Buddy Breathing

[Seaduced]

Certainly, equipment redundancy and reliability, really make the odds of needing buddy breathing extremely low.

But, one of the reasons it is being dropped, is buddy breathing stresses an OW student too much? If a student can't accomplish buddy breathing in a pool, are they ready for open water? I think it's one of the few activities that truly test a diver's comfort level. You can simulate a lot of activities, but it's just that, a simulation. In a small way, willingly surrendering your air source exhibits the confidence every diver should have. You have to put me in the, "OW Course teaches the bare minimums now," crowd. I don't think it should be pared down any more.

There was a thread a while back, where a diver said, when I finished OW, I knew all the was to know about diving. After 50 dives, he realized, he knew almost nothing about diving. How do we teach that attitude?

 

[BDSC]

I was taught how to BB when I was certified in 91 and while I never have had to do it for real, I'm glad it was taught and demonstrated.

If it were up to me, I'd leave it in but I understand why they are dropping it.

 

[ItsBruce]

OW students should be told about BB and shown it. They might even be encouraged to try it. However, the time it takes to "master" the skill and test it should be spent teaching a more important skill, like clearing one's mask. (I am constantly amazed how many advanced divers are not comfortable doing this.)

 

[TMHeimer]

I thought I read that PADI was just changing the wording to read "2 divers breathing off a single second stage"? (which is the same thing as buddy breathing of course). Anyone know if that is true or false?

 

[DCBC]

There was a thread a while back, where a diver said, when I finished OW, I knew all the was to know about diving. After 50 dives, he realized, he knew almost nothing about diving. How do we teach that attitude?

I don't think I clearly understand your question. But I don't think that any of my students would think they "had it covered" after my open-water class. My training is pretty intensive; I always show them a larger body of knowledge and tell them that this is what we will cover today and other information will be discussed in following courses. It's made crystal clear that this is step one of a long learning-curve; if they find themselves inclined to continue.

 

[Rhone Man]

It is a good skill to have, more because it demonstrates familiarity and comfort. The odds of a diver going OOG and no other diver having an alternate second stage available in this day and age are pretty remote.

 

[EGad]

Man, Mike Nelson's syllabus just got cut in half! More time to practice underwater fighting?

 

[beester]

First my background is a volunteer organisation, so this means that less stress is put on the 1st certification level timewise. First OW level normally would take between 1-2 months and normally 16 poolsessions, 2 to 4 theory sessions and 5-15 openwater dives depending on skill. If you only have 4 days to teach OW including 4 to 5 dives you are much more limited and need to prioritize which skills to give extra attention to.

I believe BB is no longer a primary safety skill or a real diving skill. A safety skill would be S drill (OOA dril) a real diving skill would be buoyancy. It's neither of those since you don't practise it enough to be of any real use as safety and you're not using it in your normal diving.

What it is IMO is an aquatic skill that primary usefull to make you feel more at ease in the underwater environment. Just like some basic swimming, 25 yards swimming apnea, static apnea, breathing without mask on, donning/doffing equipment underwater do. These things are marginaly usefull as real diving skills but do improve your enjoyment and safety underwater because they give you underwater confidence.

To be perfectly usefull as a safety drill is no longer necessary because there are better tools to solve the problem. Next to that you would need to practise it regularly to maximize the effectiveness. I've done buddy breathing + OOA ascends from 40 m because they were part of our oldschool curriculum. And it was ok to do but that's because you prepared for it.

If I had to do it now at 40 m in a low vis environment it would be dangerous. BB is a different beast then donning your primary or octopus to an OOA diver. In that situation you can deploy and have a minute or 2 to calm the OOA diver down, check everything and then start your ascend. If you are BB you have to act immediatly. You cannot wait long because you are retaining CO2 while BB (specially at depth), so you have to start your ascend asap. Next to the stress of handling the BB motions you also have to keep your OOA buddy close, communicate, check your ascend rate, etc. Next to that most OOA situation IMO with reasonably experienced divers do not result from no gas situations ,but more from freeflows, blown O-rings, etc. So you would have to solve that also next to all the other motions. With the current equipment there are easier solutions.

So good for aquatic skills not good as safety skill (for a laugh grab your old 1 stage regulator (mistral, aquamaster) and show some BB skills in the pool with it... it's quite a laugh when you're not used to it.)

 

[adambayam]

BB is paramount when learning the basics. A new diver needs to know all of his options.

If the unexperienced diver runs out of air, he knows he has his partner's octo. If this does not work I would assume he would freak out and head topside. The thought of pairing up on ONE reg might not accure to him.

If you ask me its worth learning or at least mentioning it.

 

[rainynight65]

I was taught about Buddy Breathing in basic OW and I am glad my instructor included it. I found it neither stressful nor difficult to learn. Yes, the likelihood of ever using it is probably very slim. But I have to ask myself, do I really want to end up in a situation where I have no choice but to use this skill, and not know how to? In my experience, Murphy always strikes when it's least expected or probable.