Dangerous divers, redux

[Snoweman]

I am sure this has been done to death, but this post has a nuance or two.

Most of us on the boat had dived together at least one or two times before. But..., there was a new guy. His gear looked older, so you might think he knew what he was doing. In fact, most looked downright vintage. His reg was a Poseidon CyKlon, which he claimed was recently serviced. His BCD appeared to be a SeaTec Manta, with the CO2 canister attached. I don't know what his fins were, but they appeared newish.

Almost as soon as we left the boat, he was in trouble. He lost a fin during descent. I am almost certain that his backstrap spring connectors require an "insert and twist" technique to keep them in place. I think he just forced it into place. Once at depth, his arms were all over the place. There was no predicting how he would move. There were erratic breast strokes, combined with fluttering and just spastic movements. He had two redeeming qualities. The first was that he blew through his air quickly, and let us enjoy about 25% - 35% of the dive. His other quality was also a curse. Since he was not with anyone, he stuck by us. We didn't want him around us, but he was smart enough to know that he shouldn't be alone.

It would have bothered me a little bit, but we had a young diver with us that we were quite protective of. Watching this guy was a learning experience for the young diver, most of all. But, for me, I have to wonder if I should have said something during the SI. He was up first. I was up second, but not a lot of time to make comments in private. The dad of the 13 year old didn't provide any criticism, but I told the youngster to stay away from him on the next dive. The 13 year old already knew what I was talking about, and stayed away.

So..., should I have instantly said something when I got on deck when we were alone?? Should I have relied on the dive master to say something? What do you do when you encounter a diving spaz?

 

[Doc]

Ummm, offer to help him with his flipper thingies?

 

[Snoweman]

Ummm, offer to help him with his flipper thingies?

The dive master caught the fin. The guy could have let the DM put the fin back on, but he decided to fight against the current with on fin on. Then he decided to spaz out putting the fin on. On a previous dive, a diver had taken off her BCD, reset the tank, and then put it back on. I can only imagine what this guy would have looked like.

 

[Zef]

So..., should I have instantly said something when I got on deck when we were alone??

How can anyone evaluate that for you without knowing what you intended on saying?

Just because the guy did not posses the tranquility underwater that you believe you posses doesn't automatically make him an unsafe diver. I am sure the other folks in the pool with me the other night would have thought I had little skill as I was working out my buoyancy, weighting, and spatial awareness in the drysuit I recently purchased. Perhaps this guy was wearing a thicker wetsuit than he was used to and his weighting was off, perhaps he had not dived in 10 years and that was his refresher.

Perhaps more important than confronting this diver, you should confront the DM/operation about why they did not specifically pair the guy up with someone.

What were you doing to help make the situation better other than scoping out his equipment and watching him struggle with an eye of criticism?

I am sure this has been done to death, but this post has a nuance or two.

So what are the nuances that you are referring to?

-Z

 

[2airishuman]

If you are reasonably good at diving, you will encounter many people who aren't nearly as good at it as you are.

While I will assist if there is an emergency, and will offer the courtesy of assistance when it is requested or appropriate, I will not otherwise let other people make their problem, into my problem.

If I do not get to enjoy the trip I paid for, I will take that up with the operator.

 

[TMHeimer]

The dive master caught the fin. The guy could have let the DM put the fin back on, but he decided to fight against the current with on fin on. Then he decided to spaz out putting the fin on. On a previous dive, a diver had taken off her BCD, reset the tank, and then put it back on. I can only imagine what this guy would have looked like.

I swam a couple of times over the years using only one fin. Because I was searching for the other one that slipped out of my hands. The first time was in Fla. I found the fin only to find that on the beach some kids took my dive flag way down the shore and used it as a Maypole.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Sometimes divers who feel they have better skills than those around them aren't always correct. I was with a group of GUE trained divers who had perfect trim, stayed side by side with their buddies and frog-kicked the entire trip. They had no clue about their surroundings. They constantly dropped down on top of me while I was photographing a nudibranch. Another time one rose from underneath and crashed into an overhang in the reef.
I would have kept my mouth closed and also kept my distance if I were you.

 

[Bubblesong]

I too am curious as to what you might have said to the guy?
1) Since you are out of practice and too cheap to hire a private Instructor/DM, stay away from me and mine and go off to die alone.
2) you should return that gear you stole before you get yourself killed and then take swimming lessons before getting OW Certified.
3) would you like me to sign your log book? (as a ruse to see if the guy actually has a log book)
I would not say anything though, because I think the guy already knows, and it really is up to him to ask DM for suggestions.

 

[DiverDownD3]

Here at globo gym we are better than you and we know it!!

 

[Antmany2k]

in my limited experience i have dived with people better than me and with people i would deem to be at a lower level experience wise (i don't think worse than me is necessarily accurate). i've seen divers do things that i would deem not correct or spaff through air like its going out of fashion and i am sure that on other occasions i have been the first to lose air or do things that others think to be novice behavior. we all grow and learn at different rates

as for having said anything to him i prefer to only offer advice if its asked for. if someone seeks me out for advise i am happy to offer anything i can but i wont go up to someone and tell them they should do this or do that. i would feel embarrassed if someone did that to me and i wouldn't want to do that to someone else

at the end of the day its a hobby and if he is enjoying himself and isn't a danger to anyone then leave him be. and you cant judge someone on their gear, i once dived with a group of firemen who all came down with their own equipment that was well worn and they had their own tanks (something i thought only pros would do at the time) and they had 15l to my 12l and i was intimidated and scared i would ruin the dive for them because i would be out of air first. turns out they had buoyancy issues and they ran out of air long before i did. i've seen people with brand new gear who have dived little and have better buoyancy and air consumption than me.

if anything i think you maybe being a little harsh on the man. as was said above, maybe he was having weighting issues or a new suit that they weren't used to. or maybe just having a bad day. we all have those