Dangers and options for swim throughs, down currents, and buddy teams/groups

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Quero

Will be missed
Rest in Peace
ScubaBoard Supporter
Scuba Instructor
Messages
9,494
Reaction score
2,241
Location
Phuket, Thailand
# of dives
I just don't log dives


A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

This topic grew from the discussion of an accident that took place in Cozumel, Mexico. As such, several posts were split and edited to focus each discussion. Some of the links embedded in quoted posts may point back to the original A&I thread. I have placed this split-off thread in Basic Scuba because the issues are of general interest despite the fact that the accident that engendered the discussion took place in Cozumel. There is no need to restrict discussion to Cozumel or to any particular geographic area.
 
Last edited:
How to handle any of the possible causes [of a dive accident] is a POSITIVE for people who need that info.

The dive community or one dive shop could create a "course" that new divers can take to help them gain experience with the possible causes discussed.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Create a course? For something that should be covered in the Open Water class? And in fact is in some. I would see this as another encouragement to further degrade the open water class beyond where it is now in some cases. The biggest reason for buddy separation is that divers haven't been taught in the OW class how to be buddies. It is given little more than lip service. Along with dive planning. Be back with 500 PSI and Big Women Really Are Fun. That's a plan? Must be as more than a few people only get that much.
 
Jim, when I use the term "course," that can merely be a semi-structured way for a dedicated divemaster to help a person learn and be prepared for conditions that are different than what they were exposed to in their basic course.

One example: Can a diver who is separated from their buddy remain calm, respond to being in a current, possibly a down current and either find and rejoin the group or surface safely? If those conditions can happen, and there is a significant chance that if it does, the person could die, isn't said additional training useful?

Or are we to accept five deaths per year in Cozumel?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Jim, I understand your point, and agree. However, how do we, as a community address the current training situation? Saying it should be taught in OW doesn't fix the problem. My wife was not a good buddy on our first dives in Cozumel, she was so enthralled by what she saw. Despite nearly constant vigilance, she would get away from me. She was especially bad at staying just above and behind me. I sat her down and had a serious talk asking: "How long can you hold your breath? Stay closer than that to me, and please stay where I can see you." She is much better now, thank goodness.
 
TomZ said:
She was especially bad at staying just above and behind me. I sat her down and had a serious talk asking: "How long can you hold your breath? Stay closer than that to me, and please stay where I can see you." She is much better now, thank goodness.

Thanks for sharing a great way to communicate that message. Heading to Coz Feb.1. My friend will be doing her checkout dives there, and she will definately have a private DM, although she has made a few resort course dives in Cozumel before.
 
Jim, I understand your point, and agree. However, how do we, as a community address the current training situation? Saying it should be taught in OW doesn't fix the problem. My wife was not a good buddy on our first dives in Cozumel, she was so enthralled by what she saw. Despite nearly constant vigilance, she would get away from me. She was especially bad at staying just above and behind me. I sat her down and had a serious talk asking: "How long can you hold your breath? Stay closer than that to me, and please stay where I can see you." She is much better now, thank goodness.
Was she above and behind you or were you below and ahead of her?
 
Was she above and behind you or were you below and ahead of her?

The problem, in this case, is one diver knows exactly where the other diver is and that is the diver who need to help the other diver to be able to stay in contact with HER. It is UW hide and go seek.
 
Jim, I understand your point, and agree. However, how do we, as a community address the current training situation? Saying it should be taught in OW doesn't fix the problem. My wife was not a good buddy on our first dives in Cozumel, she was so enthralled by what she saw. Despite nearly constant vigilance, she would get away from me. She was especially bad at staying just above and behind me. I sat her down and had a serious talk asking: "How long can you hold your breath? Stay closer than that to me, and please stay where I can see you." She is much better now, thank goodness.

It's been my observation that lots of new divers feel very comfortable in the above and behind position because they can see the leader very well. Those newer divers need to make the mental shift that for their own safety it isn't how well they can see the leader but rather how well the leader can see them that is important. For both buddies side by the side is far superior positioning. I would wager that in most cases of buddy separation the positiong was either single file, or the buddies are diving sufficently away from each other that neither side by side nor single file describes their positioning. It's vitually impossible to lose your buddy when both are going slow and side by side.
 
Last edited:
We don't need the facts to get some benefit from this discussion. We can still discuss the dangers and options for dealing with swim throughs, the management of down currents, buddy protocols with 3 person teams. and the organization of a group of divers being guided by a DM in Cozumel.

I agree. But seems that could easily occur in a separate thread in the Cozumel forum titled "dangers and options for dealing with swim throughs, down currents, and buddy teams/groups in Cozumel" without reference to a specific incident.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom