Horrible dive etiquette

[GiniB]

We just returned from an 11 day cruise. We dove in St. Lucia, Curacao, Barbados and Aruba. This was only the second time we've dove while on a cruise vacation, we usually do our diving on liveaboard vacations or dedicated dive vacations.

 

My husband and I are both divemasters, we worked as divemasters for 5 years while living in Hawaii and we each have over 500 dives. I give you that background to tell you this:

 

I have never seen worse diving behavior than on this cruise. One guy (we called him "devil diver") single-handedly killed about 300 years worth of coral growth on one dive alone. The divemaster kept grabbing him by the tank and lifting him forcibly off the coral and he still didn't get the message.

 

He wasn't the only one, just the worst of many.

 

Folks, please, please, PLEASE! Before you go on a cruise, or any vacation where you'll be diving, visit your local dive shop and ask them to help you with a buoyancy check. If you've gained or lost any weight since your last dive or if you'll be wearing more or less neoprene than usual, your buoyancy will have changed. Just because you wore 16 pounds of weight the last time you dove, doesn't mean that's what you need now. If you don't have a local dive shop, let the dive operator know you need a buoyancy check to be properly weighted. They'd rather take the time to do this than see you kill all their beautiful coral.

 

There is NEVER any excuse for bumping into, grabbing, stepping on or brushing against anything underwater. I am not exaggerating in this. Even novice divers can avoid touching the wildlife, it just takes some common sense. When in doubt about your buoyancy, stay at least 10 feet off the bottom at all times, it's that simple. No, you may not see everything close up, but at least you won't kill anything either.

 

Two more quick tips for novice divers: 1. Do not swim with your hands. It's inefficient and ineffective when you're under water and increases the chance you'll touch something you're not supposed to. Plus you look silly doing it. Grab ahold of your guages and octopus and hold them against your waist. This keeps them from dragging on the reef and makes you more streamlined underwater (and you look like you know what you're doing).

 

2. Your BC inflator is not an elevator. The inflator is not an up button and the deflator is not a down button. Once under water and after establishing good buoyancy, you should not have to touch it again until you're ready to ascend. Practice changing your position in the water using your breath, not your inflator. Ask an instructor or divemaster if you need to learn how to do this. This is actually a safety issue. Improper use of your inflator can cause uncontrolled ascents and DCS.

 

And to the "devil diver" and his wife: Go back and retake the open water course. I can't believe you ever actually got certified to begin with. You should be ashamed of yourselves. If I had been your divemaster, I would have made you return to the boat and you wouldn't have had the opportunity to make the second dive.

 

Sorry if I've offended anyone with this post, but I take the underwater environment very seriously. I've also seen a diver die right in front of me from decompression sickness due to his own stupidity. There's only so much a divemaster or instructor can do. If you're a certified diver, YOU are responsible for your behavior, and not anyone else.

[w&k]

Down here in sunny FL we see a lot of crawling and waving, and it's truly unfortunate. More than one diver has found themselves yanked off coral or traveling backward by their tank valve when I get aggravated.

 

Of course, if it's fire coral, let them crawl. It's absolutely amazing how a good dose of fire coral, particularly in the face, can permanently improve bouyancy skills.

 

Bottom-crawling also makes for some crappy diving for the rest of us. On a cruise dive in Key West a number of years ago, we were taken to a reef that was so dead, there wasn't even algae. The divemaster apologised when we returned to the boat, because he had never had a group of real divers from a ship before. He then took us to some really cool pillar coral!

 

I also wish that dive boat etiquette was taught in class - it would make the above-surface ride much more pleasant, if less entertaining.

 

Great diving to you!

 

Wendy

next up

Splendour of the Seas 04/23/05

[GiniB]

Yes, it would have been amusing to see devil diver and his wife encounter some fire coral. Unfortunately, fire coral deserves to live too! (unlike Devil Diver and his ilk).:D

[Hilary]

Wow, I'm sorry to hear you had to watch an idiot like this and have your dives ruined. On our charters in St. Thomas (in December), we had 2 "paper C-card" divers (literally got certified the week before), and one of them was a nightmare. He had TWO runaway ascents and was lucky the DM grabbed him both times prior to him rocketing to the surface. After the runaway ascents, he kept dropping like a rock to the bottom since he was overweighted, which is what caused him to keep inflating his BC until he was ready to scream to the surface in the first place. <sigh> Fortunately, we were diving a wreck on a sandy bottom, so he couldn't hurt anything but himself.

 

This bozo had told the DMs that he didn't need to do a bouyancy check since he had just been certified and knew how much weight to carry. Fortunately, the DM was very smart and made both newbies do a check at the next site, causing them to both pull weight off their belts. Since the second site was a fabulous reef, we were glad to see them not scraping the bottom on that dive, and they really did a lot better with less weight (go figure!). To their credit, they both wanted to learn and understood how important it was to stay off the coral.

 

Did anyone talk with Devil Diver on the boat after the first dive?? I think people like this shouldn't be allowed to dive a second tank and at least protect the next dive site from total destruction.

[Tarkus]

weighting always seemed so intuitive to me... not that i haven't had a problem a couple of times - but, when i have, i just returned, grabbed a couple more pounds and went on about my business.

 

first dive of the trip i usually look in my logbook for comparable conditions and either use that amount or increase it by 10%-15% just to be safe. the way that dive goes will then dictate the weight I carry on my next dive.

 

as i say, seems easy to me... but perhaps it isn't for others.

[TrqoisWtrs]

Hi Gini - totally agree with your post. Unfortunately, this applies to newbie snorkelers too. I've seen so many panic when they get water in their mask and try to stand up wherever they are, fins banging all over the reef. It just makes me cringe, not to mention when they bring cereal or other human food to feed the fish.

[SandDollar Laura]

And while we're at it, let me just add my 2 cents as a dive professional.

 

 

I am called a dive guide, that means I lead, you follow. Not only is it rude and in poor taste to swim in front of me, but I know this reef and am paid to illustrate points of interest to you, which I cannot do, if I am looking at the back of your fins.

 

Another facet of the role of dive guide is that I know exactly where we are going. If I turn or change direction and you are in front of me, you will not see, and force me to chase you or catch your attention in some other manner. While I am chasing, banging on my tank, or cursing you under my breath, the rest of the group is paying the price of losing my services, both as a guide and a safety supervisor for your bad behavior.

 

I'm the professional. Relax, slow down and let me show you my neighborhood and all the wonders there. Oddly enough, the DMs and instructors that come on the tours with me as vacationers, they're the ones in the back, enjoying the show.

[augie]

So true SDL!

 

They're probably also the ones most willing to go slow (as slow as the current will allow anyway!) and actually see the life on the reef as opposed to seeing how much reef they can cover!

 

Does it violate protocol for you to tell me what operator(s) you work with?

[GiniB]

SDL,

 

You're so right! And yes, we are always the last in any group. We know how to take our time, enjoy the dive and see all the little things that most people miss. Just like most everything in life, it's not how much ground you cover that counts, it's what you see along the way.

 

Gini

[wolfedzaz]

I am a newly certified diver and will be making my first ocean dive in the Mexican Riveria in April. I was so glad to read this thread and learn some things about being a newbie. I have snorkeled many times and have a great respect for the environment both above and below. I cannot remember any instructions in my training about buoancy checks and was so glad to hear that they will do this. Having not been in the ocean I was quite concerned about the weight I would need.

 

If any of you have any knowledge of Ixtapa or Cabo San Lucas diving I would appreciate it. I have heard some positive and some negative opinions about the Mexican Riveria, but since this is my first time I'm sure I will be fascinated by it all.

 

Again, thanks for the incite: Dan

[Tracy1]

Gini B,

 

Thanks for the feedback and tips.

[girasol]

I'm curious about one thing Gini. You said "I've also seen a diver die right in front of me from decompression sickness due to his own stupidity." Are you sure the actual cause of deeath wasn't something else? DCS doesn't kill unless a severe embolism or something of that nature.

 

While we are on the subject, this etiquette also applies to photographers. This was on another scubadiving board, posted by Christi who has a dive shop in Cozumel:

 

Title of post: A friendly and serious reminder to the UW photographers out there...

 

Author: christi [view profile]

Date: 02-09-05 09:15

 

I know that most of you don't need this, but it's something I feel the need to say and to emphasize, because there actually are people that need to be reminded, people who have really surprised me.

 

It is NEVER OK to stand on, grab on, or wedge a fin or otherwise "steady" yourself using the coral in order to get that perfect shot.

 

Your picture IS NOT more important than the reef, whether you are an amateur or professional photographer.

 

A very, very large part of underwater photography is buoyancy control. If you cannot control your buoyancy or otherwise position yourself to get the shot without destrying the surrounding coral, then you don't need the shot and/or you have no business with a camera underwater.

 

Love, respect and protect our reefs around the world so they will be there for future generations to enjoy.

[GiniB]

Girasol,

 

While DCS does not always, or even usually, cause death, it is certainly one of the possible outcomes in severe cases and was indeed the cause of death for the diver I saw (according to the ME's report quoted in the newspaper). He ascended so rapidly from a fairly deep dive (110 feet) that he created an embolism in his brain. When I first saw him he was vomiting, convulsing and in shock. The divemasters were administering 100% oxygen and an ambulance was called to meet the boat at the dock. Before we reached the dock (only about a 5 minute ride from the dive site), he had stopped breathing altogether and they started CPR. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

 

By the way for those wondering, this gentleman wasn't diving with my group. In Hawaii, the smaller dive shops often rent space on large dive boats for as many clients as they have that day, so there may be clients from 5 or 6 dive shops on board at any one time.

 

And I second the opinion that photographers need to be extra careful with their buoyancy. I've seen divers who were usually great with their buoyancy and careful with the reef become "devil divers" with a camera in hand!

 

Gini

[girasol]

Girasol,

 

While DCS does not always, or even usually, cause death, it is certainly one of the possible outcomes in severe cases and was indeed the cause of death for the diver I saw (according to the ME's report quoted in the newspaper). He ascended so rapidly from a fairly deep dive (110 feet) that he created an embolism in his brain. When I first saw him he was vomiting, convulsing and in shock. The divemasters were administering 100% oxygen and an ambulance was called to meet the boat at the dock. Before we reached the dock (only about a 5 minute ride from the dive site), he had stopped breathing altogether and they started CPR. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

Gini

 

Thank you for sharing the whole story. Like I said in my original post, would have had to be something severe like an embolism (which is a severe form of DCS) I am very familiar with the signs, symptoms, causes, treatment, etc, for DCS but your original post made it sound like DCS kills. That could really frighten new divers if they think they are going to die if they get "bent". This is a good story which now that we know the facts, emphasizes how important a slow ascent is. If you panic and the divemaster or someone grabs onto you, it to keep you from doing a bolt to the surface, which could actually result in death, as in this case.

[GiniB]

Thanks for prompting the clarification, Girasol, sometimes when I post I forget that there are folks with all levels of experience reading the message. I would never want to frighten anyone away from diving. I think slow ascents are probably the most important step in preventing DCS.

[Hilary]

I am a newly certified diver and will be making my first ocean dive in the Mexican Riveria in April. I was so glad to read this thread and learn some things about being a newbie. I have snorkeled many times and have a great respect for the environment both above and below. I cannot remember any instructions in my training about buoancy checks and was so glad to hear that they will do this. Having not been in the ocean I was quite concerned about the weight I would need.

 

If any of you have any knowledge of Ixtapa or Cabo San Lucas diving I would appreciate it. I have heard some positive and some negative opinions about the Mexican Riveria, but since this is my first time I'm sure I will be fascinated by it all.

 

Again, thanks for the incite: Dan

 

Don't automatically assume that the dive boat will require you to do a bouyancy check. I've only been on one dive boat that specifically asked me to do a check prior to decent. When you get on the boat, tell the DM that you're a newbie doing your first ocean dives and haven't a clue how much weight you'll need to carry. Ask them to assist you with a bouyancy check after they give you what they think will be the right amount of weight.

 

Remember a bouyancy check is easy. After your giant stride from the boat (or back roll), and signaling you're okay, let all the air out of your BC. Your goal is to float it about eye level. If you don't sink at all, you're underweighted. If you sink like a rock, you're overweighted. Take your time and make sure you're comfortable prior to your decent.

 

Have a great time! There's nothing quite like diving in warm, tropical waters.

[SandDollar Laura]

i thought of another one! divemasters and guides love to be asked about what that was that they saw, "Was that a spotted eagle ray? are they common here? do you see them alot?" it gives us a moment to shine (we ARE so smart) and you can really learn alot more about what you're seeing and where you went. Of course, if you tip lavishly that'll go a long way as well.

[wolfedzaz]

Thanks to all of you for some very helpful info. I have a lot of anxiety about this first ocean dive. Not fear, but the need to know all that I can possibly know in advance. I have found in any thing in life, the more you can have in your head, the less physical strain it becomes.

 

Thanks for the photo tips as well. I do plan to take pictures and now I will know not to act like an idiot and stand or to brace myself.

 

Hilary: Could you explain the eye level a little more? Sorry, but your dealing with a real moron here. Thanks: Dan

[girasol]

Thanks to all of you for some very helpful info. I have a lot of anxiety about this first ocean dive. Not fear, but the need to know all that I can possibly know in advance. I have found in any thing in life, the more you can have in your head, the less physical strain it becomes.

 

Thanks for the photo tips as well. I do plan to take pictures and now I will know not to act like an idiot and stand or to brace myself.

 

Hilary: Could you explain the eye level a little more? Sorry, but your dealing with a real moron here. Thanks: Dan

 

Please consider doing a few dives before you take a camera down with you. One of my biggest pet peeves is to see brand new divers who haven't even gotten basic buoyancy skills down try to dive with a camera, on their very first ocean dive. Trust me, it is a whole different thing when you have a camera with you. You'll use more air, you will inevitably wreck the reef, and you will be taskloading yourself. To me, this is just as irresponsible as intentionally destroying the reef to get a picture.

[w&k]

Dan-

 

I have to agree with girasol here. Get comfortable in the water first, then think about playing with a camera.

 

Buoyancy skills are leaned over time under a range of conditions. Dives vary: temperature, salinity, current, type of BC, type of dive (wall/reef/wreck), depth, and tank size and material are just some of the variables that will affect your buoyancy and weighting. Sounds complicated, but it's not that hard to get right.

 

Until you master your weighting and water position, a camera is only going to be a source of frustration, and a waste of your time and money.

 

One of the best ways to learn about diving is to talk to other divers. If you ask, almost all divers are willing to give you tips, teach you boat etiquette, watch over you underwater, or regale you with dive stories. Buy us a beverage, and we'll yak all evening.

 

Welcome to the wonderful world of diving!

 

Wendy

next up

Splendour of the Seas 4/23/2005

[wolfedzaz]

Thank you once again for the info. I will forego the camera on my first dive and see how I navigate. I appreciate knowing how much other divers with much more experience will be willing to share. Too many times experienced people in many ways think that a new entry into their world will only slow down their agenda. If I were to run into any of you, I would be happy to fill you with beverages for the pleasure of picking your brain.

 

Keep up the good work: Dan

[SandDollar Laura]

great advice guys! forget the camera at the beginning and ASK, ASK, ASK, especially the divemasters (or mistresses)

 

 

Remember, there are no stupid questions, well, execpt for the guy who asked me how deep you have to dive to get to the other side of the island.........

 

 

Happy Bubbles,

Laura

[GiniB]

Dan,

 

I want to second (third or fourth) the wisdom of not taking your camera with you underwater for a while (not just the first dive). In addition to all the other wisdom offered, I can promise you that your photos won't be spectacular without good diving skills. Underwater photography is much more complicated than land photography for a myriad of reasons. You have many more complicated calculations to factor in underwater and in addition you have to worry about your diving skills and buoyancy. And frankly, as a novice diver, you're likely to be so overwhelmed with the beauty and novelty of the dive you'll forget all about the photos.

 

Please work on your diving skills on this trip. Learn to feel comfortable and safe underwater. Learn to be responsible for yourself and courteous to others. Once you've done all these things, you'll be able to concentrate on the photography and not have to worry about hurting anything or anyone.

 

Me, the reef and other divers thank you!

 

Gini

[GiniB]

Laura,

 

Here's one for you: diver standing on the boat dock waiting to go out asks divemistress (me):

 

"How far above sea level are we here?"

 

I almost fell off the dock!

 

Gini

[Hilary]

Thanks to all of you for some very helpful info. I have a lot of anxiety about this first ocean dive. Not fear, but the need to know all that I can possibly know in advance. I have found in any thing in life, the more you can have in your head, the less physical strain it becomes.

 

Thanks for the photo tips as well. I do plan to take pictures and now I will know not to act like an idiot and stand or to brace myself.

 

Hilary: Could you explain the eye level a little more? Sorry, but your dealing with a real moron here. Thanks: Dan

 

Dan, you are far from a moron....morons don't ask questions!! The goal when you're checking bouyancy is to just barely float/sink very slowly with your BC deflated. So basically put whatever weight in your BC that the DM recommends and check that it's enough (or too much) by deflating your BC completely after you hit the water and see if you sink to eye level. That way when you let out a complete breath, you will sink slowly.

 

Since newbies typically don't have good bouyancy control, many prefer to carry about 2# more than they should, which is fine. The biggest thing is that when you deflate your BC you should sink very slowly, not like a rock. Remember that when properly weighted, bouyancy is controlled by breathing, not by inflating your BC, but this is a learned and practiced skill, not one you should expect of yourself at this point.

 

This is really a skill that should have been taught during your certification, but I've heard of quite a few instructors that kinda gloss over it, so I'm not surprised that you don't remember it. Make sure that when you do your AOW that you ask for the Peak Performance Bouyancy module. It's worth doing for sure!