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Trust Me Dives
- Thread starter Steve_C
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drrich2
Contributor
The impression I've inferred from use of the term 'trust me dives' in other threads, is that they involve diving where another person (guide, much more seasoned buddy, etc...) basically decides the dive plan (especially navigating around and back to the boat, but also depth at various points) and the 'dependent' diver follows that person, lacks navigational awareness of where he/she is during the dive, couldn't carry out the dive plan independently, and trusts the leader to conduct a dive where depth & duration don't create a deco. obligation, or likely use up the gas supply, and the divers end up back at the boat with a reasonable gas reserve. The guide is familiar with the underwater topography, and a mental picture of how his dive course over it will be; the dependent diver lacks those and knows he'll be on a sight-seeing tour of pretty reef, and probably a max. depth they don't break.
Said dependent diver is expected to monitor his/her own gas supply remaining & NDL time remaining, and notify the leader of concerning developments (e.g.: an agreed on turn pressure or half-tank), at which point the leader may shorten and/or take the diver shallower.
Everybody back on the boat with at least 500 PSI, no computers squawking about missed deco., crew get the roll call done with all divers on boat, everybody's happy and goes home.
Now, there are indeed other forms of 'trust me' dives, where people who don't understand the risks or mitigation strategies rely on another person, as previously stated. I have no deco. training; if I do a deco. dive counting on a competent buddy to take me through it safely without training, yeah, that's a trust me dive, too.
Richard.
Said dependent diver is expected to monitor his/her own gas supply remaining & NDL time remaining, and notify the leader of concerning developments (e.g.: an agreed on turn pressure or half-tank), at which point the leader may shorten and/or take the diver shallower.
Everybody back on the boat with at least 500 PSI, no computers squawking about missed deco., crew get the roll call done with all divers on boat, everybody's happy and goes home.
Now, there are indeed other forms of 'trust me' dives, where people who don't understand the risks or mitigation strategies rely on another person, as previously stated. I have no deco. training; if I do a deco. dive counting on a competent buddy to take me through it safely without training, yeah, that's a trust me dive, too.
Richard.
If you lack the tools or the training, or the experience needed to plan and execute said plan as a solo diver, it's a trust me dive.
I left out skills, because if you don't have the required skills you shouldn't be in the "pool".
I left out skills, because if you don't have the required skills you shouldn't be in the "pool".
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My definition of a trust me dive would be the situation I posted about in my wreck penetration thread from early September.
Caveeagle
Contributor
I've not really heard the term used as much for OW dives. Best example I can think of would be the Manatee(cave) Friedman to Catfish traverse.
More experience cave diver says: " double 95s will be plenty of gas. I've done it xx times. Etc"
Newby cave diver says: "OK, I respect your god-like status. And you've survived this long, so you must be trustworthy. ..and I don't want to look like a dweeb".
..So the the newer diver does the "trust me" dive with no real gas plan.
More experience cave diver says: " double 95s will be plenty of gas. I've done it xx times. Etc"
Newby cave diver says: "OK, I respect your god-like status. And you've survived this long, so you must be trustworthy. ..and I don't want to look like a dweeb".
..So the the newer diver does the "trust me" dive with no real gas plan.
AdivingBel
Diver
@drrich2, to me what you described is a fairly typical guided resort/rec dive in benign conditions which I wouldn't consider a "trust-me" dive. While you may give up some navigational control on an unfamiliar site for the sake of enjoyment, each buddy pair should be capable of self-rescue (i.e. share air with controlled ascent to the surface). While the dive may last 45 - 60 min., the group is rarely more than a few hundred yards from the mooring/boat/entry point. The exception might be a drift dive, but with a few additional precautions the same would apply. At no time is the diver in mortal peril if the guide goes belly up. If that is not the case for whatever reason, then you're in the realm of trust-me diving. All IMHO, YMMV.
drrich2
Contributor
I understand your point. The question becomes, when the masses of fairly new to intermediate divers come on Scuba Board and see the term used in threads, what do they think it means?
I imagine it’s often targeted at advising them, after all.
Richard.
I imagine it’s often targeted at advising them, after all.
Richard.
Dan
Contributor
I fit right in that example. July 2005, dive log # 16, Son of Rock Monster, Cayman Brac. Crack entrance was at 90 feet deep, sort of a tunnel due to coral growth on the ceiling, preventing us to ascend straight up. By the time we came out at the end of the "tunnel", it was 130 feet deep. No gloves policy. My finger got cut by a sharp rock as I tried to get out of the narrow opening. The blood looked like a brownish haze out in the deep blue. We managed to back without any other trouble. Looking back, that was a foolish decision I wouldn't repeat or take any newbie diver with me.
Universal definition of a trust me dive:
The diver bestowing the trust on the more experienced diver has an almost zero chance of successfully completing the dive on their own and coming out alive without the guidance and assistance of the more experienced diver.
The diver bestowing the trust on the more experienced diver has an almost zero chance of successfully completing the dive on their own and coming out alive without the guidance and assistance of the more experienced diver.
DevonDiver
N/A
A trust me dive is one for which you aren't trained or competent to complete alone.
OW training dives follow on from confined water training and academic study in which the student must attain "mastery" before progressing.
These dives are supervised for safety, but they do not meet the definition of trust me dives - providing the student has actually mastered the requisite skills prior to do those dives.
The same should apply to any training dive.
For the record, here is PADI's official definition of a "trust me" dive:
“Trust Me” Dives
A “trust me” dive is a dive in which one diver relies on another to complete the dive safely. Tec divers avoid them because on a “trust me” dive, you dive using your “back up brain” only — your brain isn’t up to the dive. On a “trust me” dive, separation from the leading diver may make it impossible to complete the dive safely.
Following a more experienced diver is not a “trust me” dive if you can, at any point in the dive, abort and complete it without assistance. In this case, you’re gaining experience and extending your limits by learning from a more seasoned diver — quite another
situation.
You should ask yourself whether you would be capable of finishing a planned dive entirely on your own from any point in a dive, or in an emergency, be reasonably able to assist a team mate from any point in the dive. If you can’t say “yes,” then you’re not ready for the dive.
“Trust me” dives usually result when divers attempt dives well beyond their experience and training. If you ever find yourself considering one, stop and remember that you’re probably going beyond what you’re ready to take on. Remember, any diver can abort the dive at any time. That includes aborting a “trust me” dive before it begins.
PADI Tech Deep Diver Manual, Thinking Like a Tec Diver III, Page 176
A “trust me” dive is a dive in which one diver relies on another to complete the dive safely. Tec divers avoid them because on a “trust me” dive, you dive using your “back up brain” only — your brain isn’t up to the dive. On a “trust me” dive, separation from the leading diver may make it impossible to complete the dive safely.
Following a more experienced diver is not a “trust me” dive if you can, at any point in the dive, abort and complete it without assistance. In this case, you’re gaining experience and extending your limits by learning from a more seasoned diver — quite another
situation.
You should ask yourself whether you would be capable of finishing a planned dive entirely on your own from any point in a dive, or in an emergency, be reasonably able to assist a team mate from any point in the dive. If you can’t say “yes,” then you’re not ready for the dive.
“Trust me” dives usually result when divers attempt dives well beyond their experience and training. If you ever find yourself considering one, stop and remember that you’re probably going beyond what you’re ready to take on. Remember, any diver can abort the dive at any time. That includes aborting a “trust me” dive before it begins.
PADI Tech Deep Diver Manual, Thinking Like a Tec Diver III, Page 176
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