45 replies to this topic

[solodiver in nj]

OK, I'm a little late here but, funny this should come up. I was helping out a friend on a dive boat recently. There was a group of four from ...well, there was a group of four, let's leave it at that. Two girls and two guys. We were doing a dive pushing the envelope for open water certified divers (which they were)- roughly 60- 65 feet. Seas were about 4-6 feet (they had to go!). Boat is 52 feet in length, not a small craft.

Helped diver one gear up- he was gung ho!

Helped Diver two, his girlfriend gear up. She was nervous about losing her dive watch and seemed hesitant to strap it on. I offered her my extra bottom timer, she thanked me, but didn't seem like she meant it. I don't mean that in a bad way! You know how you can tell when someone doesn't want to do something, I got that feeling. Started thinking the dive watch was an excuse not to go, no timer no diving, right? Helped her with her mask, observing her. You could tell something just was not right.

Moved to diver three- she was basically ready to go- talk about a firecracker.

Diver four- broke fin strap- repaired and g ta g (good ta go)!

Just prior to diver one rolling over,
Diver two blurts out, "I'm not going!"
Diver one, "You gotta be kidding me! I would not have came if I knew you weren't going to dive. Come on. Come on. Oh, this is B-------!"
Diver two stuck to her guns. I was nervous for her, because I thought she was going to give in. I basically felt like beating the crap out of Diver one...but I'm from Jersey...we don't do that here. What I did do was, above Diver one's ranting, explain how the week prior I was out on a boat in seas less than we were currently in, and the entire boat decided to call the second dive. No big deal. She really didn't need my help, her mind was made up, but it did shut her boyfriend up.

Bottom line is...break the chain before problems arise, and don't try to make anyone feel like S---!

[Geek]

I basically felt like beating the crap out of Diver one...but I'm from Jersey...we don't do that here.

Well, maybe not all of us.

[C-Food]

From a non-diver's viewpoint (hopefully I'll remedy that soon!), I cannot understand why ANYONE should give you grief about aborting a dive. You're getting ready to enter an environment where you must use LIFE SUPPORT equipment, and if you are not comfortable with the dive, that's a good reason to stop and think about why. I would rather be cautious than gung-ho where my life is at stake. I've read a lot about diver fatalities, and one of the more telling clues to a lot of those stories is that initially there was some worry about the dive's success (equipment, conditions, etc.), and a lot of times it was just a "gut feeling" that things weren't right. I think the best strategy is to ask yourself "Would this be a better dive for me if I waited awhile and either resolved the problem, or waited another day until I was comfortable making the dive?" OK, that's my 2 cents worth!

[PerroneFord]

Oh it all sounds good. And it sounds so easy from behind the keyboard. But when you and your buddy plan the dive for three months, take the flight to Florida, or Cozumel, or wherever, you spend the $150 boat fees, pay the refresher course fees, the hotel, and you finally get out on the boat and ready to do your dive... and your buddy says he/she just "doesn't feel right", and you've got over a thousand dollars invested, time off work, all waiting for that plunge into the water... it can be more than a little frustrating.

If you are bumbling an hour to the local quarry or water hole, and your buddy says they aren't feeling it, well, no biggie.

Being able to ignore the hundreds or thousands you just spent and having your vacationed "ruined", isn't as easy as it looks in the PADI manual.

[finGrabber]

I usually plan my dive trips for a week at a time so to call 1 dive is not a BIG deal but I'm also not doing dives beyond recreational limits. Maybe if I was, then I might feel differently; and, of course, I really don't want to be the subject of a book like "The Last Dive" either! Chrissie Rouse told others on the boat that day that he didn't feel right, that he didn't feel good, but they spent a ton of money to get there and he dove anyway

This is as good a reason as any to call a dive

[C-Food]

Oh it all sounds good. And it sounds so easy from behind the keyboard. But when you and your buddy plan the dive for three months, take the flight to Florida, or Cozumel, or wherever, you spend the $150 boat fees, pay the refresher course fees, the hotel, and you finally get out on the boat and ready to do your dive... and your buddy says he/she just "doesn't feel right", and you've got over a thousand dollars invested, time off work, all waiting for that plunge into the water... it can be more than a little frustrating.

If you are bumbling an hour to the local quarry or water hole, and your buddy says they aren't feeling it, well, no biggie.

Being able to ignore the hundreds or thousands you just spent and having your vacationed "ruined", isn't as easy as it looks in the PADI manual.

Granted, not every situation is going to fit the question posed here. . .I'm trying to say that I'd rather try to find out why "things don't feel right" and fix the problem right then. If it's a minor thing, it should be fairly easy to resolve. On the other hand, if you have someone being pushed beyond their level of comfort, maybe the dive should be aborted for the time being. I'm also assuming you are diving with a buddy you know - the situation may be different with an unknown buddy you just paired up with on that trip. If you've invested a lot of money in the trip, etc., and would be really pissed off if your buddy called the dive, then get another buddy to dive with who is not so intimidated or whose skill levels match your own. But, no matter what, I don't believe you should give your buddy a bunch of grief for aborting the dive. There's usually more than one day of diving planned on most vacations anyway - why worry about one dive?

[mantarraya]

Just before going on the first dive at Cozumel on the recent trip, I discovered my inflator button was stuck (LDS was supposed to have serviced the BC the week before, but obviously did not. Still have to deal with that issue). The pool was already open, so told my buddy to team with another group while we tried to resolve the problem. Was able to de-gum things up enough that I felt comfortable manually inflating the BC for the rest of the trip. I never use the inflate button anyway when underwater, preferring to regulate my buoyancy with my breathing, and if I did need to, would feel good about doing it underwater.

Other than that, the only times I have ditched dives was with equipment problems (computer batteries dead and no time to replace before the dive [always have spares]) and at the Flower Gardens, which I consider risky enough diving that if the DM tells me the current is ripping/vis is bad/whatever and he/she recommends not doing the dive unless one is very comfortable with that, I will not go. It is just too far out there if something goes wrong, and is too easy to be carried away or missed if the conditions are crazy. If he/she just says the conditions are dicey as listed above, but sees no problem with going, I'll dive. I've only see the FG DMs discourage their divers from going on a dive, without calling the dive themselves, on a couple of occasions. But, I do really, really listen to them carefully in the briefing.

Edited by mantarraya, 01 August 2006 - 01:23 PM.

[solodiver in nj]

Oh it all sounds good. And it sounds so easy from behind the keyboard. But when you and your buddy plan the dive for three months, take the flight to Florida, or Cozumel, or wherever, you spend the $150 boat fees, pay the refresher course fees, the hotel, and you finally get out on the boat and ready to do your dive... and your buddy says he/she just "doesn't feel right", and you've got over a thousand dollars invested, time off work, all waiting for that plunge into the water... it can be more than a little frustrating.

If you are bumbling an hour to the local quarry or water hole, and your buddy says they aren't feeling it, well, no biggie.

Being able to ignore the hundreds or thousands you just spent and having your vacationed "ruined", isn't as easy as it looks in the PADI manual.

Any reason 'PADI' is being brought into this discussion? Did I miss something?

[Basslet]

Any reason 'PADI' is being brought into this discussion? Did I miss something?

Never miss an opportunity to dis PADI

[Basslet]

Oh it all sounds good. And it sounds so easy from behind the keyboard. But when you and your buddy plan the dive for three months, take the flight to Florida, or Cozumel, or wherever, you spend the $150 boat fees, pay the refresher course fees, the hotel, and you finally get out on the boat and ready to do your dive... and your buddy says he/she just "doesn't feel right", and you've got over a thousand dollars invested, time off work, all waiting for that plunge into the water... it can be more than a little frustrating.

If you are bumbling an hour to the local quarry or water hole, and your buddy says they aren't feeling it, well, no biggie.

Being able to ignore the hundreds or thousands you just spent and having your vacationed "ruined", isn't as easy as it looks in the PADI manual.

I'm with you on this one Perrone. If my buddy doesn't want to dive, then I'll try and pair off with the DM (if it's a guided dive) or triple with another group. It's never been a problem for me.
I'll tell you what really pisses me off though. It's spending money for my son to dive and he blows them off for some inane reason. Like his toe hurts!
I have to vent this story. In April 2005 I took him to Roatan and this kid, who never reads a book all year, was all wrapped up in some book he was reading and he wanted to skip diving to read! WTF!!!! I told him to put the book down and get his butt over to the boat!!! Priorities boy! Man, I was livid.

[PerroneFord]

Any reason 'PADI' is being brought into this discussion? Did I miss something?

Yes, because I am a PADI OW diver, and we talked about this issue in my PADI OW class.

[PerroneFord]

I have to vent this story. In April 2005 I took him to Roatan and this kid, who never reads a book all year, was all wrapped up in some book he was reading and he wanted to skip diving to read! WTF!!!! I told him to put the book down and get his butt over to the boat!!! Priorities boy! Man, I was livid.

Next time, explain to him that since he doesn't really want to do the dives, you're going to [insert cool destination here] and you're sending him off to church camp, or off with habitat for humanity, or some other good cause group that will keep him occupied.

Too bad that diving doesn't grab your attention boy. Polish those pews! Mix up that tile grout. See ya in a week.

[Diverbrian]

Actually, I have aborted some very expensive dives. I know of stories of people mixing gas for a dive and blowing it off where the boat ride, vacation, and planning where complex to blow off on a bad vibe. Then they vent $100 or more worth of mix because the next dive will be too shallow to make it usable.

Why?

Read The Last Dive. Anytime that you are tempted to ignore that bad vibe, remember that there is always another day to dive.

[6Gill]

Oh it all sounds good. And it sounds so easy from behind the keyboard. But when you and your buddy plan the dive for three months, take the flight to Florida, or Cozumel, or wherever, you spend the $150 boat fees, pay the refresher course fees, the hotel, and you finally get out on the boat and ready to do your dive... and your buddy says he/she just "doesn't feel right", and you've got over a thousand dollars invested, time off work, all waiting for that plunge into the water... it can be more than a little frustrating.

Any trip or dive at this level mean a very short list of dive buddies.If any of them called the dive at any point then its over no questions asked no explanation required.

Actually, I have aborted some very expensive dives. I know of stories of people mixing gas for a dive and blowing it off where the boat ride, vacation, and planning where complex to blow off on a bad vibe. Then they vent $100 or more worth of mix because the next dive will be too shallow to make it usable.

Why?

Read The Last Dive. Anytime that you are tempted to ignore that bad vibe, remember that there is always another day to dive.

The last thing I want to be saying after it's all over "I had a bad feeling about this dive"