Do you ever break the rules?

[guamguy]

I've broken my fair share of the guidelines of recreational diving.
-Dive flag, never have used one, most divers here go without a flag.
-Deco, not too long, though
-Depth limits, before I took AOW, I'd been well past 100 feet
-Solo diving, I don't do it too often, but sometimes will
-Interacting with marine life
-Holding my breath while taking pictures
-Omitting the safety stop
-Fooling around in shallow water 15 ft or less at the end of a dive and breathing the tank down to about 50 psi:shocked2:
-Using nitrox before taking the class

 

[Buoyant1]

Hmmmm confession time!? I've gone below the pre-described limits prior to attaining the "card"

I've taken Sudafed before diving! (more then once)

I've solo dived in a group situation (in "insta-buddy" circumstances)

I've pee'd in my wetsuit!

Nothing too crazy!

 

[InTheDrink]

I tend not to break the 'rules'. This is unusual for me as being Irish, left handed and Piscean rules have rarely served as more than the most perfunctory of guidelines.

However, my evaluation of other risks has been such that the worst case scenarios are liveable with, even if not ideal.

With Scuba I try, generally, to observe the limits described by training because if & when the brown stuff hits the fan you are very far from home. It's an ongoing and learning experience but I see no reason whatsoever for people to brag about their breaching 'rules'.

Scuba is clearly a pretty safe activity. But reinforcing a macho or casual attitude here by suggesting that rules are only for others isn't likely to help new divers adopt the appropriate attitude. Get over yourself etc. It's not big and it's not clever.

Just my €0.02.

J

p.s. this post was not directed at any posted in particular.

 

[BTravlin]

I've pee'd in my wetsuit!

Nothing too crazy!

No rule broken here.

 

[Buoyant1]

No rule broken here.

Sorry...I was on a roll with the confessin'!

 

[OldNSalty]

I've letft a buddy at depth.

I was given an insta-buddy and on the way out to the site we were talking about the dive...you know, planning. I had dove the site a few times and he had not dove it at all. I was explaining how to see the entire site and return to the anchor line and he listened and agreed with everything so I thought it would be a good dive.

We get to the bottom and he takes off from the wreck. I follow, he comes back and swims one way and then another-not following our plan at all. I am trying my best to stay oriented to where the anchor line is as I prefer to use it. Of course, I know, worse case, as long as I am near the wreck I will be near the boat when I surface-unless there is a bad current.

Finally a remora comes up and is following us. My insta buddy must not have liked this so he pulls his knife and starts slicing like a drunk samurai. I moved away and started thinking about the possible outcomes. First, and most likely, he stabs himself-bad. Next, if I try to go in and stop him, he stabs me-worse. Less likely, he stabs the fish and then who knows what he would do. I decided I didn't want to be around and waved good bye.

When we got back on the boat he said 'man, you must have gotten lost becasue after awhile I noticed you weren't there anymore.'

 

[Tim_Barker]

Just a couple:
Rarely dive with a dive flag, like others I have noticed that boaters use it for target practice
Have gone into deco a few times but followed the recommended stops
Went to 100 ft on my fourth ever dive (with my instructor)
Gone solo but not on purpose (dive buddy aborted the dive but signaled me to continue if I wanted)

I have always followed the rules in Coz but have witnessed numerous others who gave the blank look to the DM when he told them to remove their gloves (they still jumped in with the gloves on and basically ignoring the DM - I think their comment was "We never touch anything")

 

[Texfrazer]

No dive flag once - I've got the ticket to prove it (and the lack of $125 or so for both myself and my 2 buddies). Now I just expect to have to fight off the fishermen who try and hook it.

Ran out of air once inflating a lift bag. Had to do a looooong surface swim back to the boat.

Ran out of air once at depth while hauling up abandoned anchors - was shallow enough to suck some air and ascend without needing my buddies 2nd. However, the look on his face when I showed him my guage still makes me laugh!

Solo'd a few times - usually when I was working as a DM on the boat.

Didn't account for the tides when diving near some jetties.

I like to have at least one knife with me at all times.

Our 1st dive after checkout was to 100'. I guess back then, that was pretty normal.

It's kind of like the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. These have been "Mostly Harmless", but good teaching skills to help me not repeat the majority of these (other than knives and soloing).

 

[Eddie James]

A couple of threads (one in the Cozumel forum and one in the DIR forum) have got me thinking that divers commonly break the "rules" ... either in terms of what they were trained to do (or not do), or in terms of simply ignoring rules imposed by local authorities at dive sites.

Have you ever broken rules, or dived beyond your training? If so, under what circumstances, and why?

I'll start ... I like to solo dive. I have never taken a solo diving class, and I teach for an agency that specifically mandates diving with a buddy. My reasons for starting solo diving had to do with a budding interest in photography. Since then I do it for a simpler reason ... I enjoy it.

And you?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I would have to say solo diving. Some times I use a pool alone just to work on some things or to clean it.

I have also done some solo diving during the week days when I can't find a buddy. Those solo dives would all be considered easy beach dives. Dives that are less than 20 ft., no current and no obstructions to the surface. They are always within surface swim distance to shore and places I could/have snorkel'd

I have "bent" the rules by swimming into caverns and wrecks where I can see the exit before entering. Once I even tied off a spool, swam through the wreck and out the other side (yes I could see the exit before entering but I was practicing a tie off). Then, I swam back through while reeling in my spool.

I tend to try things that might stretch my comfort zone in order to become a better diver.

(whew. I made it through my first post!)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I would have to say solo diving. Some times I use a pool alone just to work on some things or to clean it.

I have also done some solo diving during the week days when I can't find a buddy. Those solo dives would all be considered easy beach dives. Dives that are less than 20 ft., no current and no obstructions to the surface. They are always within surface swim distance to shore and places I could/have snorkel'd

I have "bent" the rules by swimming into caverns and wrecks where I can see the exit before entering. Once I even tied off a spool, swam through the wreck and out the other side (yes I could see the exit before entering but I was practicing a tie off). Then, I swam back through while reeling in my spool.

I tend to try things that might stretch my comfort zone in order to become a better diver.

(whew. I made it through my first post!)

Welcome to ScubaBoard, Eddie ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)