I was diving a team of three today. The father-son buddies had not been on a Jetty Dive and wanted to go. I put the son (14 yrs old) in the middle and Dad on the outside. They were both newly certified. We went slowly, but safely over the 4th finger to the 5th and then back around the 4th. There was one place where the boy couldn't keep down and his feet were sticking up. I grabbed his butt dump and pushed him down and we continued the dive. We all had a great safe time.
3 buddy dive vs 4?
- Thread starter Abaco24
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Bubbletrubble
Contributor
I agree that 3 divers might be better than 2 by 2 in a situation in which one person is OOA. Nevertheless, if there were 6 newer divers that needed buddying up, I'd probably opt for 3 groups of 2 rather than 2 groups of 3. Most people in basic OW class were taught to dive as a 2-man buddy team. I'd be more inclined to go with what they are comfortable with. If 2 divers in a 3-man team have poor situational awareness then that third diver will be playing "monkey in the middle."
bs63366
Contributor
I can say from experience that it all depends on the attitudes of the divers. I just recently did a 3 buddy pair that I think next time I will be pulling from off the dive boat than to dive with them again. They put me as lead and then would split off both ways away from me. I have dove a group of three before that and we were fine. had the leader in the middle and a person to either side. Just make sure that everyone knows the plan and sticks to it and it will work great.
In the case of 3 divers (or normal 2 buddies) one is the lead. Basically, in our case, dad and son were buddies, and I led. I knew where we were going, and we all knew (and agreed before the dive) when we would turn back, and I initiated air checks throughout the dive. I also carry a pony and, in this case, (even though I'm fatter) I used a lot less air than they did.
It is interesting to note that the diver who recently rescued two other divers in the Bahamas was diving in a threesome, himself, his wife, and a friend. His partners stayed out of the way and watched, ready to assist, as he went down and brought the narc'd guys (who had only 400 cf of air left) up from 150 ft.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/near-misses-lessons-learned/289924-bahamas-close-call-video.html
abaco24
I'd much rather dive as a reasonably tuned 3 diver team than send somebody with an insta-buddy. We dive as threesome anytime we come up odd. It does require a little more discipline. Somebody needs to be the leader and the 2 followers need to stay visible. Ideally flanking the leader so they can be monitored with a gentle roll. If you're in blue water with lots of visibility then things get a little more lenient.
On a related note. I generally refuse to dive as a true foursome. 2 buddy teams with one team following is fine but truly being buddy to 3 divers is usually insane in moderate visibility. The other team is expected to go independent if separated. Like all things scuba there are exceptions but in general a foursome that is not a tuned team is not a lot of fun. A family of 4 following a guide in blue water is probably a piece of cake though.
Go as 3 and have fun.
Pete
I'd much rather dive as a reasonably tuned 3 diver team than send somebody with an insta-buddy. We dive as threesome anytime we come up odd. It does require a little more discipline. Somebody needs to be the leader and the 2 followers need to stay visible. Ideally flanking the leader so they can be monitored with a gentle roll. If you're in blue water with lots of visibility then things get a little more lenient.
On a related note. I generally refuse to dive as a true foursome. 2 buddy teams with one team following is fine but truly being buddy to 3 divers is usually insane in moderate visibility. The other team is expected to go independent if separated. Like all things scuba there are exceptions but in general a foursome that is not a tuned team is not a lot of fun. A family of 4 following a guide in blue water is probably a piece of cake though.
Go as 3 and have fun.
Pete
Jonny boy
Guest
IMHO, vis and terrain help determine the formation. In our local swamp hole that we practice in, vis this time of year can drop from several feet down to inches. If my normal dive buddy and I have a 3rd diver who joins us, we have the 3rd diver shoulder to shoulder with me and my buddy brings us the rear in case the 3rd diver strays off. He dives right behind my fins. We have found this works really well when the vis drops down to inches.
Blue water when you can see everyone? Not nearly as critical, but I would put the weakest diver (least experience, highest gas usage, etc.) in the front.
Carrie
Blue water when you can see everyone? Not nearly as critical, but I would put the weakest diver (least experience, highest gas usage, etc.) in the front.
Carrie
I'll warn you -- if you use the "three ship Diamond pattern" and the other two divers are your kids, warn them to stay up on your shoulder so you can turn your head and see them. If they dive back around your waist (or further behind) you can't see them, and you'll spend the whole dive turning around to figure out where they are. That formation works in flying because you're in radio contact 
Three divers DOES increase the resources available to the team (which is why we like to dive in teams of three in caves). Even the most risk averse agency only plans for one catastrophic failure -- OOG should be the result of a major equipment failure (not poor gas planning or monitoring) and therefore should be vanishingly rare, and certainly should not occur to two people in the same dive. And since everybody on the team should be carrying enough gas to get two people to the surface from any point in the dive, the major role of the third diver should simply be to lead the ascent and remain calm (and shoot a bag if appropriate).
(For prolonged exits, as under a virtual or real overhead, it may be prudent to switch the OOG diver from one donor to another, to make sure everybody keeps a safe amount of gas all the way to the exit, but that's a whole 'nother world.)
Three divers DOES increase the resources available to the team (which is why we like to dive in teams of three in caves). Even the most risk averse agency only plans for one catastrophic failure -- OOG should be the result of a major equipment failure (not poor gas planning or monitoring) and therefore should be vanishingly rare, and certainly should not occur to two people in the same dive. And since everybody on the team should be carrying enough gas to get two people to the surface from any point in the dive, the major role of the third diver should simply be to lead the ascent and remain calm (and shoot a bag if appropriate).
(For prolonged exits, as under a virtual or real overhead, it may be prudent to switch the OOG diver from one donor to another, to make sure everybody keeps a safe amount of gas all the way to the exit, but that's a whole 'nother world.)
In open water for 3 diver teams I coach "no more than 1/2 a diver length behind the leader". That has a few purposes. First they are in poking range if they spot something cool or have a problem. We still need to inform #3 but since #3 is following the leaders distraction should be apparent. It also keeps them where I can see them with a gentle roll.
The followers need to realize that they cannot doddle or they will be lost in a few kicks.
Flexibility and awareness need to be exercised when swimming narrow channels or along walls.
If everyone understands the objective it's pretty easy.
Judging side to side spacing with peripheral vision underwater is a little distorted so some incidental shoulder contact is to be expected. That just tells me they are there and saves me from looking.
Pete
The followers need to realize that they cannot doddle or they will be lost in a few kicks.
Flexibility and awareness need to be exercised when swimming narrow channels or along walls.
If everyone understands the objective it's pretty easy.
Judging side to side spacing with peripheral vision underwater is a little distorted so some incidental shoulder contact is to be expected. That just tells me they are there and saves me from looking.
Pete
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