When I am away to new sites and they provide a DM guide I know they watch us in the water to judge our skill level ..... well guess what we need to watch them to judge theirs too!
I have seen noob DM's that were fresh off course..... well courses because they took one course after another and did all their dives up to DM with an instructor!
I watched one on the boat having trouble assembling her gear..... my normal buddy wasn't diving that dive and the crew wanted to buddy me with her and I flat out refused!
She even announced.... "I am a DM now so everyone has to follow me" My group of very experienced buddies signaled starburst. We hit the bottom and took off in oposit directions in buddy pairs and left her to decide who to follow. We had all made multiple trips to this location, knew it well and the dive operator did not provide us with a DM or guide after our first few dives with them.
She had booked on as a diver and was not part of the staff at that operator so we felt she did not have a right to impose her control on us. We did keep an eye on her of course because she was the least competent person on that boat DM certificate or not and we weren't going to risk anyone's safety.
The most important lessons to learn are that it is ok to call off a dive for any reason, if you don't feel ready... you aren't so don't let anyone push you into it.... Your decision, your life, your holiday.... don't let anyone else's decision ruin it. There will be another day to dive that way.
Yep there are good and bad in every field.... It is my decision who I should or would trust my life to!
I have seen noob DM's that were fresh off course..... well courses because they took one course after another and did all their dives up to DM with an instructor!
I watched one on the boat having trouble assembling her gear..... my normal buddy wasn't diving that dive and the crew wanted to buddy me with her and I flat out refused!
She even announced.... "I am a DM now so everyone has to follow me" My group of very experienced buddies signaled starburst. We hit the bottom and took off in oposit directions in buddy pairs and left her to decide who to follow. We had all made multiple trips to this location, knew it well and the dive operator did not provide us with a DM or guide after our first few dives with them.
She had booked on as a diver and was not part of the staff at that operator so we felt she did not have a right to impose her control on us. We did keep an eye on her of course because she was the least competent person on that boat DM certificate or not and we weren't going to risk anyone's safety.
The most important lessons to learn are that it is ok to call off a dive for any reason, if you don't feel ready... you aren't so don't let anyone push you into it.... Your decision, your life, your holiday.... don't let anyone else's decision ruin it. There will be another day to dive that way.
Yep there are good and bad in every field.... It is my decision who I should or would trust my life to!
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