Sixth Sense

[Wizard]

Everybody gets the willies sooner or later. I always go ahead with the dive and usually they go away.
If they get worse, call it. A short dive is better than no dive.

[Howard]

Most of you have suggested calling the dive when the spooky feeling shows up. But sometimes you get spooked (or uneasy) or you here that voice that says, "this is crazy, you shouldn't be here," and you swallow hard, shake your head, and keep going.

It's natural to feel a bit spooked from time to time, but whether it means it's time to end the dive or become more aware, a bit more cautious, depends on the circumstances.

-skip

Hey Skip, funny this thread should show up just after the conversation we had yesterday, huh

[RN]

I've had it happen both ways. I've called dives before even leaving the house. Sometimes you just have the feeling that today is not the day to dive. I've also called dives in the water because I've had a strange feeling come on me.

I will also admit that I've had strange thoughts come on and just pushed them back and continued the dive. The only time this happens is in a system I'm very familiar with. Fortunately, nothing has gone wrong on those dives. I guess I just got "spooked" as skip puts it. But if I'm in an unfamiliar cave or I'm solo, I head out.

[skip]

Yeah, that's right! I thought the same thing Howard. We talk on the phone, then there it is on the forum! almost makes one believe in conceptual cycles, rather than just plain coincidence.

And yes, I agree with you RN. sometimes you don't even leave the house, but find something else to do - it's just not feeling right today.

Plato (that old greek guy) claimed that those gut-feelings, intuition, hunches, etc., were some universal hidden reality trying to tell you some fundamental truth, so listen up!

Aristotle (another old greek guy) argued back and said those gut-feelings were based on your own past experiences speaking to you in the present! perhaps some common thing between what's going on now and what was going on then...unconscious memories associated with certain events give rise to gut-feelings when similar events occur in the present.

-skip

[skip]

I've had a few problems in caves (thankfully only a few), but not one was preceded by a "feeling." In fact in all three cases everything was just fine until the s**t hit the fan! where was that spooking feeling then?

well, maybe acting on the spooking feeling is what prevented problems and when no spooky feeling, I just proceed with the mistaken (ignorance is bliss?) assumption that things are ok - until they suddenly weren't!

-skip

[DogDiver]

My thought process is this: Anyone can call the dive at anytime for any reason, no questions asked! Been diving since 1966 and can't even begin to list the number of dives I've called due to "just a bad feeling". My most rememberd abort was in the early 70's. We were diving The Arabia in the Georgian Bay. I got down the anchor line and at 50 feet, I couldn't go any further. I looked at my buddy, shrugged and called it. In those days, it was a major expedition to get a boat to take you out there....seems we call a dive a few times a month these days. As previously said: The cave aint going anywere....we'll dive it next week.....Ken

[Line Squirrel]

I've only ever heard one time when a buddy got a *little* ticked off because a dive was called.

Two friends of mine were diving in Telford. Both divers SAC/RMV must have been pretty good because it was turning out to be a long dive. One diver eventually thumbed it still well before thirds. When they got to the surface, one buddy asked the other what the problem was.

His response....He was hungry!

They actually both had a good chuckle over it.

[SuPrBuGmAn]

His response....He was hungry!

They actually both had a good chuckle over it.

I've called several dives for being hungry... it suprises nobody though :/

[Line Squirrel]

I've called several dives for being hungry... it suprises nobody though :/

Mat - Don't buy a rebreather. You'll never get your monies worth out of it!

[WJH]

If something doesn't feel right, I don't do the dive. Many times it is a circumstance that makes me think, "this will sound really stupid in the accident report".

WJH