Poor diving techniques I noticed during this week's trip.

[MargaritaMike]

Very interesting. Someone doing his/her part to help protect the environment from the invasive species while destroying the environment. That's a new one. Or maybe the diver was just catching a meal and didn't care about it being invasive?

They were eating the large ones and bragging about it. IMO they were obnoxious. I don't want to say too much about them as it would make it easy for some to identify them.

Cheers -

 

[chillyinCanada]

On a liveaboard trip, one of the photographers always had his fins on the reef or doing some damage to delicates. I lifted his fins a couple of times and he asked me about it.

I explained that he had his fins in the anemone, kicking it as he tried for his shot and that the nemos were pretty upset.

I was then lectured on how everyone is too over the top about coral damage and the ultimate strength of anemones.

I didn't bother to argue the point. He's a doctor so of course, he knows better.

 

[outofofficebrb]

On a liveaboard trip, one of the photographers always had his fins on the reef or doing some damage to delicates. I lifted his fins a couple of times and he asked me about it.

I explained that he had his fins in the anemone, kicking it as he tried for his shot and that the nemos were pretty upset.

I was then lectured on how everyone is too over the top about coral damage and the ultimate strength of anemones.

I didn't bother to argue the point. He's a doctor so of course, he knows better.

 

[MargaritaMike]

On a liveaboard trip, one of the photographers always had his fins on the reef or doing some damage to delicates. I lifted his fins a couple of times and he asked me about it.

I explained that he had his fins in the anemone, kicking it as he tried for his shot and that the nemos were pretty upset.

I was then lectured on how everyone is too over the top about coral damage and the ultimate strength of anemones.

I didn't bother to argue the point. He's a doctor so of course, he knows better.

When people get snobby I have found the a quick punch to the nose gets their nose out of the air! Not that I'm advocating violence. I'm just sayin'

Cheers -

 

[The Chairman]

I was then lectured on how everyone is too over the top about coral damage and the ultimate strength of anemones.

When I bought my first pair of Jet fins back in 1969, the major selling point was that I could kick the crap out of the reef and not hurt the fin. Attitudes and practices change. Most divers are into protecting our playground. Sure, there are a few who feel they should be able to do whatever they want. If I get ridiculous tudes from someone who should know better, I just put them on my "ignore" list. They aren't worth my ire.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I wasn't ired. Just felt sad and tired, much like most everything under his fins on a photo dive.

 

[Graeme Fraser]

I'm in the camp of 'try to be a positive role model' and hope that new divers actively want to adopt good habits that we more experienced divers should be demonstrating.

One time I did feel the need to voice my fury was after seeing this idiot break a 6ft span Gorgonian Fan, because he was too busy f*ng about showing off to his girlfriend. Some things you can't forgive

 

[caruso]

Interesting that some posters take the position of "I wouldn't bother saying anything it won't help".

Every little bit helps. I think that protecting the reef and promoting safety falls to the DMs and others on the boat who are in a position of responsibility. I told the DM that the guy took my criticism well, perhaps she will be more likely to say something next time she sees a diver under another on boarding ladder and just maybe it could save a diver from a crushed skull and avoid a lawsuit that makes diving more expensive for everyone.

At any rate it can't hurt to try.

 

[D_Fresh]

It sounds to me like @caruso handled the situations well, and was well received from the "offending" divers.

I have done similar from time to time, and when done tactfully, it can have a huge positive impact on the diver. Hopefully the diver(s) will pay it forward when they see someone making the same mistakes they did.... "Hey, I noticed you did *insert offense here*, I used to do that too, but someone told me *blah blah blah* and I feel I've improved from their advise..."

Anyways, I do believe that divers can, should, and do, learn from each other. Learn from other's mistakes, learn from each other's successes, and continue to grow as divers and as a community....

Happy diving!

 

[The Chairman]

"I wouldn't bother saying anything it won't help"

That's not the message I'm getting. Some people get a kick out of straightening others out. I guess it feeds their ego and helps them to feel superior. Many of us have made a personal decision to be as non-confrontational as possible; Dive and let dive. It's OK that not everyone dives like me. I'm not on a crusade to badger people into becoming competent divers. It's just not my style. I've seen a lot more damage to our ecosystem from the fish, than I have people. I vividly remember this night dive off of Saba. A nurse shark joined us, using our lights to hunt with. She was with us for ten minutes or better, when she darted after a fish. I didn't think a nurse shark could move that fast! The fish went under a ledge, and so did nursie. With one swipe of her tail I saw a largish barrel sponge get knocked over and a sea fan get broken. She was really working to get under this ledge and then there was this 'gronk' and the ledge moved. Finally, a flush of red came out and nursie backed out. To my horror, the ledge had been broken off of it's pinnings and tilted over without the shark under it. I've never seen a nurse shark getting sharky with it before. It was amazing, and the damage she did for that widdle bitty fish was equally as amazing. She stuck with us for the rest of the dive... and I extended all sorts of respect to her after that.