PSD Team expectancy

[Siilverback]

I was reading through some other posts, which got me to wondering. I have been on our local PSD team the longest with 6 years and currently am one of the Asst. Team Leaders. Just wondering from other PSD's how long they have been a PSD and what can we expect for how long someone will stay on the team before burning out.

 

[Gary D.]

I joined this team in October 76. Did it in a different capacity from 64-70.

I know some that quit after their first recovery. Others did several adults but the first kid sent them packing. Most have never dove again after leaving.

You need a safety valve to stay sane.

Gary D.

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

we have members on our team from the teams creation, thats 12 years for those guys. one of them no longer dives though and is just a surface support member but since he had so much experience he often ends up as the team leader on opps. I think the average span for our members who are no longer on the team is somewhere around 5-7 years. several members do not participate underwater for child recoveries.

 

[tc]

Just passed 22 years.

I'm not the senior guy either- by a lot.

It varies a lot. Wish I knew the secret to keeping people around.

I do know that folks who don't actively dive outside the team will never last very long. You have to be able to balance out the working dives with having some fun once in a while.

Did I mention that I spent the day on a boat at Catalina Island today doing nothing harder than watching the pretty fishies?

Tom

 

[bridgediver]

I do know that folks who don't actively dive outside the team will never last very long. You have to be able to balance out the working dives with having some fun once in a while.

This is very true. They must really love diving to stick with it.
Our average is about 5-7yrs also - which isn't all that bad as there's always a wait list to get on the team; still, it takes allot of effort to train new guys all the time

 

[grumpie]

I started diving with our team in 1960,in 1986 became dive master, in 1993 I became the instructor. I currently still teach them and another SO. Just became their IT. The span of divers is about 5-7 years and then they go of to other things, when you train twice a month 12 months a year, plus call outs it becomes a drain on the family life. In all the years Ive meet some really good people.
grumpie.......

 

[Siilverback]

I agree with diving outside the team to equal it out. I am good with everything we do and enjoy it. I admit I do get a little weird with body recoveries. My first body recovery was zero viz and I had only been on the team a short time. Our department offered critical incident debriefing to our SWAT guys who had chased the guy into the water but not to me. I am getting better and still do my job when called upon. I'm just not thrilled with that part

 

[Yotsie]

I've been with our team for 11 years and am now the team leader. We've had members who had been on the team 25+ years. It seems interest increases when we get fresh FNG on the team. We, as a team, plan fun dives to the usual rec diving spots in Coz, Honduras, etc to even things out. I, being the team leader for Dive and the Sergeant in charge of the marine unit and a contract city, have seen my time spent doing things for the team dwindle due to just not enough hours in the day. We have been busy lately, in fact we had an incident that received national news media attention yesterday.

I believe the secret to our team holding members is everyone becomes extremely close as you go through the ups and downs of our business. I have had job offers with other agencies and would make better money, but I can't seem to seperate myself from the team. It's truely like family.

 

[WolfEl]

I must admit that after some 200 or so body recoveries I was fairly tired of that activity. Small kids and divers bodies seemed to bother me more than others. Of course, small kids seem to drown more often here, in the lakes, especially in the beginning months of the summer. Visibility in the lakes is usually poor to none. I can remember one recovery of a night watchman, who disappeared in a dock area. We found the body, he had been in the water or a couple of weeks and the crabs had done a number on his exposed tissue. He looked pretty grim.

On my return to home my wife was serving creamed crab on toast for dinner. One of my favorites; however, I didn't enjoy it as I usually did.

I left the team, because of promotions and other assignments.