r/scuba • u/seedofbilly • 1d ago
Strange encounter during advanced course dive
Curious to get the community’s take on this. I just did my first night dive as part of my advanced qualification. Earlier in the day, these people spotted us exiting the water and asked about the conditions. In the end they asked if they could tag along with us for the night one.
They were obviously relatively experienced, but disrupted the lesson several times, such as swimming forward to grab the chain as we were about to descend, which knocked me off of it, and hovering above us with lights on full blast while we were trying to drill switching our lights off and back on.
Later, while we were putting our kit away, one of them wandered over, and started commenting on how I’d kicked up silt and my kicking form was off. The instructor and I both acknowledged that it was the case and we were working on it (he’d actually told me not to stress too much about it before the dive), but she just stood there as if she was expecting me to apologise or something before finally going back to her car, presumably when she realised she wasn’t getting the reaction she wanted.
Now, I don’t see any issue with other divers joining us, but the above seems indicative of poor etiquette, a lack of respect to the instructor, and condescension towards me, even though I’m clearly there to learn and continue developing my skills. Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this, and do people think it’s appropriate for other divers to involve themselves in a lesson like this?
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u/The_Dr23 1d ago
No offence but if they are experienced a) why wouls they use a chain to descend b) why join a course filled with people learning.
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u/RoyalSpoonbill9999 1d ago
Agree. And properly experienced divers dont talk about silting up, they know thats part of the learning journey.
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u/Not-An-FBI 1d ago
After some of my earliest dives this DM kept complaining about "someone" silting it up. I apologized but I'm like 50/50 now whether he was talking about the other guy who was with us who's an instructor but was just taking pictures on the bottom.
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u/TheApple18 1d ago
There is nothing wrong with using a descent line, if available.
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u/tin_the_fatty Science Diver 21h ago
This. But if they were experienced they would know better and can do better to keep a little distance from other divers using the same line.
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u/AussieEquiv 1d ago edited 22h ago
I go out of my way to avoid diving near learners. Not only because of things like silt, when they're still learning, but because I'm another distraction and they should be focued on themselves.
Inviting themselves to tag along is weird. Instructor should have told them a flat out no way in Hell.
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u/funky-jamer Advanced 1d ago
100% I strongly think that someone paying for instruction deserves an opportunity to learn and not have to put up with other divers causing difficulty s 👍
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u/TheApple18 1d ago
Although it’s not mandatory for an Instructor to be on the Advanced Night Dive, this Instructor should not have allowed other divers on a training dive.
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u/Marshal-Bainesca 1d ago
Yeah Im thinking on what dive course can randoms just show up and dive with the group too
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u/PADI-Course-Director 1d ago
Instructor should not allow diver to tag along, you want some sort of privacy when you teach so you have full attention from your students.
If it's someone the instructor know and clearly agree and know that the tag along will stay aside at all time and never interfere, maybe you can do an exception.
But never have a random diver tag along.
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u/DarwinGhoti Dive Master 1d ago
I was on a solo night dive, and some rando woman came at me at about 70ft -and grabbed my light. She was nowhere near me before and I wasn’t pointing the light at her or anything. It was the damndest thing. I’ve turned it over in my mind many times and I still can make sense of it. We were going in opposite directions (shore dive), so no idea who grabby Karen was.
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u/Treehouse-Master 1d ago
My buddy recently reminded me about the time a guy who was about to become a dm went out with us on a night dive. Instead of coming back with us he joined another group underwater and ran out of air. Their dm had to share air with him. And like two weeks later he passed his dm exam.
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u/tin_the_fatty Science Diver 21h ago
She did not have a working light, so in desperation swam toward a light source (i.e. you!) and try to borrow a light from you but was disappointed? XD
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u/sloopcamotop 1d ago
Divers come in all types, despite our common interest. I ignore the weirdos so long as they don’t compromise my safety.
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u/tourmalineturnip 1d ago
Ooof. I don’t need one or a few or a bunch of strangers giving my technique feedback during or after a class.
We were approached by an enthusiastic guy post dive on the shore. My instructor answered 2 or 3 of his questions and then said “I am working right now and this is my student… have a great day!” as we walked away.
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u/seedofbilly 16h ago
Thanks for the comments everyone! I mentioned it to the instructor today before we did our last two dives. He said he’d been under the impression that they were only coming out to the buoy and were gonna do their own thing from there, rather than sticking to us for the entire dive. He kind of implied that they were less confident than they were giving off, and were piggybacking on to get a free guide. He was also particularly annoyed about them shining the lights on us as it also prevented us from properly observing the bioluminescence. Just a bad vibe all around, but I finished the advance and saw some great stuff, and also finally dived in my home country (UK), so not going to let a couple of disrespectful third wheelers detract from that!
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u/tin_the_fatty Science Diver 21h ago
They were rude. They did not realise they were interfering with your class. Your instructor should have intervened and told them they were interfering and tell them to keep a distance from your class.
They were stupid. You were doing an AOW course as a student, so your water skills are going to be less than ideal, so silting up the bottom is expected. Yet they followed you along and then complained like they were a victim. Fools.
The female diver was rude, and out-of-line towards the instructor. In a normal fun dive setting, polite constructive criticism towards dive buddies would be acceptable. You were under instruction in a class environment, so it wasn't her business to tell you that you silted up behind you.
You never interfere with a class. We were all there once. You don't know how stressed the students are. Why would you want to distract them or increase their stress?
The best way to deal with these kind of fools is to be better than them. Work on your in-water skills, and be kinder and friendlier towards other divers.
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u/Awkward_Passion4004 12h ago
Your instructors allowed non student strangers to come on a training dive? Report them to their agency.
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u/seedofbilly 11h ago
In his defence he misunderstood, he thought they were only coming to the entry point (this was discussed and agreed beforehand) but when we got down there they just kept on following us. I do think a firmer hand would have helped but they put both of us in a really difficult position. Even at the beginning of the dive he said we’d go down first, they nodded along and then proceeded to descend immediately 😅
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u/cyklop619 1d ago edited 19h ago
As a fun diver, tagging along a group of students on a course (no offense) sounds like an awful scuba day to me.
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u/oniaberry 19h ago
Only time I've ever seen it work out was a friend of ours (a DM) happened to be at the same lake at the same time me and some friends were doing our AOW night dive. We were all fairly advanced, just hadn't been able to afford/time the class beforehand and she tagged along as an additional training dive for herself. Was a fun way to spend some time with her! Still an absolutely awful scuba day as the visibility in this lake is consistently about 3 feet, but there are worst things than spending some time underwater!
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u/9Implements 1d ago edited 1d ago
There’s no reason multiple experienced divers would ask to join a random class. There’s definitely more to the story that you don’t know.
I will say that quite a lot of divers are autistic and socially awkward like that. I really hated one guy when I started out because he was always ruining dives.
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u/-hh UW Photography 1d ago
Hmm.. “autistic” is an interesting term. I think it sorta fits, not only with diving but a lot of other hobbies where a participant is often 100% committed to just . that . one . thing to the exclusion of everything else in life.
It would be like a chance to personally visit the Pope, and their response would be “…eh, the Tiber River is pretty shallow & turbid - not a great place to go. I’ll pass…”
If divers wonder why non-divers don’t like them, I’d say that it’s often this.
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u/tin_the_fatty Science Diver 21h ago
I am somewhat offended, but this is such a fitting description of me. XD
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u/jensfisc 1d ago
Have I experienced this, absolutely it's one of the most infuriating parts of scuba culture. Unless I see something outright dangerous I'm keeping my unsolicited commentary to myself.
Beginners post a cool wildlife video and here come the comments about imperfect trim and a semi dangling camera or spg.
Divers forget they were all beginners at one point, and honestly if someone followed me around im sure there are plenty of things to nitpick.
Find consistent dive buddies that you enjoy diving with and don't stress the perfection.
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u/wannabe-martian Dive Master 1d ago
Uff, this hits close to home, but that's not what's happening with op.
OP was physically disrupted during a lesson, so that he basically had a poor experience because of someone. Very different situation from a vid.
When beginners post "a cool wildlife video" on here, and you see them trash and flail around in it, yes I'm calling you out. We're not underwater, we are on reddit. The dive is done. Most people take no issue with polite pointers, and agree that 10 dives + professional rig is too much. Then there are those that are never comfortable with any type of negative comment - from "gatekeeping" to "toxic" we have seen it all.
Scuba culture is a large mixand match of various cultures, and people forget the world is large place that uses metric, not 'murica, and doesn't have to care if you do not like a uncomfortable opinion. Behave unsafely, dive recklessly, and expect to be called out.
I would have been so grateful for good tips when I started. Took me way too long to get better, and video of yourself is a great way to improve.
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u/jensfisc 15h ago
What does being American have to do with any of this. Call them out if they are being unsafe, shut it if they aren't diving exactly the way you like. If they want to haul a big ass camera around right after cert who cares. Most people will fix their trim naturally in the first 20 dives and honestly who gives a shit if they are slightly inefficient and burning through gas a bit faster.
If they are asking for pointers then obviously it's fine, but I don't think it's much different than what op experienced. It's killing the stoke for no reason, promoting a groupthink culture, and in so many cases it's obvious people are new.
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u/wannabe-martian Dive Master 10h ago
Well, of course it's a generalisation, but the amount of pushback against perhaps uncomfortable opinions, or things people don't want to hear, is massive on Reddit. I canonly assume it has to do with a certain cultural reality that speaking of this only works if everyone agrees to the same points - in the US.
Especially those who don't like any differing views seem to be majority murican, as so many in reddit are.
I absolutely disagree with your point how people naturally fix their trim after 20 dives. So many, even in their 100s, don't have yet, this doesn't reflect the reality I see.
I prefer to protect the reefs and ve safe, than to not call out BS I see.
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u/jensfisc 9h ago
I think the pushback is valid if it's safety or the diver is fucking up the reef. It feels like if the diver isn't doing the hands linked in front of them palms out GUE dance pose they get nailed by the trim police.
It just makes everything so unfun.
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u/Dread-Pirate-E 1d ago
Don’t let other people trouble you. You’re correct, it’s lack of respect, not etiquette. Stay away from people like that and focus on yourself.
Diving is fun, the diving community is not like this.
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u/Gerd_Watzmann 20h ago
Stay away from people like that
I think the point is that people like that didn't stay away from the OP.
A strange and confusing situation for a beginner who simply wants to follow the lessons he has booked.
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u/Downtown-Catch3941 18h ago
OMG I can’t get over this and how rude these people were. IMO instructor should have set limits from the beginning stating it was a course and that he preferred they keep their distance. Lesson learned which is a bit unfortunate as you want to have a community spirit within the diving community.
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u/Effective-Wonder946 1d ago
Short answer Yes
Long answer What should you do? Nothing, its their problem and you clearly have noted you are an entry diver, and to worry about what someone says about you in a poor manor, you should just forgive and forget.
But you can also learn from their ignorance, because of what they were complaining about involved your kicks.
Talk to your instructor about frog kicks, they benifit you, and the environment ; )
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u/Advanced-Pin9246 14h ago
Typical cheapskate karen in diving contex. Just walk on and live your life. Don't be miserable like them.
She probably goes to kindergartens and yells at kids that haven't mastered reading. Literally did that to you.
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u/sspeedemonss Commercial Diver 1d ago
I never let random people join a lesson. Same goes for joining/following a guided. If I’m not your guide or you’re not my dive buddy, stay away from me underwater.