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A Lesson In Diver Responsibility- Don’t Play Follow The Leader

A Lesson In Diver Responsibility- Don’t Play Follow The Leader

Written by Noreen
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Published on January 17, 2011

Talking to divers on my last dive trip, I noticed a disturbing trend. In a discussion about deep dives, a novice diver pipped in that he had once dived to a depth of 45 meters (147 feet) with regular air, on his last dive trip. Knowing he hadn’t very many dives under his belt, I asked him what his certification level was and when he promptly replied it was right off the bat after his Open Water certification and only his 5th dive ever, I was shocked.

However, what came as a shock to me, wasn’t near as surprising to some of the other divers who shared doing risky deep dives without the experience nor the training. Some of the divers didn’t even have dive computers of their own at the time and relied completely on the dive guide’s. One common thread they all shared was, they claimed not to know what they were doing was risky, they just followed their dive guides and did what they said. Is it that common for divers to put themselves trustingly in the hands of dive shops without considering whether what they are about to do is safe? Who’s responsible for any incidents, the certified diver or the dive shop?

Part of the reason why divers are made to sign waivers before diving, is to take complete responsibility for their actions. As certified divers, we all know the risks of scuba diving and the increase in those risks as we go deeper. Monitoring depth and time during a dive is one of the very first things a diver is taught when certified. So why do we forget this just because there’s a leader? Blindly following the dive guide puts you in a vulnerable position.

Every diver’s dive profile is different. If you happen to dip even 15 feet lower than your dive guide or buddy with a dive computer, it shortens your dive time. Exceeding your dive time even puts you at higher risk of decompression sickness. Not only that, diving beyond recommended depths for recreational diving on air has further more risks like nitrogen narcosis.

While many make lightly of nitrogen narcosis being just like a drunk feeling, at 100 feet or deeper underwater, it can spell disaster. You’ve probably been that deep or even deeper and never felt narced, right? and that’s exactly why it can be dangerous. Chances are you’ve never even noticed the effects of narcosis cause not cause you haven’t been narced but rather you haven’t noticed. Most times when nitrogen narcosis hits, you haven’t had do anything but breathe normally through your regulator, which is almost second nature if you’ve been diving a while. It’s when and if you have react or deal with anything that requires some thoughtful response you’ll be in trouble. So while you must have heard about decompression Illness being the biggest risk of diving, some consider Nitrogen narcosis more dangerous as it attacks the most important piece of life-support diving equipment a diver has- their brain.

Bottom line is….Don’t blindly play follow the leader when you dive. Be responsible for your own dive plan. No one should tell you how deep or for how long you have to dive for. As good as their intentions may be, all it takes is one incident for your worse nightmare to become a reality. So why risk it? Your experience, training, practice and dive buddy are all important factors to consider if you’re up for a dive, particularly if it’s considered an advanced dive or there are environmental conditions you’re never faced before. Don’t let anyone talk you into doing dives you may have doubts about. Don’t let peer pressure put you in a situation that you are not ready for. It’s your life and your responsibility at the end of the day.