How to ensure my safety when there is no guide dive with me?

[bob kopki]

Sounds like you're too inexperienced to dive in these circumstances.

ONLY DIVE WITH A DIVE GUIDE !!

 

[lord.harshil]

When I was working in Singapore/Malaysia as a DM, they insisted on group diving to a point where they insisted that a MSD with 200 plus dives not dive with his buddy and stick to the group.

The group was an OW group and the poor guy ended up wasting his first 2 dives kneeling watching them do skills. The instructors REFUSED to let him dive without a DM, even though he had willing buddies to go with him.

There was once when I was in charge of 6 certified divers and 4 of them wanted to tour the wreck I suggested but another buddy group wanted to dive on the reef. So I thought, yknow what, they're certified let them go off. Gave them the route, the bearings, the max depth and time and told them not to be late in coming up and I took 4 divers to the wreck and they went to the reef. Sounds fair?

When I got back on the boat, I got the worst shelling out from my instructor I have ever heard.

WHY DID YOU LET THEM GO ON THEIR OWN?

Um, they're certified advanced divers and they wanted to go on the shallow reef so I told them come up in 40 mins.

WE DO NOT DO THAT! YOU'RE AN IDIOT FOR DOING THAT. WHAT IF THEY GOT LOST AND DIED?

etc etc. Annoyed the hell out of me. Certified advanced divers who want to go on their own and I'm not allowed to let them? I much prefer the way things are in the States. Give me a brief overview of the dive site if I haven't dived it before and let me loose. I'd much rather be on my own.

 

[promocop]

I agree. I ALWAYS take a dive guide in unfamilair waters. This macho nonsense that AOW divers etc. "should be able to take care of themselves" is not the issue. Too many things to go wrong in foreign waters. I have hundreds of dives but still defer to 'local knowledge' e.g. local dive masters when I go abroad.

 

[lord.harshil]

I agree. I ALWAYS take a dive guide in unfamilair waters. This macho nonsense that AOW divers etc. "should be able to take care of themselves" is not the issue. Too many things to go wrong in foreign waters. I have hundreds of dives but still defer to 'local knowledge' e.g. local dive masters when I go abroad.

Thats true if the waters can be dangerous. Strong current where you can be washed off, deep drop offs, cold water, dangerous creatures, etc etc.

But in a shallow reef with a gentle gradient where the max depth is 13m and anything beyong is just sand with the water temp at 30 deg Celsius and the boat just above, its a bit hard to screw things up. Of course, **** can happen, but in the event it does, how much more useful is a DM compared with an experienced buddy?

Also, DM around or not, things always have a chance of going south. And if the divers aren't confident of going off on their own, follow me (in your case, pay for a DM) and if you are confident then by all means go off on your own, your safety is your reponsibility.

 

[Blazinator]

OK, I am going to need to see a cat scan and a lab report on this before I buy into this program . . .

There are specailty trained working dogs for Deaf & Blind People and now taking that concept into the realm of ridiculous are the newly DM Certified Dive Dogs.

They can be rented at most of the better dive shops and if they dont have one. Just call KayNine@wetdog.com she will send you to a certified dealer with real factory certified K9 Lab technicians.

 

[it_mike]

Careful with that 'cat' scan, you might distract the DM!

 

[H2Ohm]

Have you considered sticking with confined water dives?

 

[xjeslesx]

I'm not sure who would let you in the water without a compass? What did you plan to do if you got separated from group? I would seriously consider taking padi's underwater navigator class.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I agree. I ALWAYS take a dive guide in unfamilair waters. This macho nonsense that AOW divers etc. "should be able to take care of themselves" is not the issue. Too many things to go wrong in foreign waters. I have hundreds of dives but still defer to 'local knowledge' e.g. local dive masters when I go abroad.

To each their own, I suppose. One of the attractions of diving to me is that it gets me away from this "Big Brother needs to protect you from yourself" mentality. If I wanted a nanny, I'd stay in the pool.

Now, if a guide wants to take me around and find nice critters for me to take pictures of, then I'm on it like a fat kid on a cupcake ... otherwise, if you're expecting a tip, give me a nice briefing and let me do my dive!

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[D_B]

Asking about, and studying the local conditions of, an area or diving that is unfamiliar to you is just good common sense.

more than that is what ever it takes to make you comfortable in doing the dive, and that is fine ... but a dive guide should not normally be needed if the site is less than dangerous