In defense of Casual Divers

[MikeFerrara]

Thanks for the clarification. I'm in total agreement. While I employ the use of a guide,etc. on all my current dives, we try to ensure that we are participating not just following the leader. In fact, on our last two dives in that warm clear water that we do not have up here, our guide was navigationally challenged and it was my wife and I that pointed to where the boat was. Admittedly, we did allow him to surface and get a bearing, but we were well under control and could complete the dive at anytime without assistance.

A guide who gets lost:lol:

 

[TheRedHead]

A guide who gets lost:lol:

I had the same thought. What's the point of the guide?

Nice explanation, Mike.

 

[Sean C]

A guide who gets lost:lol:

Yup, new site for him and he was pointing everything out for us and got a bit messed up. Well not a good practice, I can understand how it happened.

When I was guiding for a group of skiers in Switzerland, I screwed up and skied them all into the wrong village. That was a hefty cab bill.

I think that's why we like having someone with us, it's an extra set of skills that we can utilize and helps us to prevent mistakes. Hey, if I could play golf with my boss or a pro, I would take the pro provided they were willing and capable of mentoring.

Sean

 

[Walter]

Can I add one more question to Walter's list wich i think is thebest list of question I have seen...

How often do you dive for your own pleasure and what sort of dives?
If the answer is - at least once a week go for this guy. I think it's crucial that instructor is still diving - it means he loves this sport and this is his hobby not the way to make the living. And I know instructors who haven't been diving for many, many years. All they do is diving with students.

Mania
PS. Walter can I translate this list and post it on Polish diving board????

I can't believe I missed that point. Good job, Darlin'. Feel free to translate and use it on the Polish board.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Should you give up diving? with your attitude, maybe so. A golfer won't die because he shoots a 120. A hockey player won't die because he's not god enough to play the pros. 2 year olds can ride a bike, are you up to that level?

Is a 120 bad:11:

Vacation divers should kiss up to us, we are the ones who love to dive enough to become DM's and OWSI's. Without us, you would never learn to dive in the first place.

FD

From what we're being told here there isn't that much to learn anyway because you don't have to be an astronaut. Just gear em up and throw em in!

 

[fire_diver]

Is a 120 bad:11:

From what we're being told here there isn't that much to learn anyway because you don't have to be an astronaut. Just gear em up and throw em in!

Is 120 bad? beats me, I heard some golfers at work joking about it.

Sadly, throwing them in is what happens some places. My neighbor took a resort course once and thats exactly what they did. He didn't know any better. He took another course a couple years later (that actually spent a few hours teaching) and was amazed at how much danger he had been in the first time.

FD

 

[Sean C]

A hockey player won't die because he's not god enough to play the pros.


FD

As a Canadian, I take pride in informing you that if you suck and try to play hockey above your head in my league, I WILL gladly remove your head from your sorry pathetic little body.

Of course, being Canadian, means I will also by you a beer after your decapitation and then maybe even drive you to the hospital, in that order.....

Sean

 

[Halthron]

I didn't mean it in a negative way and perhaps someone should offer a formal definition of a "trust me" dive. It is my understanding that if you depend on someone, particularly if they have a lot more experience, to select the site, lead the dive and navigate, you are essentially trusting them not to lead you into a dangerous situation. This is in contrast to a diver who goes to Florida and teams up with a buddy to make a dive plan on their own and navigate the site and get back to the boat safely. Perhaps someone can clarify?

I'm not quite sure I agree. That could also be the case for an experienced diver hiring a local to show them the area. The most important part, IMO, is not being led into a situation you can't handle. Just how many "trust me" dives are there to throw at a Tech 2 diver? A lot less than there are to throw at an OW diver. Also IMO, the dive doesn't turn into a trust me dive until the diver follows the DM into a situation the diver can't handle on their own.

In my limited experience, most DMs are guides, they're paid to shepherd divers around. It's ultimately the diver's responsibility to know when their skills have been exceeded. The only area of contention I have with vacation dive resorts, their shops and the DMs they employ is that they are putting the safety of their customers at risk by encouraging them not to think; that everything will be okay if they leave everything in the hands of the DM. Then, when the poo hits the fan, the shop can say "the diver is the one ultimately responsibile for his/her own safety, no one is allowed to dive without showing proper certification, poor Mr & Mrs. Doe had been properly trained in the basic of diving by Bob's Truk-Stop and Dive-Shop."

In essence, a trust me dive begins with trusting the agency to properly prepare the diver.

 

[strongbow]

I WOULD NEVER GO ON A DIVE AND EXPECT TO BE CATERED TO TO THE POINT OF BEING LED AROUND BY THE FIN SO TO SPEAK,AFTER ALL I AM PAYING FOR THE TRIP. WHY SHOULD I TRUST YOU OR ANYONE ELSE FOR MY IGNORANCE. IF I DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM DOING THEN I SHOULD STAY ON DRY TERA FERMA. :crossbone :mil-pow-mia: :us:

 

[TheRedHead]

I WOULD NEVER GO ON A DIVE AND EXPECT TO BE CATERED TO TO THE POINT OF BEING LED AROUND BY THE FIN SO TO SPEAK,

I was on a dive where a diver held onto the DM's fin while going through a swimthrough. I guess that is close to being led around by the fin.