Poor diving techniques I noticed during this week's trip.

[Storker]

I'm so glad I grew past this. Unless someone's safety has been seriously compromised, I only give advice/input when asked.

I guess this is is somewhat culturally dependent.

Coming from a club environment where low-key, informal tutoring more or less is the norm, I'd have much less issues about striking up a conversation and then, like the OP did, casually mention something like "you know, I couldn't help noticing... have you considered...". Like the young woman I approached one time by just asking "would you like some help tucking that neck seal?" Unsurprisingly, it turned out during the interchange that she wasn't even aware that that neoprene seal should be tucked to function as it should.

Some people get a kick out of straightening others out. I guess it feeds their ego and helps them to feel superior.

And some just come from an environment where helping each others out is the norm. If I'd just let the aforementioned young woman be, she'd get wet during the dive and miserable on the trip back to shore. Did I feel superior helping her staying dry? Or did I just avoid feeling like a jerk having noticed something that'd make her trip back to shore miserable and deliberately not doing anything about it?

 

[Graeme Fraser]

Interesting that some posters take the position of "I wouldn't bother saying anything it won't help".

Every little bit helps. I think that protecting the reef and promoting safety falls to the DMs and others on the boat who are in a position of responsibility. I told the DM that the guy took my criticism well, perhaps she will be more likely to say something next time she sees a diver under another on boarding ladder and just maybe it could save a diver from a crushed skull and avoid a lawsuit that makes diving more expensive for everyone.

At any rate it can't hurt to try.

I don't disagree with you at all. There tends to be two types of diver out there; those that want to improve and hone their skills to be respectful to the environment, and those that couldn't give a sh!t. The first type will respond to positive feedback and role model behaviour, the second type (minority) group won't. Hopefully that's where Darwin steps in .

 

[The Chairman]

I guess this is is somewhat culturally dependent.

I have asked people who were seeming to struggle -IF- I could give them advice, etc. I've also seen boorish divers try to shame others into being more like them. Night dive in the Keys, I'm helping a newbie instructor with his first AOW class. There are three groups on the boat, each led by an instructor or two. We're the last group to splash, and I'm the first one in. I am astonished that EVERYONE is standing on the bottom. I'm glad I covered staying off the bottom in our pre-dive briefing. My group joins me and we're off to have fun. Mind you, I'm critiquing the newbie instructor as much as the class, but I can't help but notice clouds of silt as well as other issues... some of this coming from instructors.

At the end of the dive as we're under the boat, I take a time to find a living Sea Biscuit that had mostly unearthed itself, and pick it up to show my students. I see the others back standing on the sand, so I take this over to them to see. On the boat, they are curious as to what that was, and I had to bite my tongue to tell them that this was the critter you guys are standing on when you're in the sand. But once I told them how they burrow in the sand, their eyes opened wide. To the instructors, I mentioned that this is why my classes are not allowed to sit, kneel or stand on the bottom. I used the opportunity to get them curious and to ask questions. One of the instructors took exception to my 'rule' and we had a rather lively discussion about the merits of no kneeling during class. He had even seen me teach at the local pool and had wondered what class I was teaching. Did he ever make the transition? I don't know, but it was obvious that he had noticed my example.

FWIW, I was not in a sanctuary zone, so picking up the Sea Biscuit was legal. I also returned it to the place I found it, completely intact. Akin to sand dollars, these guys are quite fragile. The slightest pressure from a diver would be enough to crack them open.

 

[The Chairman]

Why am I so sensitive about this? When I first started diving Hogarthian around the turn of the century, I had so many well meaning people come up to me on the boat to let me know I was a danger to myself with that long hose wrapped around my neck. Rly? I've also been criticized about how I sling a pony, how I can't put on a fin like 'normal' people, about not wearing a wet suit, about only frog kicking, about being horizontal during my safety stop and more. I've even been cajoled for how lazy I am in the water, because my hands are folded all the time, I'm always horizontal and I only kick when I absolutely need to. No, I don't mind it when someone asks me about my configuration or even the way I dive. That's cool and I don't mind talking about my strategy and giving advice as I do.

I dive for me, not to correct all the crap I see. I really don't mind pointing out unsafe practices, but I don't want to be seen as the boat 'know it all'. @cerich and I were diving with a newly certified, albeit well dove individual. Trust me on this. I think he had more dives than most reading this thread, but had never done the cert thang. Now, into his AOW we were diving the Duane (I think). Chris is also a caver, so we are inordinately careful to keep in trim at all times. On the boat, this guy was amazed at how effortlessly we dove. I was in lots of pain (multiple moon jellies hit my ears), but this really made an impression on me. Dive in such a manner that others want to emulate you. It goes along with that concept: "I would rather see a sermon, than hear one any day!" Set the example. When you're good enough, peeps will notice. I have no qualms pointing out a GREAT diver to the rest of the boat with a caveat to "dive like this guy!"

 

[MargaritaMike]

That's not the message I'm getting. Some people get a kick out of straightening others out. I guess it feeds their ego and helps them to feel superior. Many of us have made a personal decision to be as non-confrontational as possible; Dive and let dive. It's OK that not everyone dives like me. I'm not on a crusade to badger people into becoming competent divers. It's just not my style. I've seen a lot more damage to our ecosystem from the fish, than I have people. I vividly remember this night dive off of Saba. A nurse shark joined us, using our lights to hunt with. She was with us for ten minutes or better, when she darted after a fish. I didn't think a nurse shark could move that fast! The fish went under a ledge, and so did nursie. With one swipe of her tail I saw a largish barrel sponge get knocked over and a sea fan get broken. She was really working to get under this ledge and then there was this 'gronk' and the ledge moved. Finally, a flush of red came out and nursie backed out. To my horror, the ledge had been broken off of it's pinnings and tilted over without the shark under it. I've never seen a nurse shark getting sharky with it before. It was amazing, and the damage she did for that widdle bitty fish was equally as amazing. She stuck with us for the rest of the dive... and I extended all sorts of respect to her after that.

How do you know it was a "she"?

 

[caruso]

That's not the message I'm getting. Some people get a kick out of straightening others out.

I get a kick out of helping other divers out. Whether it's here on ScubaBoard or on a dive boat.

I've seen a lot more damage to our ecosystem from the fish, than I have people.

Hmm go figure. I always thought it's humankind's effect on this planet that is by far the most devastating. Thanks for straightening me out.

 

[chillyinCanada]

How do you know it was a "she"?

No claspers?

 

[Dan]

How do you know it was a "she"?

Having no claspers?

Oops, Chilly beat me to it.

 

[Zef]

On the second dive there was a strong surface current, and I popped up at one point to do a boat check, took a compass heading, and within a short while found myself right under the boat. The bottom swim was easy, but as soon as I hit the surface I felt the strong current.

Hopefully other new divers reading this thread can also get some good take-aways from it.

Did anyone pull you aside to talk about this as a poor practice that can potentially cause DCS? You kind of threw it in there non-chalantly, but new divers reading your post should be aware that it is not good practice to surface to get ones bearings and re-descend. There was a story posted a few years ago on SB where the author did exactly this as a routine sort of thing and wound up taking a chamber ride because of it.

I am not exonerating the folks you observed displaying poor diving practices but more often than not when one points their finger there are 3 pointed right back at oneself.

-Z

 

[miadukes]

Well as a very new diver I have no business telling anyone what to do but I have always appreciated being told 1. that I can do something better or another way 2. if something was unsafe that I was doing, I'd want to know what and why .... so as I can only speak for myself, I feel that I'm in the camp of it's ok to strike up a conversation about things.

I find it weird that they boat captain didn't say anything about being under the other diver climbing up the ladder, on every dive i've been on (and admittedly not many), they have ALWAYS made a HUGE deal of this.