Have you had to call off a dive?
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I've called dives because of:
Illness.
Weather.
Feeling of Something Evil This Way Comes.
Illness.
Weather.
Feeling of Something Evil This Way Comes.
EnriqueL6
Guest
I've called off quite a few dives. On Saturday I had to call off a dive. The seas were 5 to 7 feet, which didn't make much of a difference since we were on a 50' boat. Underwater there was very little visibility and a strong current, so I called off the dive. Rough seas, strong current and little visibility made the dive 1) Not worth the trouble and 2) Unsafe for my level of safety comfort. Maybe someone else would have gone ahead with the dive, but I surely didn't feel comfortable diving.
I've also had to call of dives because of my dive buddy's experience. I've been to dive sites where the conditions were well within my level of experience and comfort, but I did not feel that my dive buddy had the same level of experience and comfort so I called it off. A few times my buddy was upset with me, but I rather have an upset buddy than an injured or dead buddy.
Weather is always something you will fight; I can't count how many times I haven't been able to dive because of weather. I hunt, snowboard, hike, camp and various other outdoor activities and weather is always an issue and in every outdoor activity I've had to call an activity off because of the weather.
On one occasion I didn't get to do one of my dives because of a buddy that I was assigned while on a chartered dive boat during vacation. He had not dived in over 10 years, couldn't put his gear together without help and was somewhat nervous prior to the dive. I asked the divemaster to help me give him a refresher class and we did the shallower second dive. I did not feel comfortable diving to 100 feet with someone that hasn't dived in over 10 years. That was my personal decision, but I felt it was the right decision.
I've also had to call of dives because of my dive buddy's experience. I've been to dive sites where the conditions were well within my level of experience and comfort, but I did not feel that my dive buddy had the same level of experience and comfort so I called it off. A few times my buddy was upset with me, but I rather have an upset buddy than an injured or dead buddy.
Weather is always something you will fight; I can't count how many times I haven't been able to dive because of weather. I hunt, snowboard, hike, camp and various other outdoor activities and weather is always an issue and in every outdoor activity I've had to call an activity off because of the weather.
On one occasion I didn't get to do one of my dives because of a buddy that I was assigned while on a chartered dive boat during vacation. He had not dived in over 10 years, couldn't put his gear together without help and was somewhat nervous prior to the dive. I asked the divemaster to help me give him a refresher class and we did the shallower second dive. I did not feel comfortable diving to 100 feet with someone that hasn't dived in over 10 years. That was my personal decision, but I felt it was the right decision.
This is a great Thread and I have enjoyed reading it all.
I only really called one dive and that was just because of it too cold and painful. My instructor and I were just playing around and going to look for trash in a lake here in florida. The water was 55F at only 6 feet and we were in only 4 mins. He was in a dry suit W/hood that was leaking and I was in a 3mm wetsuit W/ NO hood. When I got my head under water it HURT
I said to hell with it. He came up and said yep my dry is wet so it ended right there.
Other times I just had to move a dive due to weather conditions. From Atlantic to Gulf or vice versa. A shore dive with 8ft waves would just SUCK.
I only really called one dive and that was just because of it too cold and painful. My instructor and I were just playing around and going to look for trash in a lake here in florida. The water was 55F at only 6 feet and we were in only 4 mins. He was in a dry suit W/hood that was leaking and I was in a 3mm wetsuit W/ NO hood. When I got my head under water it HURT
I said to hell with it. He came up and said yep my dry is wet so it ended right there.Other times I just had to move a dive due to weather conditions. From Atlantic to Gulf or vice versa. A shore dive with 8ft waves would just SUCK.
Oh, my goodness, I can't even COUNT the number of dives I've called.
The first big one was the day for experience dives in a class I took; the weather was foul, and the charter captain didn't cancel (of course not, he'd have had to refund our money if he did). We got to the site and I looked at choppy, chocolate brown water, and though about climbing the ladder in doubles, and bagged it. Funny enough, all my classmates then decided THEY weren't diving, either
I sat out a day of diving on our Indonesia trip because I had a cold. I then did precisely what we all advise everybody else NOT to do, and medicated the dickens out of myself, so I could dive the rest of the days.
I sat out a day of cave diving, because I locked the keys in the rental car IN (and blocking) the fill station, and by the time we found a locksmith on a Sunday to come open it up, I was so frazzled, my head would not be in the game.
I've canceled local dives because the weather was ugly, or because I was sick, or a couple of times because I got so badly snared in traffic that I wasn't going to get to the dive site until everybody else was coming back UP.
The first big one was the day for experience dives in a class I took; the weather was foul, and the charter captain didn't cancel (of course not, he'd have had to refund our money if he did). We got to the site and I looked at choppy, chocolate brown water, and though about climbing the ladder in doubles, and bagged it. Funny enough, all my classmates then decided THEY weren't diving, either
I sat out a day of diving on our Indonesia trip because I had a cold. I then did precisely what we all advise everybody else NOT to do, and medicated the dickens out of myself, so I could dive the rest of the days.
I sat out a day of cave diving, because I locked the keys in the rental car IN (and blocking) the fill station, and by the time we found a locksmith on a Sunday to come open it up, I was so frazzled, my head would not be in the game.
I've canceled local dives because the weather was ugly, or because I was sick, or a couple of times because I got so badly snared in traffic that I wasn't going to get to the dive site until everybody else was coming back UP.
RIdiverMike
Registered
We recently attended a December wedding in the Florida Keys for buddies of ours; bride, groom and entire wedding party all divers, all with plans for about 10 wreck dives as part of the honeymoon. Except for the bride and groom (!), everybody else in the wedding got sick (colds and some stomach flu). We had 35knot wind on several days so no boats went out and the Keys (and the rest of Florida) were hit with cold temps (for them anyway) for the whole week. However, the groom and I did a double dip on the Vandenberg off Key West. Though it was the only two dives we did the whole week, I can report that the first Vandy dive was certainly on my 2010 best dives list and possibly the best wreck dive I've ever done (I'm not wreck certified so I limit my penetration to swim throughs).
So although I was naturally disappointed we didn't get to do anything like the number of dives we planned, I took consolation in the fabulous Vandy dives. Quality over quantity!
That said, suspect I'd be even more disappointed in your circumstances - here's to better luck in the future. When I look back over 10 years of travel diving, the number of instances like this have been blessedly few. Hopefully it's the same for you. In the meantime, still sucks though!
So although I was naturally disappointed we didn't get to do anything like the number of dives we planned, I took consolation in the fabulous Vandy dives. Quality over quantity!
That said, suspect I'd be even more disappointed in your circumstances - here's to better luck in the future. When I look back over 10 years of travel diving, the number of instances like this have been blessedly few. Hopefully it's the same for you. In the meantime, still sucks though!
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Most experienced divers have to call off a dive at some point. There are some signature dives I've planned for that never happened ... sometimes because conditions were too rough, and sometimes because someone just wasn't feeling right for the dive.
I've missed several dives due to head colds ... the most memorable was a 3-day diving trip to Sechelt Inlet in British Columbia. I organized the trip ... which means I got a comp spot ... and went up there so stuffed up I never got to dive. I tried one day ... mainly because I got tired of listening to all my mates coming up raving about the wonderful beauty and incredible visibility. I made it down to about 8 feet before giving up ... and paid a hefty price for that foolishness.
I went back two months later. The 100-foot vis everyone on the previous trip was raving about was back to a more normal 30-40 foot vis, but I still had a great time.
There's always another day to dive ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Sure, I've called off a few dives. Once in Thailand because I was briefly sick (dove the next day) and also my entire time in New Zealand because I had a head cold. When I'm here on Catalina, I can pick and choose so I may plan to dive one day, but discover conditions are not optimal for filming and wait until they are. Easy for me to do since I live a mile from the dive park.
I also follow the 3 strike rule, and have called dives because of it. Fin strap breaking, mask strap loosening up and buddy with leaky tank o-ring...DONE. I have also called dives due to weather, and getting congested, it sucks on a vacation...but as Bob said, there is always another day to dive
sam1
Contributor
Two situations come to mind. One--so far, a one off, and the other, which has happened on a few occasions.
Two years ago I went to Hawaii over Christmas for some diving and sightseeing---and that's a long trek for me: 5,000 miles. I was going to do three two-tank AM dives. After the first day of diving I caught a cold. I debated with myself whether I would be able to equalize, especially since I sometimes have trouble under normal circumstances. As it turned out, when the time came to decide, the ability to equalize was not an issues as I did not feel like doing ANYTHING, let alone diving.
Locally, we have called a few dives due to rough sea conditions.
Two years ago I went to Hawaii over Christmas for some diving and sightseeing---and that's a long trek for me: 5,000 miles. I was going to do three two-tank AM dives. After the first day of diving I caught a cold. I debated with myself whether I would be able to equalize, especially since I sometimes have trouble under normal circumstances. As it turned out, when the time came to decide, the ability to equalize was not an issues as I did not feel like doing ANYTHING, let alone diving.
Locally, we have called a few dives due to rough sea conditions.
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