On Your Own: The Buddy System Rebutted By Bob Halstead

[jadairiii]

I think you misunderstood me. My point was that there is much more that can go wrong in tree service than in rec diving. ....

I disagree. Both endeavors require a reliance on equipment to keep you alive. Both have environmental variables (IMO more so in diving). I would argue that a safety harness, in good working order and properly attached has a much lower failure rate than does a regulator or running out of gas at depth. Not to mention that, IMO, the risk variables in diving are greater than in tree trimming. Personally I freaking hated working on a diesel chipper, especially on the drum/blades. But that is not "tree trimming"

 

[tursiops]

I think you misunderstood me. My point was that there is much more that can go wrong in tree service than in rec diving. You point deals with that ability to handle things when it goes wrong. the end result is the product of both aspects. You are right in that divers are less equipped to handle problems that tree folks are. Especially when the divers are new ones with little experience compared to the degree that tree service has. No way does a diver have to do what a tree man has to do to get a several hundred # limb safely on the ground safely while dealing with all the contingencies. divers really have but 2 issues air and buoyancy control. I agree that their inabliity to handle those 2 things try to ballance things out in the end. I still hear of much more injuries in tree service than scuba. On the other hand i seldom hear of a tree mans harness falling off mid air like i do tanks falling out of divers BCD's either.

So you are trying to compare a professional tree service to an amateur and inexperienced diver? Quite unfair, I'd say. How about comparing the tree service to some professional, highly experienced divers? Is that not a better comparison?

 

[loosenit2]

my husband only had 1 second stage

Why? Can you explain this, this is outside of the normal convention for gear configuration in the last 30 years. Was this in the 60's or 70's?

 

[Wingy]

I really liked this article.
Briefly touched on - lack of available buddies and the psychology of being safe because you have a buddy.

I travel solo - I am a solo person and a little prone to doubting my abilities when others are around. Fear of being judged if you will. I live a pretty much solo life, and I'm more than happy so not a quivering mess. Because I've always travelled solo and remotely, the DM or Owner has usually been my buddy - perhaps this article has given me a new look at that, I had good buddies. But I've never had "A" buddy. I'm single, my sons don't dive, the few friends I have that can dive haven't dived for ten years etc etc so it's probably been a factor in why I've begun solo diving in a few places I know very well where amazing stuff can be found in 5m of water. I spent a lot of my childhood and teenage years there so I'm confident in my ability to CESA...every now and then I do it just to keep up as I'm getting older. I enjoy the serenity.

When I'm doing a LOB or land based trip I am a sociable person I think because I meet people with a common interest and can have great communication. I've made some (hopefully) life long friends who I was randomly assigned a cabin and to buddy with. Or met on some weird island that took 42 hours to get to. I've only ever asked a LOB friend to travel with me once and I had the best fun ever and I hope she did too. Hope to meet up with a few buddies again.

I try my very best to be a good buddy and keep an eye on my buddies and have helped out through minor problems with no dramas. I'm not even sure how to assess myself but I have had LOW divers on my octo and swam tired divers back to the boat. Felt good to be able to assist. I've also had some buddies particularly land based that have asked me what deco means before we splash who were rescue certified in Roatan.

Why not both? Great question. Very thought provoking thread.

 

[NAM001]

So you are trying to compare a professional tree service to an amateur and inexperienced diver? Quite unfair, I'd say. How about comparing the tree service to some professional, highly experienced divers? Is that not a better comparison?

Yes i am making that comparison because it s a recreational diving conversation and not a tech diving post. I believe the discussion was regarding whether a buddy was a help or a hinder to diving. I believe most will agree that in the technical arena it is a help/ asset. that leaves the less experienced divers which are the rec divers who many have few dives or many in a limited range if environments.

I will invite you to reread my comments and this time look at it from the perspective that I am saying the above ground tree work or felling trees that are big with its complexities and hazzards DO NOT COMPARE in any way with the simplistic skills and hazards involved in rec diving. You are right it compares with technical diving. but buddy system as it relates to the 2 part article was not a technical diving document as i read it. When solo is referenced it is not associated with solo technical diving it is associated with single person recreational diving. I would suspect that when you are doing tech diving the buddy is an integral part of the dive team that is necessary for the dive success, where as in rec diving ,,,,it does not rank with those in the technical arena.

 

[NAM001]

I really liked this article.
Briefly touched on - lack of available buddies and the psychology of being safe because you have a buddy.

I travel solo - I am a solo person and a little prone to doubting my abilities when others are around. Fear of being judged if you will. I live a pretty much solo life, and I'm more than happy so not a quivering mess. Because I've always travelled solo and remotely, the DM or Owner has usually been my buddy - perhaps this article has given me a new look at that, I had good buddies. But I've never had "A" buddy. I'm single, my sons don't dive, the few friends I have that can dive haven't dived for ten years etc etc so it's probably been a factor in why I've begun solo diving in a few places I know very well where amazing stuff can be found in 5m of water. I spent a lot of my childhood and teenage years there so I'm confident in my ability to CESA...every now and then I do it just to keep up as I'm getting older. I enjoy the serenity.

When I'm doing a LOB or land based trip I am a sociable person I think because I meet people with a common interest and can have great communication. I've made some (hopefully) life long friends who I was randomly assigned a cabin and to buddy with. Or met on some weird island that took 42 hours to get to. I've only ever asked a LOB friend to travel with me once and I had the best fun ever and I hope she did too. Hope to meet up with a few buddies again.

I try my very best to be a good buddy and keep an eye on my buddies and have helped out through minor problems with no dramas. I'm not even sure how to assess myself but I have had LOW divers on my octo and swam tired divers back to the boat. Felt good to be able to assist. I've also had some buddies particularly land based that have asked me what deco means before we splash who were rescue certified in Roatan.

Why not both? Great question. Very thought provoking thread.

Howdy winger been some time. I agree with you . its one thing to be doing solo dives in the shallows where exposure to problems is minimal and immediate direct ascent is an option. Your comment about being able to assist others is a good feeling. the flip side is the degree you had to assist and whether it could be more than you can handle. Then the aspect of could the problem have been preventable and as such not have put you also at risk by the assist. Situations like that is where the buddy can become more a problem more than an asset. I wish that the training gods would relook at what they can do in the AOW training area to incorporate solo needed skills with out suggesting the training is in any way a solo course. things like perfection of bcd use buoyancy buoy shooting. but unfortunately that does not happen there are a lot of AOWs out there at 80 feet looking like they are riding bicycles. By the end of AOW a diver should be good enough to not only be good in the water but to be able to be a good buddy. Neither is a trusted given.

what deco means before we splash who were rescue certified in Roatan....... there is a big red flag....

 

[Ana]

Why? Can you explain this, this is outside of the normal convention for gear configuration in the last 30 years. Was this in the 60's or 70's?

Nope that was in the 90's, he does not use 2 second stages. He's also no longer welcome on charters, he's Ok with that.

Lately we only dive from our own boat, Bonaire is the only other place we've gone for diving, and no one had an issue with his configuration.

 

[NAM001]

Your comment makes no sense. You "totally disagree" then confirm exactly what the poster stated.

That fact that the buddy system is "seldom properly implemented" is a failure of training, not the System.



Again, poor training, not a condemnation of the system



Life saving, none. Fixing minor issues that could have escalated, plenty. Helping and being helped.

One thing for certain ,,,,, no matter what the reason is,,,,,,,,, the end result is a buddy that is not functional. and a non functional buddy is no buddy at all. you are now solo whether you like it or not.

 

[NAUI Wowie]

Huh?

with normal finning technique split fins give you that speed boost. those short tech fins are for manuevering

twas but a joke I jest

 

[Wingy]

Heya KWS good to hear your opinion. I've never had a buddy solo here at home which is where I do solo dive, there's never been anyone there to assist...did you like my choice of word there lol? So I travel so I can dive with other people! I like night diving which further complicates the matter of "Join a dive club" - post ad for insomniac menopausal woman seeking buddy immediately at 3.24am - I have tried! As you know I'm a sailor too so I obviously must feel at home on boats and I'd say everyone who's been on a LOB with me would say "she never shut up..even underwater". I get to dive and enjoy someone finding something or vice versa and I don't get that here. So I sent myself broke paying for friends haha.

A couple of times on trips away - once LOB once Landbased - I've chosen to assist a buddy who is looking nervous and shared gas, held a hand and checked their computer, towed someone out of breathe back .... But in none of those instances did I rescue anyone, LOB guides and way more experienced divers than me would have stepped in if they felt it necessary in sure. I've seen dive pros react like a bullet when the SHTF on other occasions and resolve a problem before it became an issue. I've seen one dive rescue that did result in injury and did not have a clue what to do..so I learnt.
My "goal" if you will as a diver has really become - knowing my limits. I'm not a hero.

Miss Roatan is an awesome girl I dove the Coolidge with in Vanuatu and blamed copious drinking of Kava. She is now with child and has (thankfully) given up diving.