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--part1_137.1fbe753.28df535c_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dive buddy roulette does get old after a while. Why not cultivate a group of competent local diving friends and plan to go on the boat with one of those buddies? If you have enough people willing to go, you can even charter the entire boat and not have to deal with the newbies that are poorly trained. Jan In a message dated 9/23/01 9:15:57 AM Eastern Daylight Time, wentland@no*.ed* writes: > Hi George: > After experiencing lots of diving down here as a divemaster doing > recreational charters, I know where Mike is coming from. I got so that I > found diving more relaxing and safer diving solo than with a buddy picked at > random from the dive boat. A lot of times I would end up diving with the > least skilled of the bunch. I would get to repeatedly save their butt, do to > things like not being weighted properly, losing a tank, not watching their > air supply, or a host of other barn yard stupid things that can be expected > if one dives a couple times a year. These kind of people/tourists are the > bread & butter of most dive boats in S. Florida. In my mind one is safer > diving alone and one has more of a worry free dive when you don't have to > worry about your buddy attacking you to get at your air supply or rushing to > the surface in a state of panic after seeing a nurse shark. > I saw Mike dive with people like this repeatedly and I can say that this > sort of thing gets old. It starts to take the fun out of diving. Your nerves > start to frazzle and you wonder how people can take such risks with their > and your life, and you wonder who the hell trained this guy or girl. It can > get pretty frustrating as there seems to be an endless supply of these twice > a year, poorly trained divers out there. > I found that if I dive as a divemaster solo, I can make the rounds and > save more barnyard stupid new divers from themselves. > It is a great thing to always have a good buddy to dive with, but > someone needs to look out for the newbies of diving or the death toll & > insurance rates will sky rocket. Due to these continual experiences I find > diving much more relaxing solo too. I have jumped countless wrecks solo. I > will admit that it is not the safest act in the world, but it gets the job > done. No one wants to go for a sand dive. Most buddies can not keep up with > me going down. If your buddy stops because he can't clear his ears, that is > the end of the dive, maybe for the whole boat. Grappling is a good idea as > long as you do not grapple debris off the side of the wreck somewhere, or > the grapple does not unhook. Remember recreational divers don't carry lift > bags. If they did it would be a nightmare. I guess I'm done ramblin' on for > the moment. > This is the reactive mentality that both I and Mike became used to. George, > I would bet that you have been in our shoes at one time. You know, where it > is safer to dive by yourself than with the people on the boat? Have a great > day & > Good Diving, > Bye, > George > Visit my web page with underwater and other photos at http://members.aol.com/jsuw3/index.html --part1_137.1fbe753.28df535c_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT COLOR="#800040" SIZE=2 FAMILY="SCRIPT" FACE="Comic Sans MS" LANG="0">Dive buddy roulette does get old after a while. <BR> <BR>Why not cultivate a group of competent local diving friends and plan to go on the boat with one of those buddies? If you have enough people willing to go, you can even charter the entire boat and not have to deal with the newbies that are poorly trained. <BR> <BR>Jan <BR> <BR>In a message dated 9/23/01 9:15:57 AM Eastern Daylight Time, wentland@no*.ed* writes: <BR> <BR></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"> <BR><BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Hi George: <BR>After experiencing lots of diving down here as a divemaster doing <BR>recreational charters, I know where Mike is coming from. I got so that I <BR>found diving more relaxing and safer diving solo than with a buddy picked at <BR>random from the dive boat. A lot of times I would end up diving with the <BR>least skilled of the bunch. I would get to repeatedly save their butt, do to <BR>things like not being weighted properly, losing a tank, not watching their <BR>air supply, or a host of other barn yard stupid things that can be expected <BR>if one dives a couple times a year. These kind of people/tourists are the <BR>bread & butter of most dive boats in S. Florida. In my mind one is safer <BR>diving alone and one has more of a worry free dive when you don't have to <BR>worry about your buddy attacking you to get at your air supply or rushing to <BR>the surface in a state of panic after seeing a nurse shark. <BR> I saw Mike dive with people like this repeatedly and I can say that this <BR>sort of thing gets old. It starts to take the fun out of diving. Your nerves <BR>start to frazzle and you wonder how people can take such risks with their <BR>and your life, and you wonder who the hell trained this guy or girl. It can <BR>get pretty frustrating as there seems to be an endless supply of these twice <BR>a year, poorly trained divers out there. <BR> I found that if I dive as a divemaster solo, I can make the rounds and <BR>save more barnyard stupid new divers from themselves. <BR> It is a great thing to always have a good buddy to dive with, but <BR>someone needs to look out for the newbies of diving or the death toll & <BR>insurance rates will sky rocket. Due to these continual experiences I find <BR>diving much more relaxing solo too. I have jumped countless wrecks solo. I <BR>will admit that it is not the safest act in the world, but it gets the job <BR>done. No one wants to go for a sand dive. Most buddies can not keep up with <BR>me going down. If your buddy stops because he can't clear his ears, that is <BR>the end of the dive, maybe for the whole boat. Grappling is a good idea as <BR>long as you do not grapple debris off the side of the wreck somewhere, or <BR>the grapple does not unhook. Remember recreational divers don't carry lift <BR>bags. If they did it would be a nightmare. I guess I'm done ramblin' on for <BR>the moment. <BR>This is the reactive mentality that both I and Mike became used to. George, <BR>I would bet that you have been in our shoes at one time. You know, where it <BR>is safer to dive by yourself than with the people on the boat? Have a great <BR>day & <BR>Good Diving, <BR>Bye, <BR>George <BR></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"></BLOCKQUOTE> <BR></FONT><FONT COLOR="#800040" SIZE=2 FAMILY="SCRIPT" FACE="Comic Sans MS" LANG="0"> <BR> <BR><B>Visit my web page with underwater and other photos at http://members.aol.com/jsuw3/index.html</B></FONT></HTML> --part1_137.1fbe753.28df535c_boundary-- -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. 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