Diver in travel group kept running out of air and sharing on every dive?

[boulderjohn]

As to air share to extend dives, it was not uncommon to see this in Cozumel with a dive op known for longer dives but it was the guide sharing the air.

I led a dive trip there, and I assume we are talking about the same operation.

Their policy was that when a diver got down to 1,000 PSI (still plenty in a 100 or 120 cubic foot tank), that diver would continue on the guide's long hose until a second diver got to 1,000 PSI, at which point the original diver would go back on his or her own tank, and the group would ascend. Thus, no one was ever low on air before beginning the ascent.

When we did it on the trip I led, we amended the policy. the first diver to 1,000 would go on the guide's long hose, the second would go on my long hose, and the third would be when we would begin the ascent.

A key was the guide checking to make sure everyone else had more than 1,000 before the sharing began.

 

[DogDiver]

Sooner than later Darwin will catch up with this diver and group. Then we can all read about it in the DAN annual accident reports.

 

[lexvil]

I don’t see much of an issue here, they were all familiar with it and worked together but you should have voiced your concern and insisted all of your dives end in 20/25 minutes.

 

[Eric_K]

I agree with rjack321, but in the initial posting it said she went from diver to diver for air. If she needed it that would be a red flag for me as it potentially puts others at risk. I wonder if she's still diving....

 

[Nemrod]

It is common practice for a buddy team to practice air sharing on a safety stop or sometimes an OOA drill during the dive. But the description of this, unless the OP was misunderstanding, does not sound like something I would participate in. I think I would decline to share with her. I try not to involve myself in mayhem and foolishness, safe, not safe or in between, it is kind of silly.

 

[DreadnoughtNH]

The trick here is to be first in. It can give you a good 5 minutes over the rest of the crowd.

Ha! So true!!! I learned quick to gear up as soon as the boat slowed down to approach the mooring. As soon as I heard the first syllable of “pools open” I was over the side.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

I’m not sure it is common for buddy pairs to practice sharing air in an open water setting, but I think that getting comfortable with it, has significant potential benefits, when it becomes necessary. A few years ago I was diving with a scuba instructor who was overly concerned with coming up with a large reserve, so I convinced her, while underwater, to take my primary reg for a few minutes, so we did not have to ascend so early.

I find it funny that some will dive with zero redundancy and feel that it is safe enough, but want to leave the bottom in 80 ft with more than 1000 psi, lol.

I are

 

[Johnoly]

... on a safety stop or sometimes an OOA drill during the dive.

But I think the key difference is that it is "Communicated on the boat/land BEFORE" the dive starts.
When on travel vacation dives our group of 5 on the last dive of the trip will all pull our pony regs at the safety stop to breathe them down before disassembly/packing. We always communicate it to the DM, the captain and others diving with us BEFORE we splash. People get really freaked out when they see 5 people in their group all get off their main tank and switch to backup tanks underwater.

If someone says before the dive " I plan to run low on air ",, The DM might want to have a conversation with that diver so the problem can be fixed. We now have the deeper Jupiter Divers reporting their ending pressure after climbing the boat ladder.

 

[lostsheep]

I find it funny that some will dive with zero redundancy and feel that it is safe enough, but want to leave the bottom in 80 ft with more than 1000 psi, lol.

I are

Min gas is a thing for good reason. I’ll leave it to the discerning member to come up with their own numbers.

 

[steinbil]

I find it funny that some will dive with zero redundancy and feel that it is safe enough, but want to leave the bottom in 80 ft with more than 1000 psi, lol.

Did you ever consider that the lack of redundancy makes the gas reserve even more important? And that the gas reserve was actually for you? In single tank recreational diving, your buddy is your redundancy, and it's prudent to have a gas reserve big enough to make a controlled and safe ascent for two divers with elevated sac rates. GUE mingas for an 80ft dive on a single AL80 would be around 1000psi.