Did you ever say NO

[Fish_Whisperer]

I've opted out of a few dives for the following reasons:

1. Gear malfunction - Blown O-ring, or badly leaking LP hose/joint
2. Hungover - Tequila (Need I say more?)
3. Just had "that feeling" - I never ignore it, and I've never regretted paying attention to it.

 

[Gary D.]

What I mean is did you ever say NO to a dive or did you abort (a part of ) a dive?

Way toooo many to ever count. If it doesn't feel right is more than likely isn't.

Last Tuesday I aborted the most laid back relaxing dive I have had in months.

Gary D.

 

[HateCheese]

Everyone who has been diving for a while has called dives.

Weather - I've cancelled plans when it waves/conditions don't match safely with experience and boat.

Jellyfish - jellies so thick you get stung just looking at the water.

Sharks - I've thumbed a dive once because of sharks. A week before I had a 'close encounter' (now he is my friend because I got to pet him ) with at 12ft hammerhead while spearfishing and a week later while hanging on the tag line waiting for my buddy to get in I had a few small (5-6 footers) sharks circling below me. That was enough to get my heart pumping again and anxiety to return. As my buddy was ready to hop in, I told him not to bother. We hung out on the boat for an hour and I wanted to get back in.

Uneasy - While getting my regs/computer serviced I had was out on a two tank spearfishing trip. Hated going back to tables. Got a bit roughed up headed to the first site. First dive to 101ft. Back on boat my knee felt sore. 99.99999% certain I had nailed it on the boat ride out. Didn't need to get back in the water for the shallower dive.

Call any dive at any time you need to. Any diver worth a c**p will respect your decision and most likely have a higher impression of you. More importantly, you assure yourself the chance to dive again!

 

[Gary D.]

I did call one due to weather that almost got me locked up.

It was in July 1968 when we were in Typhoon Carla. We were getting hammered with >70’ swells and we’re on a ship that is a 35’ tall pencil.

We lost a lot of life lines, the Motor Whaleboat (30’), the Captains Gig (30’), all of our Life Rafts and the ship just plain got the crap knocked out of it. We had lots and lots of damage.

Anyway this snotty nose officer calls me up to the fantail which was not a good place to be. Big freaking waves were breaking over it so you needed to be hanging on and use the super structure to help block them or you’d be exiting the ship.

He says we have a life raft hung up over the side and we need you to go get it. “YOU WANT WHAT?” He repeats it and being the snotty nose kid I was at the time told him; “You’re #5%$*$ nuts, you want it you go get it!” It was at about that time when I knew I was not going to go through life being Politically Correct (I don’t think that term had been invented yet).

He orders me to get it. That was mistake #2 on both our parts because it was another “WHAT?” again he orders me into the water. Then instead of trying to explain to him that he can not order a diver to make a dive I let my lack of being Politically Correct take over again. There was quite a conversation with ordering me to dive and me telling him just where he could place his orders and what route he could take doing it. :mooner: I am not going under a 2100 ton ship that is flipping around like a toy boat in a bathtub for anybody.

During our conversation the raft broke lose so now it’s a moot point.

In the long run he wrote me up and scheduled me for a Captain’s Mast which was overturned by the Captain. I even got a lesson on being Politically Correct and an apology from the snot face with a bar (1 rooky one) on his collar. That’s when I learned that if you’re going to tell an officer where to go make sure you put “SIR” with it.

Gary D.

 

[Rick Murchison]

... That’s when I learned that if you’re going to tell an officer where to go make sure you put “SIR” with it.

Gary D.

There are ways that work, and there are ways that don't fare too well...
One good example comes to mind (well, several actually, but only one I'll share )... Air Boss ordered me to launch an airplane with insufficient wind over the deck - I said "I can launch him, boss, but he'll go in the water."
---
To the original question... I've thumbed plenty of dives... weather, current, visibility, equipment problems. The one thing I'll say is that it's a whole lot easier - and ultimately safer - to abort a dive where you have clear abort criteria in advance than having to decide on the spot, especially if you've already sunk a bunch of money into it.
Rick

 

[hollywood703]

I have blewn off a few dives....Here are a couple:

On a Boat dive in Mexico......Was with a charter who will remain unnamed......and there was 2 instructors, and the 3rd became ill, and could not dive. I advised the instructors that I would be willing to go down unguided with my wife, and said good then you wont mind taking another with you.....I said as long as they are a seasoned diver I didnt mind, so i didnt have to babysit.....the instructors and their groups went in, and while waiting for our third to finish getting setup, she happens to mention this is her first dive since her class. granted it was only a 65 ft dive with a moderate current, I just wasnt feeling good about it.....My wife goes into the water......and the girl asks me what she is suppose to do now......I looked at her and said...what did you learn in class.....and she says" i dont know, the instructor always showed me" I told my wife, get out of the water, I wont dive with this "seasoned diver". Needless to say we got our money back for the dive....

Have had sever rental equipment issues in 3rd world companies before i started taking my equipment...Nothing like having a first stage seize at 75 ft, needless to say it didnt seize open....Would much rather have a freeflow.....

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

On the other hand, I've had "one of those days," before. I started the morning by slipping and falling down the front steps of the Casa del Mar, in Cozumel. Next, instead of having one of the larger, more stable boats, we got one of the crappy little boats, and I ended up sitting near the back. A couple of divers were chundering off the back, and I got that lovely salt-sea barfy smell... Mmmm!!

Next, the O ring blew, as I was setting up my gear. I racked my shins on the bench, as the boat pitched. In short, it was one of those mornings where I was Murphy's "special friend." Anything that COULD go wrong, DID.

I was still a new diver, and my instructor was along on this trip. I found out later, that he was just observing, and waiting to see how I handled myself. We got to the dive site. I'd since switched over to a new tank. I got geared up and dropped in, leaving every last bit of that awful morning behind, the minute my fins hit the water.

 

[carlcz]

I always ask my dive buddy-"Whay are you diving today?", if the answer ain't "FUN",
I always ask him/her, than why are you doing it?
And yes, I have blown off a dive (paid for") if it DID NOT FEEL RIGHT...

 

[clem]

mmmm. Thank You.

 

[redrover]

What I mean is did you ever say NO to a dive or did you abort (a part of ) a dive.
What I mean is did you ever had to say no to a Divemaster/guide duiring the dive. i.e.call a dive because the dm/guide went beond you skills.

Yep, no horrors tho.
Babycake night dive I loved and one many folk come here for. Decided I shouldn’t be diving, didn’t know why then, just didn’t think diving was a good place to be, whatever it was.
And I’ve not gone or done something ‘everyone’ else is. Not a big deal, can’t put a finger on the words why better than; I didn’t want to. Not like a danger just didn’t like it, maybe think it was fun? Not a challenge I needed to. Not over my head, just didn’t want to. There is a place here called Carousel and I’ve never been there when it was not real surgy, and it’s shallow. Twice was enough for me when it’s like that. If there wasn’t a herd in there I wouldn’t mind so much.
Went up a few feet or held above others. Headed back to putze around the buoy line earlier due to current being a pain to keep up and wanted to kick back and hang out, travel at my own pace.
Easy to call, the hard part is dealing with someone else fretting over why.
Two weeks ago let the opportunity for a extended advanced trip I’ve wanted to do for years go by. Been storming pretty bad, didn’t think the ocean was a good idea for me to do it the first time. That was a hard call to make but no regrets, I dive for fun. A month ago I canceled my booking for the Black Water Dive, I’ve also wanted to do since I first heard about it. Had been working 11 hr days that week and couldn’t see me getting enough rest to be diving period. Another good call, went soon after and was a great dive.
Oh yeah, sorta one beyond my skills. 1st dive out of BOW with a instructor friend. Class had developed a solid impression that below 60’, all went to hell in a hand basket. I say impression as it was more of my own making it dire, and I had really no picture of what would happen. So there we are getting to 50’, 54’, 57’ and I’m looking at depth every 5 sec. now. 59’ and that was it, I’d go no further. I’d already picked up he got PO’ed if I was not glued to his side and feared the wrath, but 59’ and I wasn’t budging. He chuckled a wile about that back on the surface.