What sets off your alarm bells?

[krukster86]

I was a middle aged couple’s instabuddy (group of 3) for one day of my last dive trip since my dive buddy/wife got food poisoning the night before.

I definitely got squared up for my new wetsuit and my quiet demeanor before the dive (I am rather quiet person myself). The husband made it clear that he was concerned that my air consumption rate might cut their dive short. No big deal, I made it clear that I would just trail them nice and slow and help point out critters. I went over the plan with them and asked about what hand signals they use for communicating air pressure and the like. Dive went very well. My air consumption matched the husband’s, and I had to purge his wife’s BCD because she wasn’t descending and couldn’t find the purge valve. On the flipside, I was concerned that his wife didn’t have her own computer and she told me “oh he takes care of that stuff for me”.

---------- Post added April 14th, 2014 at 03:10 PM ----------

What do you guys mean by “I am leery of the quiet types”?

I suck at small talk. When I am an insta-buddy, I will engage in conversation to go over hand signals/communication or the dive plan, otherwise I keep to myself. I am not one to start talking about “the local sports team” with you until we reach the dive site.

 

[LowDrag]

Big Friggin Knife is HIGH on my list of alarm bells. It's typically a more inexperienced diver that does that.

That is a not a true statement. There are several divers I know that carry a standard size dive knife with them...maybe BFK was the wrong term but that is what many people on SB like to call a knife longer then three - four inches in length.

Under 25 dives? You qualify as inexperienced.

Never said anything to the contrary. I know I am inexperienced compared to many many divers here but that does not mean carrying a standard length knife makes me anything other than a diver that carries a standard length knife. If you don't want to carry one then don't but don't automatically assume anything about me just because I use different gear than you do.

I'm not saying you're a bad diver, I've never seen you in the water. I'm just saying you have few dives completed. Go another hundred or so dives, and see if you still carry your two BFKs with you. I'd be surprised if you did, especially if you honestly looked at your gear configuration and decided what you did or didn't need.

Okay so once again there is an assumption being made here. I never said I carry two BFK's with me. I said I have a smaller knife strapped to my forearm. Blade and handle length combined maybe 5" so not a BFK by any sense of the word. And yep, I only have a few dives completed, so what, I could be a natural in the water and you would judge me by the use of a knife??? I am not by the way, I need more practice.

I often look at my gear config and check to see if there is a better way. It is just part of diving from what I have learned.

I asked someone this in another thread, specifically about big knives, and I'll ask you the same thing. Why do you carry a big knife?

I carry a knife for a couple of reasons. I use it for gathering scallops for one. It has a blunt tip which makes it easier to pry the shells off whatever they are attached to. This is my primary reason. Something worth noting...I did not walk through my LDS with toys glued to my credit card or however it was stated. I bought the knife used for $15.00. If I got into a situation where I needed to get to that knife in particular I would rather have it than not. As for my shears. I dive dry here and use either neoprene gloves or dry gloves. I tried using my shears on a dive for practice and it was nearly impossible to get my fingers through the holes in the handle with my dry gloves on. My smaller knife is a Kershaw I bought many years ago when I was free diving the Gulf of Mexico out of Galveston and I have kept it all these years.

If you ask about ANY piece of gear I have on me at any point on any dive, I can tell you WHY I have it on me, why I like it over alternate options (if applicable), and why I have it where it is.

And because I am a newer diver I can't? I set up my gear to meet the needs for what I am doing. I don't look at someone else's rig and go buy something just to match them. That's pretty grade school if you ask me. I will say that I have set up my gear tech style because it works better for me than the stab jacket I have hanging in my closet with only 9 dives on it. Anybody want to buy a ScubaPro jacket with AirII? It is XL and blue on black.

Ya know, there is a good chance that I would ask you about your gear configuration in the interest of possibly learning something new from a more experienced diver but I would definitely leave the assumptions on the dock or in my case the shoreline.

As far as your EMT sheards, that is a sign of more thought than a BFK. I actually think EMT shears are a good thing to have under some circumstances.

And once again here is another assumption that just because you don't need one yourself that I surely would never ever need or use my knife either which by the way I have used my knife.



Have you ever seen the movie Sanctum? I would like to suggest, from rookie to seasoned diver that following a phrase in that movie might be in order for many people. I quote, "Assumptions are the mother of all F**kups". I don't assume that someone is a bad diver because of how they are acting but I do keep an eye on people I am getting to dive with.

Inexperienced??? You damn Skippy I am but I try to learn as much as I can and without stepping on other peoples toes while doing it. I am not perfect in any way, I wish I was.

Oh and just so you...I am not pissed off at you or your post just responding. It's all good conversation.

 

[T.C.]

+1 to Lowdrag. Anyone judging someone on the gear they carry is foolishly forgetting that there are many, many places to dive in the world. Some people like to keep the same gear from place to place, dive to dive. It's a principle called "train as you fight". You dress the same for every dive; whether in the pool, in your cold dark local diving, or on your tropical dive trip.

As long as the gear is well-maintained, and safe, it is foolish to judge a diver because you don't like their gear.

I carry a BFK and a line cutter and EMT shears and a steak knife.

Having actually been trapped, I'd carry a chainsaw if there was a place to stow it and it would run underwater.

flots..

I can help you with that. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...poHgAg&usg=AFQjCNEnvo1PjQ_BgDZxjl4Ib3LSheUcfw

 

[victorzamora]

LowDrag: I'm glad you're not pissed about my post. I definitely didn't mean it negatively. I asked the question because I think it's something many divers don't think about. As a scallop knife, yup....great reasoning.

As for you calling everything I wrote about an assumption: Yes. That's the point of this thread. What can you see in other divers that makes you assume they're a bad/new diver? A BFK is one of my triggers. Like I said, I'm not always right......but in my experience, especially in my area, I've been pretty accurate with that assumption. That's where that assumption grew from. I wouldn't start saying all divers with black fins must suck, because I haven't had that experience. I can, however, say nearly everyone with a coiled accessory-retractor I've seen dive has needed SERIOUS diving help (their attitude as much as their skills).

I'm not saying I'm never wrong, I'm just saying it's a trigger for me. If it works for you, I don't care what you dive with.....in any way, shape, or form.

 

[sunnyboy]

Um, with 25 dives why are you being so very defensive? If you teed off at me at a dive site like this if I asked a question about your knife, I'd get in my truck and go home.

 

[kafkaland]

Newbie here, not shy to admit it, and trying to decide on what gear to get. And this thread worries me a bit. Having to add the judgement of potential dive buddies into my equipment considerations. Everyone's situation may be different, and there is no way an insta-buddy on a dive boat can get the full picture that led to the selection of the equipment in question in those thirty seconds that he or she makes up his or her mind about you.

In my case, I am looking for equipment that is well-suited for cold-water diving in the Great Lakes, but also good for the Caribbean shallow reef dive. I want something that will last me for a long time, is flexible when my diving changes over the years, and I'd rather get something that costs a few dollars more than have it fail on my in the middle of Lake Superior. That will put me in the higher end of the price range of, let's say, regulator and dive computer, and that's ok with me - I'm lucky enough that my toy budget can bear it. But it puts me squarely in the bull's eye of those saying "shiny expensive gear is a warning sign", no matter how carefully I have selected it. And no, I'm not trying to impress anyone with it, I'm trying to get it right for my personal situation, thirty-second snap judgment by others not withstanding.

 

[T.C.]

Newbie here, not shy to admit it, and trying to decide on what gear to get. And this thread worries me a bit. Having to add the judgement of potential dive buddies into my equipment considerations.

Don't worry about that. If someone is going to judge you solely by your gear; they're not someone you want to dive with.

They don't know how to judge a diver, and they're most likely just as poor with their in-water skills.

 

[LowDrag]

LowDrag: I'm glad you're not pissed about my post. I definitely didn't mean it negatively. I asked the question because I think it's something many divers don't think about. As a scallop knife, yup....great reasoning.

As for you calling everything I wrote about an assumption: Yes. That's the point of this thread. What can you see in other divers that makes you assume they're a bad/new diver? A BFK is one of my triggers. Like I said, I'm not always right......but in my experience, especially in my area, I've been pretty accurate with that assumption. That's where that assumption grew from. I wouldn't start saying all divers with black fins must suck, because I haven't had that experience. I can, however, say nearly everyone with a coiled accessory-retractor I've seen dive has needed SERIOUS diving help (their attitude as much as their skills).

I'm not saying I'm never wrong, I'm just saying it's a trigger for me. If it works for you, I don't care what you dive with.....in any way, shape, or form.

Yes but is that really an assumption? I would say not because you have pointed out that you are basing this educated guess on past experience. In my response I pointed out that there were some assumptions there. I made that statement based on how you were making your statement and nothing more. I still stand at my statement that I am not pissed off, it is good conversation. The two divers that I dove with did not give any indications that were issues that we would run into underwater. That could be due to my inexperience as well though. The issues were sure obvious underwater.

Um, with 25 dives why are you being so very defensive? If you teed off at me at a dive site like this if I asked a question about your knife, I'd get in my truck and go home.

I presume you are referring to me since I seem to be the poster with 25 dives unless I have missed someones count. I am not "teeing off" at anyone but if you were to come at me with an attitude, instructor or not I would not let you back me into a corner. So at that point I would wish you a nice day and watch as you head home instead of diving your dive.

You seem to think that there is an issue with asking a question. That is not the case. As VictorZamora said, this is just one of his triggers. Based on what he said in his reply to my post I would now tend to lean towards him not assuming but rather forming an educated guess which I have no issue with. The thing is though, for you to assume that I am a bad diver just because of the type of gear I am diving with then you are in need of revisit on how you look at things.

Newbie here, not shy to admit it, and trying to decide on what gear to get. And this thread worries me a bit. Having to add the judgement of potential dive buddies into my equipment considerations. Everyone's situation may be different, and there is no way an insta-buddy on a dive boat can get the full picture that led to the selection of the equipment in question in those thirty seconds that he or she makes up his or her mind about you.

In my case, I am looking for equipment that is well-suited for cold-water diving in the Great Lakes, but also good for the Caribbean shallow reef dive. I want something that will last me for a long time, is flexible when my diving changes over the years, and I'd rather get something that costs a few dollars more than have it fail on my in the middle of Lake Superior. That will put me in the higher end of the price range of, let's say, regulator and dive computer, and that's ok with me - I'm lucky enough that my toy budget can bear it. But it puts me squarely in the bull's eye of those saying "shiny expensive gear is a warning sign", no matter how carefully I have selected it. And no, I'm not trying to impress anyone with it, I'm trying to get it right for my personal situation, thirty-second snap judgment by others not withstanding.

That is where your local scuba club can help you out. You can dive with seasoned divers and check out their gear and see what works for different people then make your decision when you are ready.

Don't worry about that. If someone is going to judge you solely by your gear; they're not someone you want to dive with.

They don't know how to judge a diver, and they're most likely just as poor with their in-water skills.

Exactly!

 

[Steve_C]

however, say nearly everyone with a coiled accessory-retractor I've seen dive has needed SERIOUS diving help (their attitude as much as their skills).

I often carry a camera along with me. When going down to the anchor, and sometimes when looking around it is clipped off to the side (opposite side from reel and pony). I used to trust the band and clip that came with the camera. Then one day, around dive 200, while bouncing next to the hang bar in 4 ft seas during my safety stop I went to ascend and the camera was gone. It should be about to Africa by now since it was slightly buoyant. After spending $1,000 for another camera, I discarded its strap and replaced it with a heavy duty retractor. Now it is always firmly attached to me. When shooting pictures it is in extended mode. When traveling it is clipped in short mode at my side where it stays out of my way.

You can laugh all you want but the new camera is still with me after another 100 plus dives.

I'll be diving off the NC coast a bunch this summer. If my camera is lost so am I.

Serious diving help always welcome. :cool2:

 

[FishLovingStudent]

Fairly new as well (well just "new" to most seasoned divers). I think the whole number of dives and age of gear thing to determine a divers ability has its flaws. There are swimmers that go into diving and there are people that have a natural knack for diving (a guy in my OW had amazing buoyancy control) who are much better than their experience/gear might suggest.

For me (at 28 dives), I have been complimented for my buoyancy and my fining many times. Just recently I was insta-buddied with the DM for a fun dive. We had another guy with completely new set of gear. He bailed out because he was not prepared to dive it (the gear) at all. (My warning bells were going off) So we swim out, and the DM looks at me and my video camera rig and says "So...still got the white on your drysuit (Whites Drysuits have white seams when new) and you have a camera rig?" Yup...

After the dive he noted that I had a "near perfect frog kick" that was very natural and good buoyancy to boot. His only tip? Slow down. I am a trained lifeguard/swimming instructor so thats probably where I got it from. That is definitely something I have to work on and I have a lot to learn, at this point I think I am in the Good diver, Bad buddy stage.

What does set off my bells though are people that have difficulty setting up gear or use a lot of rental gear (doesn't matter which kind). IME, if you own your gear, you can progress much faster.