In defense of Casual Divers

[King Kong Matt]

I agree with Walter. No need to mince words here...who are the cultists and what are they preaching?

 

[Tollie]

It’s a risk to try to speak for someone else but heck I’ll try.

I think Howie is suggesting that the casual once a year diver is the heart of the industry. Without the 100,000’s of casual divers who dive once a year or less the equipment manufacturers, dive agencies, and the many thousands of folks who do make a living from diving (myself included) would be doing something else. Beyond that the awareness of the underwater realm that these casual divers have would be missing from the discussion of the shape of the environment. Our world would be a poorer place.

Perhaps what Howie is reacting to is the very small very small indeed minority of divers who believe that if you have not spent 15 hours in the pool perfecting your hover before you get into the open water you are an accident waiting to happen. Or perhaps he is reacting to the group that says that unless your open water course consists of o/w plus advanced o/w and then rescue with a nitrox endorsement you really are under trained.

I detect a bit of weariness in Howies post at the sameness… the repetitiveness of the calls for improvement in diver education and dive practice that will not happen and perhaps are not necessary for the 90% (I just made that stat up) of divers who “just want to see pretty fish”.

Now should this board close up shop… no way. It’s a great resource for folks who want to grow as divers and who want to become more skillful and safer divers. But lets face it this is a minority of divers.

My own professional practice is probably more like Howies and I’ll bet that most resort environments are also comparable. This means that I must serve the guests that show up on my dive boat. I set up gear for most guests… exhaustively remind them how to do a giant stride… and keep my eyes open (wide) for problems… they are our guests and customers.

 

[TSandM]

I don't think anybody on this board has tried to suggest that resort divers know how to rig stage bottles. And only if they are diving Nitrox do they need to know anything about their ppO2 at any point in the dive (if they are staying within recreational limits).

I think a lot of people on this board have tried to suggest that ALL divers would be better served to have good buoyancy skills, an understanding of basic gas management, and good buddy technique. Do you have an argument with that?

I set up gear for most guests… exhaustively remind them how to do a giant stride… and keep my eyes open (wide) for problems… they are our guests and customers.

I think what people here tend to decry is that you HAVE to set up gear, remind people how to do the giant stride, and keep your eyes open for problems. In a perfect world, all of us would dive often enough, and with enough motivation to achieve a solid level of basic skill. It isn't a perfect world, but we don't have to close our eyes to that. What is written here on SB may raise the awareness of some divers and cause them to look into further training, more frequent experience, and better skills. I doubt that's a bad thing.

 

[MikeFerrara]

I agree with Walter. No need to mince words here...who are the cultists and what are they preaching?

I thought an OW certification qualified a diver to plan and conduct a dive independantly?

If that were true it wouldn't take so many DM's to herd divers around and they wouldn't have to watch them so close on the trip out, on the trip back, in the lodge, while they're having meals, on the plane, in the cab and at home for several months before the trip...ect

Give me a break. On one hand he says all is well and on the other he makes a huge point of pointing out that all their decisions are being made for them...if we like the way they look they'll get a longer leash and if they're really good they'll get invited on special dives....a DM in front one in back and another hiding around the corner.

 

[King Kong Matt]

I thought an OW certification qualified a diver to plan and conduct a dive independantly?

If that were true it wouldn't take so many DM's to herd divers around and they wouldn't have to watch them so close on the trip out, on the trip back, in the lodge, while they're having meals, on the plane, in the cab and at home for several months before the trip...ect

Give me a break. On one hand he says all is well and on the other he makes a huge point of pointing out that all their decisions are being made for them...if we like the way they look they'll get a longer leash and if they're really good they'll get invited on special dives....a DM in front one in back and another hiding around the corner.

I'm confuzzled...I'm not sure why you are quoting me on this one.

 

[Adobo]

Very minimum (don't panic) on one side and on the other side, stage bottle diving. Are those the only choices for measuring sticks for vacation divers or is there something in the middle? After all, embolisms and drownings can happen to vacation divers too.

 

[*Floater*]

They want to relax and see the pretty fish and the beautiful reef. The don’t want to join a CULT or in-list in the WUAFEN SS. They expect me to be a DIVE MASTER not a REICH MARSHAL.

Not sure what you are referring to here, but if it's about DIR, then I should note that GI3's issues are with some of the tech divers and tech instructors out there. As far as I know (per his comments on DIR 2004) he's completely fine with your normal, warm water vacation divers doing their thing.

 

[Wildcard]

If it were not for vacation divers, most DMs would be out of work. They pay us to refresh them, make sure they are safe, stop them if there not and show them a good time. Im not sure which is better, teaching a new student or reviving a sport for someone who has not dove in a while? I dove with a guy today, his C card was dated 1957! I have a pic, well I have a pic of the pieces of his card. Hadn't dove in a long time and had a few minor problems. We worked through them, got to the wreck and got one pic of him with a turtle and at 1500, he was ready to head up. He was thrilled! Bout the same for the second dive and he was just beaming. That was fun.

 

[lamont]

I detect a bit of weariness in Howies post at the sameness… the repetitiveness of the calls for improvement in diver education and dive practice that will not happen and perhaps are not necessary for the 90% (I just made that stat up) of divers who “just want to see pretty fish”.

Divers who "just want to see pretty fish" still run the risk of blowing their lungs due to a rapid ascent from 20 feet.

 

[MikeFerrara]

It’s a risk to try to speak for someone else but heck I’ll try.

I think Howie is suggesting that the casual once a year diver is the heart of the industry. Without the 100,000’s of casual divers who dive once a year or less the equipment manufacturers, dive agencies, and the many thousands of folks who do make a living from diving (myself included) would be doing something else. Beyond that the awareness of the underwater realm that these casual divers have would be missing from the discussion of the shape of the environment. Our world would be a poorer place.

How would all that make the world a poorer place?

Perhaps what Howie is reacting to is the very small very small indeed minority of divers who believe that if you have not spent 15 hours in the pool perfecting your hover before you get into the open water you are an accident waiting to happen. Or perhaps he is reacting to the group that says that unless your open water course consists of o/w plus advanced o/w and then rescue with a nitrox endorsement you really are under trained.

Maybe Howie should get out a bit and see what happens when some of those folks try diving without a herd of divemasters?

Why do you need so many DM's if the agencies are preparing divers to dive independantly as they claim?

I detect a bit of weariness in Howies post at the sameness… the repetitiveness of the calls for improvement in diver education and dive practice that will not happen and perhaps are not necessary for the 90% (I just made that stat up) of divers who “just want to see pretty fish”.

The calls to leave things as they are seem a bit repetative too.

Now should this board close up shop… no way. It’s a great resource for folks who want to grow as divers and who want to become more skillful and safer divers. But lets face it this is a minority of divers.

Yes it's a minority. The sad fact is that minority are offered little in the way of options because just about every corner dive shop assumes that a prospective new diver is goind to be like one of Howies clients and gives them little choice in the matter.

My own professional practice is probably more like Howies and I’ll bet that most resort environments are also comparable. This means that I must serve the guests that show up on my dive boat. I set up gear for most guests… exhaustively remind them how to do a giant stride… and keep my eyes open (wide) for problems… they are our guests and customers.

I believe that things are going great for you resort guys but again, how do you think these folks do when you aren't around to help out? Next time, why don't you send them out on the boat without you? Maybe their cert should specify what they're qualified to do?