Ascending and then descending straight away

[The Chairman]

In low light conditions I usually carry a light.

I almost always carry a light, because you never know when you need to look under a ledge.

 

[rick00001967]

obviously the right decision as to what to do will depending on the circumstances. but considering we are in the newbie section, is it wise to encourage descending back to the bottom when alone ? i am trying to imagine how my boss would react if i was seen / heard giving that advise to one of our new divers. i don't think i want to try that out to see how it ends for me. haha

 

[The Chairman]

is it wise to encourage descending back to the bottom when alone ?

I can only tell you what I would do in that situation. Surface currents can be rough and stressing yourself trying to battle such a current can precipitate DCS. I feel safer just off the bottom and in a valley if I can.

 

[Steve_C]

I almost always carry a light, because you never know when you need to look under a ledge.

I always have a light or two in my pockets. I meant carry a light out and on. My camera has both a flash and a modest video light. Video light used for looking under stuff also. It stays on for most of the dive. More than one buddy has commented that its wide angle makes it easier to keep track of me.

 

[Bob DBF]

as stated above, all our students are taught to look around for a minute or so (look 360 degrees as well as up and down) then SLOWLY proceed towards the surface as you would if you had a buddy. if a safety stop is required, DO IT. then (even slower) head to the surface. if your buddy and you had discussed this possibility before the dive, tey should be at the surface as well.

A safety stop is never required. Requiring one while in class is understandable. Discussing when a stop is necessary, rather than optional I believe is one of the reasons for training. Training divers to always make a safety stop during an emergency situation may not help them or their buddy.

our students are taught to do a safety stop for any dive below 30 feet.
if a certified diver feels they do not need to stop, that is up to them.

That distinction should be a matter of discussion during training, a diver, or his buddy, can die in those three, or five, minutes.

obviously the right decision as to what to do will depending on the circumstances. but considering we are in the newbie section, is it wise to encourage descending back to the bottom when alone ?

I don’t encourage a diver to do anything they don’t want to do. I do believe much more time should be spent in training preparing a diver for the issues they will meet.

Of course I was trained when SCUBA was dangerous and sex was safe.

 

[HKGuns]

As a new diver you should be trained to go to the surface if you can’t find your buddy after 1 minute of searching.

While it was probably medically safe, you should have stayed on the surface until you reconnected with your buddy.

 

[BRT]

As a new diver you should be trained to go to the surface if you can’t find your buddy after 1 minute of searching.

While it was probably medically safe, you should have stayed on the surface until you reconnected with your buddy.

I went through that once. Three of us together and the other two kept going instead of coming up. After awhile I went back down. Just in case there was a problem I could help with. I didn't find them.

 

[rick00001967]

I almost always carry a light, because you never know when you need to look under a ledge.

ever find your missing buddy under a ledge ?? wouldn't that be somethin' lol

 

[rick00001967]

A safety stop is never required. Requiring one while in class is understandable. Discussing when a stop is necessary, rather than optional I believe is one of the reasons for training. Training divers to always make a safety stop during an emergency situation may not help them or their buddy.



That distinction should be a matter of discussion during training, a diver, or his buddy, can die in those three, or five, minutes.



I don’t encourage a diver to do anything they don’t want to do. I do believe much more time should be spent in training preparing a diver for the issues they will meet.

Of course I was trained when SCUBA was dangerous and sex was safe.

i understand safety stops and why we do them. i clarified this in post #15. we discuss the differences in class between a "recommended" safety stop and "required" deco stops as it may relate to their future pursuits in diving.
it is my humble opinion that in this situation (missing buddy) it is not an "emergency". and if the diver feels they should do a safety stop, they have enough gas, and they feel it is safe to do so, then why would you not do it ? that all said, obviously there are circumstance where it may not be wise. that would be up to the diver to make the choice at that time. some posts above have given great examples of when it may not be the best choice.
if you are suggesting it could be a waste of time because the missing buddy may be having a medical emergency then that would certainly be an excellent point. but i do not remember anyone posing this as part of this particular scenario.
lets remember guys.....this is the newbie section. i believe in keeping it simple for students and new divers. look for a minute, go up safely, take care of yourself first, if you find your buddy at the surface then decide whether to continue or abort, if no buddy at the surface either swim to the boat or signal for pick up. obviously a thousand different variables could pop up that may change how a more experienced diver might decide to handle the situation.

 

[Bob DBF]

it is my humble opinion that in this situation (missing buddy) it is not an "emergency".

There is no way of knowing, until you find your buddy.

As I said, I was trained when diving was dangerous, now that it’s safe I guess nothing untoward can happen to a diver if he is separated from his buddy.


Bob