This is really an interesting topic for debate. I'll toss these out there.
First - There are always 3 sides to every insta buddy story (mine/yours and the truth). We haven't heard the other two.
Second - Anyone who has dive traveled probably has an insta buddy story. I have had 3 where I invested a lot of time in skill honing and being physically prepared not to mention the $$ involved only to be paired with someone who did not. I have no problem diving with a new diver, I actually enjoy being a mentor. I have since learned to spend a few minutes talking to someone I'm about to be paired up with and if it doesn't jive I let the DM know and ask to be paired with someone else or another pair. The DM's on the boats are generally pretty sharp, they see hundreds of divers and they can sniff out the yahoos from the good divers.
If your planning on a trip, please spend some time in the water before you go. Be honest with your self eval and don't expect someone else to make up for what you find lacking in your skills. On the boat, rate your skills and dive history accurately so the DMs have something to work with. I would much rather dive with a new diver that has had 30 dives in the last couple of months than a non teaching pro that hasn't been in the water since last season. Breathing gas underwater is pretty much the same everywhere, the water you breath it under is not. Educate yourself on the conditions you will be diving in that are different from home. If you don't have the skills for the water you will be diving in, take a private class or hire a DM for a dive. Don't burden someone else with the task of discovering what you don't know.
There has been all kinds of scenarios discussed but if you get separated (you won't know the reason why until after the fact) surface and let the DM's/Skipper know. They can then choose to do a diver recall, headcount and search if necessary.
In the end always be prepared to be self sufficient and self reliant. Getting separated is inevitable.
First - There are always 3 sides to every insta buddy story (mine/yours and the truth). We haven't heard the other two.
Second - Anyone who has dive traveled probably has an insta buddy story. I have had 3 where I invested a lot of time in skill honing and being physically prepared not to mention the $$ involved only to be paired with someone who did not. I have no problem diving with a new diver, I actually enjoy being a mentor. I have since learned to spend a few minutes talking to someone I'm about to be paired up with and if it doesn't jive I let the DM know and ask to be paired with someone else or another pair. The DM's on the boats are generally pretty sharp, they see hundreds of divers and they can sniff out the yahoos from the good divers.
If your planning on a trip, please spend some time in the water before you go. Be honest with your self eval and don't expect someone else to make up for what you find lacking in your skills. On the boat, rate your skills and dive history accurately so the DMs have something to work with. I would much rather dive with a new diver that has had 30 dives in the last couple of months than a non teaching pro that hasn't been in the water since last season. Breathing gas underwater is pretty much the same everywhere, the water you breath it under is not. Educate yourself on the conditions you will be diving in that are different from home. If you don't have the skills for the water you will be diving in, take a private class or hire a DM for a dive. Don't burden someone else with the task of discovering what you don't know.
There has been all kinds of scenarios discussed but if you get separated (you won't know the reason why until after the fact) surface and let the DM's/Skipper know. They can then choose to do a diver recall, headcount and search if necessary.
In the end always be prepared to be self sufficient and self reliant. Getting separated is inevitable.
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