Well, here I am again with no dive plans.  I was sitting in front of the computer in an attempt to get my fix of cyber diving, when something got my attention.  It made me think back to a few instances that I decided to share with you.

We all know the phrase “Any diver can thumb a dive at any time for any reason”, but how many of us are really willing to stick to it????

I know for a fact that I am spoiled when it comes to diving.  I live in sunny S. Florida where we have great wrecks in all ranges of depth that are only a few minutes from shore.  The visibility is often only limited by our own eyesight and the water can be as warm as you bathwater. If something bad happens such as the visibility is only 20’ that day, or the current has picked up, or the waves or more than 2’ high; thumbing the dive is common place and happens regularly. OK, possibly I exaggerated a bit with the conditions, but you got my point.  We can just return the next day or when ever we feel like it.  We did not have a huge travel expense or a lot of time invested to get there.  This is a luxury that we take for granted, and sometimes tend to get upset when conditions are less than ideal.

We can spend a mere 5 hours to head to the N. Florida caves to enjoy yet another type of diving.  Once again, this is easy for us and not a huge travel expense.  Do we get bent out of shape if the conditions are not ideal? Funny you should ask that, yes sometimes we do.

Now if we take into account the divers that are not sitting in a similar location and think about their logistics.  They will have huge travel expenses, long travel times, and long boat rides.  It is easy to see why there might be an inclination to dive when one does not feel up to it.

I know that this should not be a consideration when the urge to thumb a dive creeps up on me, but I always think about my buddies and how it will affect them.  Peer pressure can be a powerful force and we need to realize this.

Awhile back I called a dive before it ever started.  I had a dream the night before where I was in a cave and when I turned a corner, I saw a lifeless body floating in front of me.  I have strange dreams from time to time and did not think much about it.  We all meet at the dive site (just so happens it was a cave dive) and guess what image flashed in my memory?  I explained it to my buddy and mentioned that my comfort level was shaken.  The dive did not happen and none of the others have ever mentioned it again.

I urge you to have the strength and courage to thumb a dive whenever the need arises.  Do not worry about money, time, or others. 

As always – Have Fun and Dive Safe

Dsix36

Thumbing a Dive

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