Diving with strangers

[GTRJazz]

Originally Posted by TerryH

I can understand that it wasnt you that caused the shot to be pulled
down, but a little confused as to how you went with it? We all know that
the idea is to be slightly positive to aid the ascent and not to "hang" on the
line, but to use it as a guide.

If you went down with it, then you must have been hanging on at some
point. I'm not knocking you for doing that, but just pointing out that there
is a better conclusion of "I learned diving from that".

It's not "dont dive with strangers", it's "dont always rely on a shot line to
stay put".

Yes I agree it was in my early dive years, when you spend too long looking at gauges and adjusting kit and not looking around getting the full picture.
My assent was quite slow and it was more because of the tide I was holding on rather than negative buoyancy

The diving with strangers title is just to show it sometimes can go wrong, but I have had many good dives with groups made up of people from all clubs that just let me tag along on the day.

[Ian@1904]

Originally Posted by Dave Crampton

As have no regular buddy (all together awww!!) & usually always dive with strangers, or at least people whom I have not dived with before. It sometimes ruines a dive, i.e. if they screw up the dive, but usually I learn something new from them or them from me (hopefully).

I knew you would learn loads from me.

[DevonDiver]

Originally Posted by GTRJazz

I don’t think it matters which type of club you belong to or did your training with , a diver with 50 plus deep dives in his book is going to be a more competent diver than someone with a dozen shallow dives under there belt.

Competant yes, but maybe complacent too. Which is worse?

[Houseplant]

Originally Posted by Twinsetmad

It wasn't the fact he had independant twins... it was the way he'd attatched them to his BCD and then having 2 1st stages... and 4 2nd stages... along with 4 BCD/Drysuit hoses on the same set up... his tanks looked like the'd got dredlocks...

yeah, that sounds like 'my one' quite a sight to behold underwater. he also had a habit of swmming round and round a wreck as fast as possible. after a while, i gave up trying to follow him. it was ok though, he lapped me every now and then

[GTRJazz]

Originally Posted by Twinsetmad

It wasn't the fact he had independant twins... it was the way he'd attatched them to his BCD

A couple of divers from my club went on a Trimix course in Florida on arrival at the dive site they found out he had not brought his twin set back plate so they made him one out of some string and a metal tray.
Well he did the 70 meter dive with the make shift kit it put him off diving for good, which was a shame as up to then he was a very keen and active diver.

[GTRJazz]

Originally Posted by DevonDiver

Competant yes, but maybe complacent too. Which is worse?

Complacent but a few more dives until that starts I think 100>
I knew a chap who would come out on the boats but always dive alone. No buddy checks, and once he hit the water would never surface even to give the ok signal. They clamped down on him once as he never wore a buoyancy aid relying only on his dry suit as he always had.

[Aerodive]

I'm usually "billy no mates" when i dive overseas because the rest of the "addams family" don't dive or i'm travelling alone. This means i'm one of the lost souls (aka hairy weirdo!) that the DM has to find a buddy for. Sometimes it's the DM (cool), sometimes it's "put the brits together" (variable), sometimes more random. I have learnt a number of things from the experience!.
1- You don't need to speak the same language to have a great dive you can both enjoy and share (universal hand signals) above and below the water.
2- Both speaking english is no guarantee of safety or friendship!.
3- Italians are fun, but can get excited! ("where's the boat" + 20 assorted swear words in italian in 10sec).
4- German women are more fun (thanks Pia)(and most have a good sense of humour!)(no, honestly!).
5- Canadians are usually pretty laid-back and also good drinking buddies (if you have hollow legs!).
6- Russians are scary and gung-ho and think a pre-dive check is for sissies.
7- Be wary, very wary of a new buddy with all new + matching gear "all the gear - no idea".
8- Arriving on a boat with no mates is a great way to make new friends, if you have the right attitude.

Still looking forward to diving with YD members (but not in a quarry in the UK in my trunks, even if scu-bamboo asks nicely!!)

[sanddollar]

Was diving in foreign climates and did a beach dive with 2 other Britts, one calling him self the assistant instructor, the other being joe tourist like me.
My self and joe tourist where both gob smacked as the AI asked us to sit on the sandy bottom a signal I had never seen before and then the AI decided to surface in the middle of screaming jet bikes... NO SMB .... Just a hand an arm above his head. This was to find his bearings ( the beach line ran North to South ) we where only 40 mts from the shore and my Viper was quoting 12 mts. I found out after there is no such qualification as AI for CMAS / IDA moral to the story Point 2 of Aerodrive, both speaking english is no guarantee of safety or friendship!.

[Adrian Kelland]

Originally Posted by Dave Crampton

As have no regular buddy (all together awww!!) & usually always dive with strangers, or at least people whom I have not dived with before. It sometimes ruines a dive, i.e. if they screw up the dive, but usually I learn something new from them or them from me (hopefully). This I hope has made me a more self sufficient diver and better off for it. I now plan my dives as if I am diving with someone less able and expect it, and its a plesant dive if they turn out to be a decent diver.

Dave C

p.s. Ian1904 is a decent diver, as is Adrian Kelland. Just two of my most recent YD buddies.

Dear oh dear that's going to cost me

Thank you Dave. I should add that Dave and Ian were willing to have me tag along with them while doing some training.

Adrian

[mixmiff]

A few years ago myself and my buddy were in Plymouth to dive the JEL. There were a few lone divers on the boat and the skipper asked if we would mind making a threesome with a welshman in a semi dry who regularly dived the wreck.This was fine as we had never been on it before and were pleased about our new guide who said he would show us all the best bits. We descended the shot to the sea bed,where our guide shot off like a short fat rubberised torpedo ,inches above the sea bed! We followed his silt stream at break neck speed waiting for him to show us his "best bits". It soon became clear as our NDL approached that we had virtually circled the wreck ,still inches above the sea bed.
To this day we still have no idea what the JEL looks like!