When to Scrub a Dive?

[DreadnoughtNH]

What are your absolutes that would prompt you to scrub a dive? And do you feel like the dive community does a good job teaching situational awareness and how to recognize and respond appropriately to sketchy conditions (weather, equipment, mental state, etc)?

Doc Harry said it best: "call a dive anytime you want, for any reason."

I do not need a reason or explanation: if I or my buddy aborts, we're aborting. My wife (recently certified) and I did a night dive in Turneffe Atoll Belize, and at 30' and 5m my wife gave the crossed forearms and thumbs up signal. We surfaced and returned to the boat. Two important takeaways: 1) my wife knows that if she gives the signal, I'm not questioning or challenging it, and 2) we've developed more simple signals that we use between each other for effective communication during dives.

To your second question, I do not think the dive community *in general* does a good job teaching situational awareness until you progress beyond AOW into Rescue or beyond (depending on agency). PADI Rescue brushes into awareness and recognizing verbal and non-verbal cues, but in order to recognize anxieties and many equipment/weather issues you need to have more experiences in order to categorize them. Example: the buddy team where one is laughing it up with the captain and crew, while their buddy is looking nervously at their equipment or struggling with their gear? I'm going to be friendly and ask how the buddy is feeling and give them a hand and watch them both. Is it my job, no. Does it make it safer and more enjoyable, I think so.

But short story made long: if you're descending and asking yourself the question "should I abort this dive" for any reason, the answer is probably "yes."

 

[formernuke]

Anyone can call a dive at any time for any reason.

One of the most important safety rules of diving.

ANY REASON MEANS ANY REASON

 

[Marie13]

When a friend dies in a diving accident.

 

[dlofting]

If I'm diving off a boat, which is most of the time, I consider the waves/swell and the boat setup and decide if getting back in is going to be a major problem for me. As I get older my knees and back get worse and it would only take one accident to end my diving forever.

 

[Litefoot]

anytime you are asking yourself whether you should dive or not.....you just answered your own question.

Anyone can call a dive at any time for any reason.

One of the most important safety rules of diving.

ANY REASON MEANS ANY REASON

I was hoping to hear this. These are the things that I hope are repeated over and over even in, or especially in, a training environment. Anybody can stop the work (or the dive) for any reason.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

When a friend dies in a diving accident.

Uh, it was reported to me by multiple people when there was a fatality at Sund Rock, at least one class went back into the water. One of those people overheard the instructor asked them on a subsequent dive if they thought about the person who just died. They said yes.

I mean what the actual F?!?!? I would have exploded at the instructor if I was there (if you think I'm bad online, I'm actually worse in person).

Once I was meeting a former student to dive. He was wasn't up to it and didn't want to dive. He was very apprehensive to call the dive. He got confused when I said "thank you" as it is very hard for a new diver to call the dive, especially when with someone with experience and not being the most laid back personality (obviously not talking about me ). So we went around the corner and had dinner.
I think one of the lessons I need to add to my open water courses is ask my students, "do you feel you should dive today?" If they don't answer with a definite yes, then the answer is no. And we talk about it. Maybe we have something to work through or if there is something going on just that day (then we reschedule).

 

[Marie13]

Uh, it was reported to me by multiple people when there was a fatality at Sund Rock, at least one class went back into the water. One of those people overheard the instructor asked them on a subsequent dive if they thought about the person who just died. They said yes.

I mean what the actual F?!?!? I would have exploded at the instructor if I was there (if you think I'm bad online, I'm actually worse in person).

Once I was meeting a former student to dive. He was wasn't up to it and didn't want to dive. He was very apprehensive to call the dive. He got confused when I said "thank you" as it is very hard for a new diver to call the dive, especially when with someone with experience and not being the most laid back personality (obviously not talking about me ). So we went around the corner and had dinner.
I think one of the lessons I need to add to my open water courses is ask my students, "do you feel you should dive today?" If they don't answer with a definite yes, then the answer is no. And we talk about it. Maybe we have something to work through or if there is something going on just that day (then we reschedule).

Friend died and it hit me hard. I called the dives before I was even at the dive site. Didn’t dive for a couple of weeks.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but it may be worth noting that this adage of "anyone can call a dive at any time for any reason without being questioned" seems to have first been popularized in tech/cave diving circles, where little things that are not or do not feel quite right can amplify a situation out of control. The adage now seems to be making its way into ordinary recreational diving. My guess is most of us here believe that is a good thing.

 

[Boarderguy]

While at the house: anything and tell your buddies it is the wife not letting you go...

Before splash: really anything. If I'm not thinking about the dive then I shouldn't be in the water. I've only scrubbed 1 dive above and that was because I was too cold to go back in the Puget Sound.

During the dive: anything, but since I'm down already I'm give it a little extra time to figure out the problem. I've bailed on quite a few dives over the years because I just wasn't comfortable overall or was too heavily tasked and my breathing was out of control. My most recent was my 1st dry dive. Underweight and fighting boots that hurt my wide feet. I can normally keep up with my buddy on his blacktip (speed 2-3) with my Quattros. He left me in the dust while fining. Everything sucked and I wasn't enjoying my dive so I thumbed it and went back to shore after 25 minutes and 2k psi of air. I had a 1.5 hour SI where I fixed some problems and then gave it a go solo. I was more relaxed and better able to enjoy it. This one was nearly 40 minutes and the same PSI.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

While at the house: anything and tell your buddies it is the wife not letting you go...

That would piss my wife off blaming her. While at the house, car won't start, got a flat, equipment failed a check, whatever. But don't blame your wife. That's lame.