I like to use the “10 second rule” when deciding if I should make the dive or not.
I figure that if it takes my buddy and I more than 10 seconds to decide whether to dive or not, then we probably should not make the dive. The idea behind this is that if it takes us more than 10 seconds to make the decision, then there is probably something about the conditions that we are not comfortable with.
Yea, I know… It’s just a silly “rule of thumb”. But it has kept me and my dive buddies out of trouble for more than 30 years…
The other rule that I use is that anyone in our diving group can turn a dive back, once it has started, and for any reason. I may ask "why" once we get to the surface, but that’s for information only. The reason given could be as simple as "things just didn’t feel right". But whatever the reason, it is never "challanged" and that person is never judged, condemned or otherwise put down because of their reason.
If the reason for turning a dive back can be resolved and the dive continued, then great... If not, then that’s ok too...
Tomorrow is another day, and another opportunity to dive again.