TimKy
Registered
Just out of curiosity, what do you guys think the "correct" role of a dive master is? I'm new to the board (I was certified and very active about 23 years ago and just recently got back into diving after a very lengthy absence) and I keep reading posts about people needing to fend for themselves while the DM's just hang back. If they are just there to occupy space on the same boat or in the same body of water at the same time, then I guess I don't understand the value of a dive master at all.
I always thought DM's were there to anticipate problems and to head them off and to help everyone have a safe, enjoyable dive. That would, at a minimum, seem to include: checking to make sure that everyone has setup their equipment properly, making sure how much air everyone has on the surface and looking for inexperienced divers and providing extra help getting them squared away and monitoring them on the dives.
IMHO, the line about them being certified and needing to take care of themselves is disturbing. I'm an instrument rated pilot and skydiver as well as a scuba diver and I'll tell you that the other two avocations treat the concept much differently.
In skydiving, for example, you check your own rig, you and your buddy check each other's rigs and the jump master checks all the rigs before you leave the aircraft. Many times over the nearly 24 years I've been flying, I've gotten the feeling that someone in the FBO was really acting nervous about an upcoming flight. I could have just said, "Hey they're certified pilots just like I am" and left them, but I didn't. I struck up a conversation and tried to figure out what was bothering them and how I could help. Sometimes, it was a weather forecast they didn't understand or feel comfortable with. Other times, they had experienced a bad landing, an angry controller, rough weather or something else that had shaken their confidence. Sometimes, they had limited experience in the busy or complicated airspace they were going to operate in that day. In every case, I did everything possible to help them overcome whatever obstacle they were facing because I love flying and I wanted them to love flying and to insure they were safe. Keep in mind, unlike a DM, I was not a paid employee or instructor - I was just someone who happened to have stopped at the same FBO on my way somewhere in my plane.
Overkill? Not if you are human. Humans make mistakes and all this type of "hand holding" only takes a few seconds or minutes and has undoubtedly saved countless lives in flying, skydiving and scuba diving. What is the downside?
When I dive, I look out for my fellow divers...all of them, not just my buddy. If I see someone struggling with equipment, I'll either help them or point them out to the DM's so they can help them and be aware that there is a possibility that someone is a little over their heads. I sincerely hope the others on the dive are doing the same for me. It's common courtesy, it takes no time at all and it could save someone's life.
So, the thought that the dive master, (and any other paid employee on the boat) who purports to be an expert in diving and is in a leadership role relating to that dive and that boat feels it is unnecessary hand holding to do anything for the paying clientele other than just show up and make sure the divers actually fall into the water just doesn't make sense to me.
Just to be clear, I'm not baiting anyone. I just truly want to understand the role of the DM (and anyone else on the dive) so that I can make sure that I have done everything possible to keep myself and anyone else on the dive as safe as possible. I also want to make sure I'm not making any assumptions about the available aid or oversight available that might cause me to get myself or others into an unsafe situation.
Thanks in advance for the responses! By the way, this is a fantastic resource for diving and I have enjoyed trying to read every post I can. This seems like a great group and I look forward to learning a lot here and making some new friends.
I always thought DM's were there to anticipate problems and to head them off and to help everyone have a safe, enjoyable dive. That would, at a minimum, seem to include: checking to make sure that everyone has setup their equipment properly, making sure how much air everyone has on the surface and looking for inexperienced divers and providing extra help getting them squared away and monitoring them on the dives.
IMHO, the line about them being certified and needing to take care of themselves is disturbing. I'm an instrument rated pilot and skydiver as well as a scuba diver and I'll tell you that the other two avocations treat the concept much differently.
In skydiving, for example, you check your own rig, you and your buddy check each other's rigs and the jump master checks all the rigs before you leave the aircraft. Many times over the nearly 24 years I've been flying, I've gotten the feeling that someone in the FBO was really acting nervous about an upcoming flight. I could have just said, "Hey they're certified pilots just like I am" and left them, but I didn't. I struck up a conversation and tried to figure out what was bothering them and how I could help. Sometimes, it was a weather forecast they didn't understand or feel comfortable with. Other times, they had experienced a bad landing, an angry controller, rough weather or something else that had shaken their confidence. Sometimes, they had limited experience in the busy or complicated airspace they were going to operate in that day. In every case, I did everything possible to help them overcome whatever obstacle they were facing because I love flying and I wanted them to love flying and to insure they were safe. Keep in mind, unlike a DM, I was not a paid employee or instructor - I was just someone who happened to have stopped at the same FBO on my way somewhere in my plane.
Overkill? Not if you are human. Humans make mistakes and all this type of "hand holding" only takes a few seconds or minutes and has undoubtedly saved countless lives in flying, skydiving and scuba diving. What is the downside?
When I dive, I look out for my fellow divers...all of them, not just my buddy. If I see someone struggling with equipment, I'll either help them or point them out to the DM's so they can help them and be aware that there is a possibility that someone is a little over their heads. I sincerely hope the others on the dive are doing the same for me. It's common courtesy, it takes no time at all and it could save someone's life.
So, the thought that the dive master, (and any other paid employee on the boat) who purports to be an expert in diving and is in a leadership role relating to that dive and that boat feels it is unnecessary hand holding to do anything for the paying clientele other than just show up and make sure the divers actually fall into the water just doesn't make sense to me.
Just to be clear, I'm not baiting anyone. I just truly want to understand the role of the DM (and anyone else on the dive) so that I can make sure that I have done everything possible to keep myself and anyone else on the dive as safe as possible. I also want to make sure I'm not making any assumptions about the available aid or oversight available that might cause me to get myself or others into an unsafe situation.
Thanks in advance for the responses! By the way, this is a fantastic resource for diving and I have enjoyed trying to read every post I can. This seems like a great group and I look forward to learning a lot here and making some new friends.