Following On From The Air Sharing Thread

[GROBIOG]

I'm scratching my head. We don't know anything at all about the circumstances of this video. In fact, I don't know why people are assuming that one of these air-sharing divers is a dive guide -- I don't know that. I don't know that anyone is out of gas. I do know that the air-share is being executed poorly, with poor awareness and poor control on the part of the two divers. I hope there was a debrief about it, whoever the two divers were.

I was thinking the same thing, it reminds me of the accidents thread, people are very quick on judgment, there is an urge to find guilt, fingers must be pointed, someone must pay.
Please log off, there are better things for you to do, I guarantee you there is at least one reality show airing right now, you're missing it!


Best part of the video for me is the unintentional demonstration of diver skills difference, control on the water, buoyancy, propulsion, trim, even though the guy is strugling to keep up, notice the donor is simply casually swimming, technique, all about the technique.

---------- Post Merged at 07:16 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 06:59 PM ----------

I just watched the video again, here's a couple things I noticed...

It looks to me they are ascending, notice how towards the end they appear to be on the same level as the videographer, I also noticed that there is another diver where they are heading to, at about 1:27, to the right of them, maybe videographer is on one boat and they are on another, maybe the guy ran low on air and they are ascending while swimming towards exit point at the same time, I don't know , just another view point.

 

[redacted]

the guy leading the dive with the egyptian haircut and tan is probably not on holiday.

the ali 80 is floating because its empty.
his buddy is the single guy following.

debrief???

funny.

An Al 80 will start to be floaty at over 1/2 tank.

 

[Divejones]

odd to shudder about what should be a well known and practiced option. Of course if you never practice your basic safety skills you have reason to shudder if there is an emergency.

Looking at how number 2 is trailing and moving about in the water, one has to wonder if he is in fact certified and secondly, if he is, who certified him in the first place...As I watched the video, the air sharing aspect is probably the last thing I really paid attention to.

we come back to the conjecture would the leg flipping, hands flaying tourist be upto it ? but then in the same breath i think, am i being harsh, may be it was no big deal afterall, we are unnecessarily playing detective 'Whatifs?"

 

[Simon-]

Ok to answer a couple if points.

They were at a depth of around 12-14m and had been sharing air for at least 5 mins before the video started to be recorded.

Pretty much all dives at this site are guided which is why it is fair to assume that the lead diver is the guide. Also, they did appear to be their own group not with others

At the end of the video they were not ascending. We were at 3m completing a deco stop and they never came to our level, that is just a perspective thing.

They were not on our boat, but as the boats do not anchor in this area, there is no reason as to why a DSMB could not have been deployed and the divers ascend (normal practice for these dives)

From what we watched, it appeared to be exactly what was discussed in the air sharing thread, sharing to extend bottom time.


And yes, the other guy is wearing a sun hat. The mind boggles.

 

[PfcAJ]

they probably got the idea to do that from scubaboard. they're CLEARLY well trained divers that are prepared to share gas to continue the dive. i bet if you asked them, they'd tell you how prepared and well trained they are.

 

[supergaijin]

"Yeah but... they're probably just.....but.."

I'm surprised to see so many divers trying to justify this video. After 20-odd pages debating exactly the same thing last month, I thought the consensus was that it was OK for buddies to do it at the start of the dive. Everyone agreed that guides should not.

Yet when there is a video of what is obviously a dive guide sharing air at the end of the dive to a completely out of control diver with an empty/ close to empty tank..... there is not enough evidence.

Actually maybe I'm not so surprised- it is an internet forum after all.

 

[GROBIOG]

I can care less weather its ok or not for anyone to share air at the beginning, end or middle of any dive for any reason.

As for the video in question, why are you guys so convinced the donor is a guide, why can't they simply be dive buddies? Is it because he is the one in front, leading? Well, I have already pointed out there is another diver in front, at least one more, it clearly appears at about 1:27 into the video.

I still think they are ascending, looking at the bottom, their position in the water column in relation to the hat diver, the wall to right, their position again in relation to the hat diver in the end, and of course, where they are in the water column from the perspective of the video and the hat diver in the beginning and compared to the end.

 

[supergaijin]

As for the video in question, why are you guys so convinced the donor is a guide, why can't they simply be dive buddies? Is it because he is the one in front, leading? Well, I have already pointed out there is another diver in front, at least one more, it clearly appears at about 1:27 into the video.

The dive site is Sharks/Yolanda in Sharm el Sheikh. It is fairly famous. I have worked there before. I am using that experience to say that the it is in fact a guide sharing air. It looks like a guide and 99% of the dives done in this area are guided. As the group has reached the Yolanda toilet bowls going right shoulder to the reef, one can infer that they started the dive from Sharks Reef and are finishing at Yolanda (which is the normal way to dive the site).

I still think they are ascending, looking at the bottom, their position in the water column in relation to the hat diver, the wall to right, their position again in relation to the hat diver in the end, and of course, where they are in the water column from the perspective of the video and the hat diver in the beginning and compared to the end.

They are getting shallower which IMO is different from ascending. They are continuing towards the third pinnacle (sometimes called the Satellite Reef) where traditionally groups do the safety stop. From the direction they are coming from, it looks like they came on the inside of Yolanda Reef.

This is my observation only however it is a 'professional' observation having worked there and seen guides do this fairly regularly, and having done the actual dive site at least twice a week.


The divers come in to the video at the container section of the Yolanda wreck and continue towards the Satellite Reef. Depth of the 3 divers in question would be about 12-14m.

 

[conundrum]

Look at the bubble, there was quite current. I assume that

1) the diver was out of air and donated by dive leader.
2) there should be the end of dive and the dive leader tried to swimming to the more safety place for safety stop or ascending, because your could saw sun light, it should not deeper than 10 meters.

I could not saw anythings fault.

 

[Simon-]

Look at the bubble, there was quite current. I assume that

1) the diver was out of air and donated by dive leader.
2) there should be the end of dive and the dive leader tried to swimming to the more safety place for safety stop or ascending, because your could saw sun light, it should not deeper than 10 meters.


I could not saw anythings fault.

Current was minimal, very gentle drift

When there is at least 30m+ vis, I wouldn't bank on the sun being an indicator at depth. You have had 2 people tell you the depth, me (dived it as a recreational dive too, so I know what depth I was at), and someone who dived there at least twice a week whilst working there. 12-14m

Any where between Shark and Yolanda could be used for a safety stop if required, boats don't moor there. They wait just off the reef to pick up their divers.