Learned Wrong...

[spectrum]

Another thing that pisses me off is dm's in vacation spots that put loa diver's on their octo and continuing the dive. I understand why they do it and don't fault the individual dm's, but its a bad example from someone in a position of authority, making it seem like it would be ok to just run your tank down, then just suckoff your buddies tank.

That's an interesting concern and I can see where it can go south.

My first thought was that it's no different than what I do when making vacation dives with my wife. She's a power breather so she spends some time on my alternate while we're outbound. We have it worked out so we both make good use of our fills and exit with a margin. However in this case it is planned and we have experience with the scenario. She even stows the alternate for me. She is my buddy, diving with me an nobody else has an expectation of us.

in the case of the DM being the donor it sounds like a reward for poor dive selection and buddy team performance. It can set a precedent for multiple LOA scenarios at once with excessive demands on a DM who has a whole party in the water. it also deprives the DM of flexibility he should have to manage the dive and tend to other needs. The alternatives would be to end the dive for all or send the needy buddy pair up early. I'm not an avid vacation diver but I realize that sending pairs up or turning the party on the spot is not always a good idea. I think in the end it's recreation and everyone want's to have the best time possible..... and earn a nice tip.

Pete

 

[bl6394]

While working at a local mine as a safety diver - I frequently caught hell for using my wing as primary buoyancy control instead of my drysuit and
just putting enough air into the drysuit to avoid a squeeze.. (I was diving doubles with BP/W in a standard tec configuration.)

One of the trail leads in particular would always extoll the virtues of having a nice big bubble of air in your drysuit - so that you could roll on your back and swim backwards while watching the customers. Since they were using the Drysuit for buoyancy - they had the Drysuit hose connected to the right post - and the BCD to the left post... Other trail leads argued you stayed warmer with all that air in your Drysuit.

Maybe it makes sense for the kind of diving they are doing in the mine (leading customers around on tours.) But I never adopted their style of diving.

Bjorn

 

[boulderjohn]

I know dive operators that routinely put dives on the DMs air, but they do it BEFORE the diver is really low on air. In one such operation, the divers are in a group with the DM, and the DM puts the first diver to 1,000 PSI (on an HP 120) on his alternate with a 7 foot hose. When a second diver reaches that level, the first diver goes back on his or her own tank and the ascent process begins. That way there is never a scenario where a second diver is OOA while the DM is sharing air, unless there is a catastrophic equipment failure. If that were to occur, the DM could return the first diver to his or her ample gas supply while helping the diver with the problem. During the last stages of the dive, everyone is on his or her own gas.

 

[Deep South Divers]

While working at a local mine as a safety diver - I frequently caught hell for using my wing as primary buoyancy control instead of my drysuit and
just putting enough air into the drysuit to avoid a squeeze.. (I was diving doubles with BP/W in a standard tec configuration.)

Yeah, I caught hell once from one of my stepdaughters for going the speed limit. She said, "You don't know how to DRIVE." (Keep in mind that I had been driving for 25 years compared to her 3-6 months... And am no stranger to speed. I once held a world speed record in motorcycling.) Within 12 months, she had her license suspended. Oops. Duh. Took a lot of self-control not to rub it in.

I catch hell all the time from divers that wonder about a backplate and wing, a long hose, or Jet fins. They look at me, the guy they know that dives every day, and say to me, "Oh, man... They have these things they call split fins now... You should try them," like I am the clueless one.

People thought Albert Einstein was a loon until his theories were used to create the atom bomb.

Thomas Edison was considered totally whacked until he actually created a light bulb that didn't burn out in a matter of minutes.

Gailieo was imprisoned and nearly executed - by the Catholic Church - for telling people that the world was round (Why was Galileo to be executed? - Yahoo! Answers).

The bottom line is: You're in good company. Just because someone makes fun of you doesn't mean that you're wrong.

One of the trail leads in particular would always extoll the virtues of having a nice big bubble of air in your drysuit - so that you could roll on your back and swim backwards while watching the customers.

He couldn't do this without the "nice big bubble?"

I never adopted their style of diving.

Good for you! It's a great thing to avoid bad habits...

 

[Jax]

I remember my one-and-only-PADI-course (Nitrox) instructors basically saying "If you put so much as a pinky past your MOD, you're going to die!"

 

[Thalassamania]

The bottom line is: You're in good company. Just because someone makes fun of you doesn't mean that you're wrong.

But then again, it may.

BTW: Edison invented very little either through the exercise of his intellect or his perspiration). He ran an "intellectual sweat shop" and patent mill where, by-and-large he capitalized on the work of others.