Dumbest things you've seen a newbie diver do

[debz]

When I was learning to dive here in UK. I made the mistake of diving with a couple, man and girlfriend. Both experienced divers with years of experience leading dives. So silly me thought i'd be in safe hands.
Well into 30 mins of the sea dive, murky water low viz etc. They took me in a hole. The guy then realised that she was not with us and started to panic, then yes, left me!!
I panicked as was to be expected, as I could not see a thing, he'd kicked up the silt.
I got myself out and began to come up, lucky enough I had calmed down, once out of hole, and came up slowly.
However, the dive boat was about 10 miles away from me, surprisingly enough with those two sat in it.
The dive leader in the other boat was fuming and shouting at them.
Luckily it was not a terrible end just a frightening one that taught me a huge lesson..... Never trust anyone and always think about yourself.
I never dived with them again... surprisingly enough.
I had only dived a few times in the sea and feel that I handled it fantastically.
Lesson to be learnt........ If leading a dive remember you have people's lives in your hands so be responsible.
I know there are great leaders and some not so.

 

[Hammerhead]

Only 22? Did you drink the other two before you came back up?

That would have been showing-off. I'm a modest chap :blinking:

 

[JazzeD]

Put wetsuit on wrong way around, knee grips at the back of legs.
Twice, two days after each other, at a dive resort.

 

[Wantonmien]

This weekend --

Climbed back on board dive boat, loosened the two straps running down chest on BCD, opened the waist strap, undid the velcrox waist strap, let the BCD shoulder straps slip slowly backwards to lower BCD and tank to the floor ---- then realised had forgotten to undo the small top chest strap on the BCD so it moved up onto my neck - effectively supporting the tank/BCD (with integrated weights) by the chest strap on my neck - a great way to strangle yourself ... oops !!

 

[Saudi-Diver]

In Egypt I surfaced and took off my mask (prescription Lenses) started chatting to my dive buddy and swam to the nearest boat climbed aboard and discovered it wasn't ours. To be fair they looked very similar and were flying the same camel Divers flag!!!! So I nonchalantly did a giant stride back in to the water and swam back over to our boat with about 25 other divers laughing at me. My dive buddy was still waiting at the bottom of the ladder wondering what I was up to.

 

[mikecotrone]

You are producing super divers that don’t make mistakes in just four open water dives? Wow you must be a really good instructor!

Yes my friend, Super Divers! We have just finished cloning two more

 

[bj139]

The important thing is not to train divers not to make mistakes, but to train them not to make fatal mistakes.

 

[smurf doc]

I'm good at critiquing my self. You need to be if you want to improve. I've only got 4 open water dives under me, and I'll share my mistakes. Hopefully others can learn from them.

In the pool I was having the hardest time sinking. Until my instructor pointed it out, I didn't realize I needed to get my shoulders almost vertical to deflate the BCD.

My first time in the water I again had a hard time going down. In retrospect it was because while my mind knew what to do, my brain was excited by the whole thing and I was taking too deep breaths. The air in my lungs was keeping me from sinking.

On my third dive I was coming up a line from the bottom and started using the rope to climb because I was concerned about slowing everyone else down. It turns out because I was using the rope to climb as opposed to just slowly kicking up, I was going up a bit too fast. Fortunately my instructor grabbed me and I realized what I was doing.

My fourth dive was essentially perfect except as I was heading out to a line, I kept having to clear my mask repeatedly. My instructor, who was also my buddy, noticed that that my mask was over my swim cap and this prevented a good seal. She pointed this out just before we descended and I had my best open water dive to date.

I am new to diving but enjoy it very much. After getting a couple of more regular dives in, I plan to go for the advanced course, where I'm sure I'll make more mistakes. As time progresses the mistakes should decrease in number, but I'm sure I'll always keep learning.

 

[DeltaWardog]

I once performed the comedy classic of starting my descent with my snorkel in my mouth. Got a couple feet under and took a deep breath of nothing. I fortunately had bought myself one of those idiot proof self-sealing snorkels or else it would have been a deep breath of water and maybe a little panic. As it was I just kicked back up to the surface and inflated my BC so I could sort out how much of an idiot I was. It was not a very encouraging start to the dive!

I don't dive with a snorkel anymore when I'm in Cozumel.

 

[AdvancedAquarist]

to me its more suicide than crazy