What sets off your alarm bells?

[Curtis C]

This is an interesting thread. I haven't dove in a tradition sense in about 14 years. Coincidentally that was the last time I dove for my own pleasure, with my own personally gear. I'm used to being under the water by myself. The only bright side of that is I am always communicating with my tender, so I never really feel alone. And there is always a safety diver on standby. I am getting back into diving for fun again after too long. This thread kind of makes me wonder how I would come across as a dive buddy? Learning how a potential dive buddy communicates under water would be a big one for me. As well as formulating a dive plan.

 

[ajduplessis]

I don't really care about your gear or the way you set it up, how you do dive planning, your experience, logbook, c cards collection or instructor status. With any new buddy the alarm bells are always on. With experienced or technical instabuddies I switch to defcon 5, as they are nearly always complacent in their approach and execution.

I have so many times seen perfect planning turn to crap the moment divers hit the water, somehow everything beforehand gets washed away. WTF!! In water, simple things like buoyancy, trim, situational awareness and communication quickly raises red flags. Trust is something that takes time. If I don't know you, I don't trust you.

I also communicate beforehand and do skill/drills on nearly all dives (vacations stuff excluded). Those that have the WTF look are the ones you really need to worry about.

 

[victorzamora]

Defcon 5? Well, I guess it's not that bad, then.

 

[wspalding]

This thread kind of makes me laugh because, for all the divers here assuming that their instabuddy is a danger to themselves and others, the instabuddy is probably thinking the exact same thing about THEIR instabuddy. I guess I am one of the few that assumes that anybody I am diving with is competent until proven otherwise.

 

[TONY CHANEY]

A Pvt. saying, "I learned this in boot camp."
A Lt. saying, "In my vast amount of experience..."
A Capt. saying, I was just thinking..."
And two Staff Sgts. saying, "hold my beer and watch this s**t."

 

[Texasguy]

"I haven't been in the water for a few months, but I'm a rescue diver and have about 150 dives. I don't log dives though."

Run away, quickly.

I plan on doing two #149 dives and then just going to #151.

I don't get it.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

For me it's the guy who bellows about all the dives he's done, where he's been, how good he is, etc., blah blah blah.
Then I ask him who he's certified through and he can't remember, he says "It was a long time ago".
Who the hell forgets who they were certified through?

---------- Post added May 19th, 2014 at 12:43 AM ----------

The next time I'm on a charter boat and get buddied up with someone I'll ask them if they hang out on Scubaboard. If they say yes then that might be reason enough to run for the hills.

 

[ajduplessis]

This thread kind of makes me laugh because, for all the divers here assuming that their instabuddy is a danger to themselves and others, the instabuddy is probably thinking the exact same thing about THEIR instabuddy. I guess I am one of the few that assumes that anybody I am diving with is competent until proven otherwise.

Good luck with that.............

 

[industrious95]

It's always less stress when you start out assuming that everybody is clueless with a death wish. My favorite is watching someone put the tank on backwards then attach the reg upside down, then complain the "hoses are too short" . . .

Guilty! My first local boat dive about 25 years ago. I nonchalantly told the captain "Oh, yeah, I do that all the time." I thought I was pretty slick, but they had me figured out instantly. I had the strange feeling I was being watched by 12 sets of eyes for the rest of the day.

Today, it's not so much that I avoid the color coordinated dive gear owners; I want them to have a great time, fall in love with the sport and the sea, and keep the local boats and dive shops in business. When I meet a "newbie" on the boat, I always go out of my way to be friendly and learn about them and their interests and make them feel welcome.

 

[j2s]

A.D.D.....You can see it in their eyes !!!......