Alexvizzio
Registered
I am sure very soon someone will tell her to inform the dive leader about something and not taking matters in her own hands.
Interfering Diver
- Thread starter Bratface
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Alexvizzio
Registered
I am sure very soon someone will tell her how to behave.
Dive Bug Bit Me
Contributor
I would be super peeved at a DM who pulled that with my daughter (when she gets to diving age in 8 years time that is). Nothing grates more than a show off DM with the card but less dives than I have.
Still I do ask, in this case, both father and son were relatively new divers. Maybe I am overly protective, but once my daughter is newly qualified I am going to stick to her like glue. No way anyone will be able to slip weights into her pockets without me noticing. Sounds like the dad in this case may not have been that experienced and have had it all fully under control (sounds like he was 12 feet under his son / buddy). Still a pocket full of weights is a strange intervention from the DM.
Still I do ask, in this case, both father and son were relatively new divers. Maybe I am overly protective, but once my daughter is newly qualified I am going to stick to her like glue. No way anyone will be able to slip weights into her pockets without me noticing. Sounds like the dad in this case may not have been that experienced and have had it all fully under control (sounds like he was 12 feet under his son / buddy). Still a pocket full of weights is a strange intervention from the DM.
On our cert dives, I was running a bit underweighted. Even with no air in the BC, I was constantly fighting to stay at depth. One of the DM's offered me a weight, which is how I think it should be done. By signaling the other diver, the one trying to be helpful assures that the person acknowledges they need help, and doesn't end up over reacting to a sudden unexpected change.
It's also just simple, common courtesy to keep your hands out of other people's pockets, regardless of whether you're putting something in or taking something out.
Then again, I keep asking why common courtesy isn't more common...
It's also just simple, common courtesy to keep your hands out of other people's pockets, regardless of whether you're putting something in or taking something out.
Then again, I keep asking why common courtesy isn't more common...
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Sounds to me like a newly-certed DM who is struggling to figure out what that really means. Hopefully when the newness wears off she'll quit trying to impress everyone with her credentials and stop being so "helpful" ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
I can certainly imagine someone who has recently finished her class, and perhaps has worked with some OW classes, being hypervigilant, and concerned about the boy who had apparently lost buoyancy control, and who apparently had no one at his side. I might well have gone up with him as well -- but all I would have done, if anything was necessary, would be to get above him, perhaps hold him down a bit, and maybe vent his BC, if it appeared that he didn't have the presence of mind to do it himself.
The vast majority of buoyancy issues in new divers simply have to do with poor breathing patterns and failure to anticipate the need to vent; simply ASSUMING that weighting was the core of the problem shows that she actually doesn't know very much about being a good DM, I think.
I don't fault her for feeling impelled to do something, if what she saw added up to a potentially bad situation to her. But her intervention was the wrong one.
The vast majority of buoyancy issues in new divers simply have to do with poor breathing patterns and failure to anticipate the need to vent; simply ASSUMING that weighting was the core of the problem shows that she actually doesn't know very much about being a good DM, I think.
I don't fault her for feeling impelled to do something, if what she saw added up to a potentially bad situation to her. But her intervention was the wrong one.
DevonDiver
N/A
Given her dive count, it points to a very inexperienced, newly qualified DM. When a diver's certification level exceeds their experience level, it can lead to this sort of shennanigans.
As others have mentioned, the ego can be artificially inflated by a new piece of plastic. I think that it's a relatively common reaction, especially at DM level. It tends to get resolved with further experience.
That said, in this instance, I do wonder about the quality of buddy skills and level of supervision that was given to the child. I wasn't there, so I won't cast judgement.... but the following statements cause me concern...
That description paints an image in my mind... of a nervous father (who has to be the buddy and responsible diver for the minor)... who was actually diving with the dive leader, whilst the kid was 'roaming' amongst the group. Perhaps the lady concerned felt that the child was not being adequately supervised by the father or dive leader?
As others have mentioned, the ego can be artificially inflated by a new piece of plastic. I think that it's a relatively common reaction, especially at DM level. It tends to get resolved with further experience.
That said, in this instance, I do wonder about the quality of buddy skills and level of supervision that was given to the child. I wasn't there, so I won't cast judgement.... but the following statements cause me concern...
That description paints an image in my mind... of a nervous father (who has to be the buddy and responsible diver for the minor)... who was actually diving with the dive leader, whilst the kid was 'roaming' amongst the group. Perhaps the lady concerned felt that the child was not being adequately supervised by the father or dive leader?
Bogie
Contributor
It is easy just to talk to people instead of building up negative stuff. She is obviously new and her intention was to be helpful. She is still learning too and will make mistakes. I would have just talked to her and had an adult conversation and cleared the air. She would have learned and would have benefited.
The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
You guys are brutal. She has been tried, convicted and ready for execution all on hearsay! If she is on ScubaBoard, she's probably in tears right now. No one expects the Scuba Inquisition!
Let's face it: ALL of us make mistakes. Many of these mistakes are from trying to be too helpful. When my air was turned off recently, you can bet that the boat DM and I had a short discussion about it. You can be sure that it was a very respectful and gentle discussion about how valves can be right or left, and that if you feel that a diver's air is off, it's best to communicate that to him before you help him to death.
For all we know, the lady offered the weight to the boy and he eagerly took it, only he was confused as to where to put it. She might have then shoved it into his pocket for him, solving problem #2.
It seems that many of you think that she should just let the boy struggle. Possibly her intervention kept him from actually surfacing. Could she do it better? Only with experience. Unfortunately, you guys think she should not get more experience until she has more experience. Shenanigans. 125 dives is PLENTY for a dive master to be able to help those. Heck, I have had former students with less than 20 dives helping others on a dive.
What I am truly afraid of is that we are going to DISCOURAGE divers helping other divers. THAT would be tragic. Let's cut the anonymous Lady DM some slack and assume the BEST rather that the WORST.
Let's face it: ALL of us make mistakes. Many of these mistakes are from trying to be too helpful. When my air was turned off recently, you can bet that the boat DM and I had a short discussion about it. You can be sure that it was a very respectful and gentle discussion about how valves can be right or left, and that if you feel that a diver's air is off, it's best to communicate that to him before you help him to death.
For all we know, the lady offered the weight to the boy and he eagerly took it, only he was confused as to where to put it. She might have then shoved it into his pocket for him, solving problem #2.
It seems that many of you think that she should just let the boy struggle. Possibly her intervention kept him from actually surfacing. Could she do it better? Only with experience. Unfortunately, you guys think she should not get more experience until she has more experience. Shenanigans. 125 dives is PLENTY for a dive master to be able to help those. Heck, I have had former students with less than 20 dives helping others on a dive.
What I am truly afraid of is that we are going to DISCOURAGE divers helping other divers. THAT would be tragic. Let's cut the anonymous Lady DM some slack and assume the BEST rather that the WORST.
ScubaNurse758
Contributor
Where's the fun in that?! I think that sometimes its our nature to automatically say what we would have done different or better or smarter. I think the best scenario after what happened would be to take the new DM aside, away from everyone else, and just help her understand what she should've/could've done different, sort of like the post dive debriefing we all got when we were new divers. She obviously is eager to help others become better divers, so it would be a shame for her to lose that drive over some misguided or uncalled for berating.
Jordan.
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