Not to worry, the great Rock God in the sea is watching over them. Great photo!
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Is it okay to be a quasi-solo diver in certain situations?
- Thread starter Professor Nemo
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OP
Professor Nemo
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Thanks to everyone who replied. The information shared gives me a lot to think about.
I personally think anyone that dives without a buddy is insane.
It is a good idea to have protect yourself as much as possible (redundant systems, cutting tools, etc).
However, as prepared as you are, you are making the assumptions that:
1. You'll be able to make any decision at all (think black-outs, sudden strokes, etc)
2. You can make a good decision in various conditions (aspirated a bunch of seawater, caught a strong or downcurrent, have catastrophic gear failure that's not redundant such as BCD failure).
This is an activity where your life is literally on the line if something goes wrong. Why gamble?
I've had absolutely horrible experience with insta-buddies, so I understand your pain, but someone is better than no one. IMO the best thing to do is to TALK with your buddy in advance, have a rough dive plan, and stick to it. If buddy doesn't want to follow it, switch him out immediately.
It is a good idea to have protect yourself as much as possible (redundant systems, cutting tools, etc).
However, as prepared as you are, you are making the assumptions that:
1. You'll be able to make any decision at all (think black-outs, sudden strokes, etc)
2. You can make a good decision in various conditions (aspirated a bunch of seawater, caught a strong or downcurrent, have catastrophic gear failure that's not redundant such as BCD failure).
This is an activity where your life is literally on the line if something goes wrong. Why gamble?
I've had absolutely horrible experience with insta-buddies, so I understand your pain, but someone is better than no one. IMO the best thing to do is to TALK with your buddy in advance, have a rough dive plan, and stick to it. If buddy doesn't want to follow it, switch him out immediately.
mmadiver
Contributor
I can't tell you how much I disagree with that. An incompetent neglectful person in the water is not better than no one and is likely to be the root of an incident or exacerbate one.
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Sounds to me like you are trying to decide where to draw the line of personal responsibility for your own peace of mind.
Maybe this will help. You bring your half to the dive, no more and no less. If you are highly skilled and competent, then your half counts for a lot. If you are new and doing your best, then your half should count for just enough.
Loved ones are a special case that just doesn't figure into the general equation.
And what better reason to make sure my life is in my own hands.
dumpsterDiver
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Being in a strong down current might not be better with a buddy - in fact it might be a lot worse.. more to worry about, more coordination - a weaker buddy, a buddy with less lift in their BC.. etc.
I try to configure my gear so that if i have a catastrophic failure.. the dive is still survivable - without a buddy.
I think you are making a lot of assumptions that might not be so valid.. do you really have less than 24 dives?
and your biggest (and most erroneous) assumption that someone - anyone is better than going solo.. That is absolutely incorrect.
I am a beginner - but you guys definitely have me thinking about the bad buddy scenario. I guess I was thinking more about neutral to good buddy vs. no one. I can see how a buddy doing risky things could get you into trouble though for sure.
A pony bottle probably goes a long way for solving most issues. I guess I just worry most about scenarios where I wouldn't be able to help myself.
dumpsterDiver
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I use a pony bottle for pretty much all dives over about 60 feet. It makes me feel comfortable and confident.
What are the scenarios where you would not be able to help yourself - assuming you have the right gear? Could many of those scenarios become "manageable" if you developed additional skills or had different gear?
I completely agree that many "situations" can be more safely and more quickly resolved with an extra set of hands and eyes, but which ones do you think are going to absolutely require outside assistance? Other than serious medical emergencies.. obviously - but many of those may not have a good outcome regardless of buddy assistance.
For me, the biggest advantage of a good buddy is to help deal with aggressive sharks. A good buddy really is a big advantage in those situations.
Buddy diving is great, if both buddies are "into it" and competent, but in reality this is very often not the case.
Especially if you can swim faster than your buddy.
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