Rude divers

[UFOrb]

I have come across pushy divers, but I usually put it down to inexperience and/or over-enthusiasm at best or a lack of awareness at worst, rather than rude (maybe I'm being kind). Either way, I try not to let anyone else bother me and kill my vibe.

The only time someone's really pee'd me off was on my first wreck dive right after I got my OW cert. The wreck was on its side and we were swimming beneath the masts for fun.This more experienced guy just pushed right in front of me nearly knocking my reg out. He obviously saw me as he was above me but he wanted to go beneath the mast instead of going over. He didn't even apologise. I do put that down to rudeness.

Perhaps I've been lucky since then, but most people I've dived with have been great. Also, I do tend to hang back and let others fight to see things the guide's pointing out first...or stick close to the guide so I can get in and out first

 

[PatW]

I have seen divers do some pretty "rude" things. The vast majority of the time, it is just clueless behavior.

I was diving in the keys. The boat had all of 4 divers. I was the first in. And there was a nice French angel posing under the boat. I was taking photos of him when one of the other divers came barreling down feet first and smashed me into the bottom. I think it really was not intentional.

I was in the Caymans lining up a shot on a spawning loggerhead sponge and a diver with a GoPro rushed over and shoved his camera between me and the sponge. He followed me for awhile and repeated the action with every subject I found until I lost him. I think it was just a matter of excitement, a new toy, and not thinking.

I have been waiting in line at the ladder to get on the boat and have a diver jump the line. But heck, I can wait and maybe they cannot.

I was in another place diving with another photographer. We did fine together. There was a third guy with a camera who charged around, disrupted shots, swam into people and so on. On the boat, he was really nice. He will probably learn.

On the boat, most people are pretty nice. It is all to easy to focus on something and do something heedless underwater. It can be irritating if you let it be. But why let some bumptious behavior ruin your dive?

 

[ColoDale]

Most individual divers generally are not rude intentionally and I think it mirrors who they are in general.

However, I have noticed it has become worse in the last few years. Maybe due to more divers, can't tell for sure. Maybe it mirrors what's going on in general. There seems to be a combination of things including bucket lists, DMs who must show their clients as much as they can, older and more experienced divers showing the recruits to the sport something interesting at any cost, and some weird 60's "if it feels good, do it" combined with the Me generation of the 70's and early eighties. I can't really articulate the change but that's the way it seems to me. If I challenge divers in the latter category, I sometimes get some strange lecture about their rights and politics.

I see most of the problems with divers in large groups off large boats. Herd instict, mob instinct, safety in numbers or just lot's of new divers. I get the impression that some think diving is like going to the zoo and if someone sees something, they all have to crowd in instead of waiting patiently or maybe missing it. It seems they are on a tour and not diving if that makes any sense.

All of this depends on where I am diving. Places where we are the only dive boat then it's less or non-existent.

I have had divers follow me around since I have a camera and am actively looking. I have had groups push in next to me, on top of me or literally tap me on the shoulder and yell hurry up through their reg while I am taking photos, or when one in our group has found something and signals us, others groups rush in - I competely missed photos of a batfish our group found due to that. I have a photo of a Go Pro on a stick in my frame.

We have discussed a new tactic for divers and groups that follow us around. We are going to find nice looking coral with preferably an overhang but not big, bang our tanks furiously, wait for the other group to rush over then leave.
I will however, show divers and DMs in other groups something I/we have found if the didn't give me the bum's rush.

I've been on boats where divers went on and on about all the certs they have then proceeded to bounce off us, the bottom, overheads and generally be oblivious. Come to find out that all the certs were in quarries with almost no ocean experience. I wouldn't say this is necessarily rude but not correcting it is. When I was a new diver and having watched good divers, I stayed away from everybody because I did not want to be that guy. Doing this did get me some lectures from a DM or two about not staying with the group and in line.

I will say that I most likely did not notice other divers who did not come over or do something. It's the exceptions that I notice.

 

[pepperbelly]

Colodale has a point. I think that it has become so easy to get certified that there are divers now that would not have put the time and effort in before.
I see many divers who treat the sport as just something to do.
I think the instant gratification of the internet also has an effect. They just don't have patience-they want to see something now then move on.
I have received strange looks from some when I mention taking a mesh bag to pick up trash. They just do not seem to have an appreciation for things. It's just something to look at like a movie.

 

[Aviyes]

I think Colodale nailed it with some of the current generational mindsets. The lack of respect for others in the ME generation, also the concept of most bang for your buck. If they are going to spend money on this type of outing, they want to get the most out of it and therefore gain the mindset of screw everyone else.

 

[Blasto]

I get the impression that some think diving is like going to the zoo

The way PADI has been marketing... isn't it?

 

[scubadada]

There are many reasons people do "rude" things underwater. When back on the surface I describe the event to the diver and give then a chance to explain. Not infrequently, they are oblivious to the infraction, they seem to take the discussion to heart and I hope it will improve their awareness. Sometimes they attempt to rationalize the poor behavior and I call them on their inadequate attempt. I also hope this will improve their behavior but am never very optimistic, some divers are just a**holes. I do a lot of my diving in FL solo and rarely encounter another diver, just as I like it.

 

[Bob DBF]

It's just the underwater version of some dope walking into you because they are busy texting. Or them swerving across a lane or two in traffic while putting on makeup, talking on the phone, or again texting, and so on...

It seems that this attitude, that what one wants to do is more important than what one is actually doing, and the social contract is completely irrelevant. I believe it has more to do with exercising underserved privilege rather than stupidity.

Mostly I avoid the types, surfaced and submerged, as feedback is usually not appreciated and they are dangerous to be around.


Bob

 

[Ojai Diver]

A lot of really terrible behavior is described here. I don't see this in Southern California. I am guessing that most of this behavior is at tropical "tourist diver" destinations where diving is undertaken not as a passion--as it is locally-- but more as a pastime.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Had someone do that to me in a sea cave in Egypt last year ... tried swimming underneath me in a restriction because he wanted to swim faster than me. I reached down, put my hand on his head, and shoved him back behind me. He wasn't happy about it, and we had words after the dive. I tried explaining to him that you don't pass people in a restriction, as it's just asking for problems. It's not a race, and if you want to get in front of someone you should wait until you can do so without interfering with the other diver. He blew me off as uneducated, since he'd been trained by one of the "doing it right" agencies and I had not ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Stronger words than the guy who tried to swipe your table?