experience in leading/instructing or guiding divers will have a pretty good idea of the skill level of their clients and know who to watch simply by observing them on deck; a technique you would do well to learn before you go casting aspersions on other people's competence solely on the basis of whether they're talkative enough for you.

---------- Post added December 18th, 2013 at 11:51 AM ----------

For approx 5 years I have been in the Maldives and it simply amazes me how people can be gloomy in such a beautiful place... and yet there are plenty.

Wow, you can tell people's mental state simply by facial expression?

I have a face that naturally looks gloomy all the time, not something I'm proud of but a fact. There are a lot of us about. If there's one thing that really irritates me it is people that assume I'm not happy because I don't have a big idiot grin on my face 100% of the time.

 

[highdesert]

It always irked me when someone would decide to flush the head when I was doing deco.... Bastards.

I've had the crew of a highly ranked liveaboard company pull this one while we were at a nearby a safety stop ... and they didn't just go in the head to pee.

 

[Doc]

Speaking as one of the silent people, I'm happy to tell you -- once and succinctly -- where I'd like to go. But beyond that, I'm there for the water taxi and the diving: not the cat herder I'm forced to tolerate, not the other people on the boat who I have to watch flail around and rapidly burn down their tank while I'm trying to enjoy my dive, and surely not forced small talk. That's what bars are for. The group's "dynamics" are not my (or any other introverted person's) concern.

Okay, I'll tell Gladys one last time to leave you the hell alone. (She doesn't go to bars, altho being one of our stable of Swedish Divemistresses (see my sig line), she does read her SPG in bars, if you catch my drift)

OK, want to hear the other side? What would you say/do if a DM put his hand on your valve and turned it (to make sure gas was on presumably) just before entry?

I don't want anyone touching my gear especially seconds before I went in the water. I told the guy, I hope you didn't turn it the wrong way dude.

You're right. After doing that move 13,573 times, they should have it down so good that even you wouldn't notice it being done. You've been mis-handled by a noob... if you noticed it happening.

Here's what I would say....

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I'm not much of a talker, but that doesn't mean I'm not friendly.
I don't know why a DM would want everyone chatty, it would drive me nuts.
I like to sit back and watch people. If that pisses off a DM then I'm sorry. I'm not going to artificially babble just because it's some social norm on a dive boat.
I like to talk to other divers to see where they're from, where they dive, etc.
But that's with customers not DM's.
Everytime I've tried to talk it up with a DM I get the feeling I'm annoying them and they want me to go away. Sometimes with younger ones they are alright and will get into a conversation that they seem to enjoy, but for the ones that have been there a while or maybe too long they just want me to go away.
So now I'm hearing that they get pissed when I don't say anything to them, sheesh!!

I got to say though, all the boats in California seem to be pretty good. I think most of the DM's working on the boats do it part time on the side and have other jobs they work or are students or maybe semi retired. The boats in Cali run mostly on weekends.
There was only one boat in SanDiego I was on which the DM's were all young and pretty clueless. Four of them standing on the back of the transom watching me trying to board the platform and not one of them getting down there to help me. Chatting amongst themselves or hitting on the young cute girls on the boat ignoring everyone else. But this was the only one.

All the others were great. All the DM's doing their jobs excellent and I've always tipped them appropriately.
I don't think I've ever done anything to piss any of them off? I sure hope not.


Now, maybe I should start another thread on "How not to be annoying to other divers on dive boats".
That would probably be good for at least 30-40 pages and all kinds of very entertaining flame wars.

 

[TMHeimer]

I haven't done tons of charters over my eight years, but on the ones I've done here, FL, SC, TX and Panama I haven't really seen any of these talk/no talk annoyances on either the part of customers or DMs.

 

[Akimbo]

…Four of them standing on the back of the transom watching me trying to board the platform and not one of them getting down there to help me. Chatting amongst themselves or hitting on the young cute girls on the boat ignoring everyone else….

What’s your point? It is simply a given that under those conditions, you’re on your own dude!