mi000ke
Contributor
- Messages
- 1,144
- Reaction score
- 1,735
- Location
- Massachusetts & Grand Cayman Island
- # of dives
- 200 - 499
I think it's great that you are taking your personal safety seriously and recognizing the limitations of being buddied with the DM. But don't for a minute think that simply carrying a pony will make you any safer. It seems intuitive that it would, but there is no evidence that is does. There certainly are anecdotal indications that people 'feel' safer, but I think it's complicated as to whether or not that actually results in: A) greater safety, B) less safety (false confidence) or C) has no appreciable affect on actual safety. As an example, with the fatality in Cozumel that inspired this thread, the victim was found with plenty of air in her tank, as are many victims in dive accidents.
Everything else that you said in this post seems to me to be very well thought out, especially for a self described novice diver. I'm often in a similar situation in that I travel to Cozumel frequently by myself and am a de-facto solo diver within a group. I try to buddy up with another diver, and sometimes that works out well. The way I deal with the situation is simply to try to use my best judgement on the dives, stay close with the group and maintain good awareness. I do have fairly extensive dive training (DM, cave) and that has helped me to be a good problem solver and maintain good dive behavior and awareness. I think that's much more important than a pony bottle in OW, especially when there is a group present in the vicinity.
Agree wholeheartedly. I was planning to carry the pony only for gas redundancy, again either to surface if needed, or to buy time to get assistance from a group member or DM in case of a non-gas related situation when my DM "buddy" is not close enough at hand or is distracted (to tie back to the original post). I would not include the pony in my dive plan. (Hope said that correctly - meaning I would not plan to use the spare gas.) So it seems to me it would make me contingently safer as long as I respect the ever present dangers of diving - to your point B.
What truly confuses me is that given the type of dives I do (recreational reef and wall dives in warm, low-current, high visibility Carribean waters) how it would be possible for someone who is (as I hopefully am) very cautious and level-headed to die while diving, putting aside medical issues. I think I will have the air covered. I watch my NDL like a hawk. I have never seen anything on the dives I've done to get entangled in. And if I have a heart attack while diving at least it will have happened while doing something I like. Meanwhile just want to make sure that I can survive the few minutes it might take to get my DM buddy's attention if needed. I do like your reference to "good dive behavior and awareness" and agree that's key. Hope I'm moving in that direction after 35 dives. In fact, that would make a great separate topic as I sure would like to know more about what that means in a practical way.