Being left to dive solo

[Banon]

+1 on the opinion that we the divers are primarily responsible for our own dive safety, not the DM.

If it's a drift dive, we either need to stay within the drift path of the group and be within sight when it is time to surface... or have a pre-arranged surface plan/agreement with the DM and the boat captain.

If it's not a drift dive, and we choose NOT to stay with the DM to see the sights and critters he or she points out along the planned path of the dive, then we are responsible for getting safely back to the boat by the pre-arranged time. It's not the DM's job to hurry us along, although he/she might do that if we are tardy.

A DM who is responsible for a group of divers is certainly not a personal guide or personal photography subject spotter. He/she is there to give us a good pre-dive briefing, get us into the water safely, show us the planned and opportunistic sights IF we choose to follow along with him/her, and get us back to the boat on time, again only IF we choose to follow along with him/her. When we deviate from the dive plan or intentionally/unintentionally lag behind until the group gets out of sight, that's generally OK (especially if pre-arranged), but we then assume full responsibility to get ourselves safely back to the boat.

 

[DevonDiver]

If you're stuck with a gaggle of insta-buddies floundering and flailing around the reef in a tornado of silt and stunned marine life.... just remove your macro lens and go wide-angle.

Stick with the group and take snaps of the diving debacle and share them with your friends here on Scubaboard. I am sure we'll appreciate them a lot. Great comedy value...and certainly more entertaining than another album full of mantis shrimp and lionfish

 

[Banon]

Those are "action shots!"

I haven't been able to get one yet, but I want a pic of a frustrated photographer rolling his eyes and/or shooting the bird at a pair of fins kicking away from some cool subject and leaving a cloud of silt behind.

 

[victor]

Those are "action shots!"

I haven't been able to get one yet, but I want a pic of a frustrated photographer rolling his eyes and/or shooting the bird at a pair of fins kicking away from some cool subject and leaving a cloud of silt behind.

I am sure there are many of those shots out there.

I agree we are responsible for our own safety and as such I take responsibility for my own actions. It's my decision to take the camera and risk falling behind, if I was very worried then I would stay close to my insta buddy the DM, with or without the camera.

Strangly when my wife dives with me I, normally, don't take my camera so I can be a better buddy. Photographers don't make for the best buddies.

It's a pity that traveling with a pony bottle is so complicated, but I am begining to think that it's the best solution. I don't dive deep so a small pony would be sufficient

 

[DevonDiver]

It's easier to configure a BP&W that can hold rental 2xAL80 cylinders via camband. That's what I use.

 

[Barakuda Abu Soma]

What do you do?
On vacation. Boat dive, led by divemaster finding cool stuff.
You have informed the staff that you have a camera and are going to be slow,
Dves are relativly simple, 12 to 24 meters, low current,
You allow others to go first, after first find you look up and all you see is bubbles in the distance. catch up and next time nothing. They have disapeared into the distance.
What do you do on this dive?
What do you do on future dives with this ?

Hi ,
This is really not nice from the guide. Just to have a backup for dives like this. For photograhper a solo diver certification is the best. If there is a big group, or the DM don´t like to take care, just dive solo.

 

[peterbj7]

It's a pity that traveling with a pony bottle is so complicated

An alternative is to take with you a sling and small camband or tank-sized hose clamp, plus a spare reg, and set yourself up a side-slung tank to clip onto your BC. I've often done that on liveaboards.

 

[Walter]

You were diving solo (and so were most, if not all, of the others) from the beginning of the dive, you just didn't realize it until you were left behind. The solution is fairly simple. Make sure you always have an assigned buddy (not just part of a group) prior to the dive, discuss staying together as buddies, and make sure you have similar goals for the dive.

 

[danvolker]

I have aborted dives before under these conditions.
The others were all in buddy pairs so I was buddied up with the DM, but I understand he was leading the dive and so has multiple roles to play.
I carry a Sausage but I did not have a redundant air source, something I think I should have for solo diving.
Other dive outfits I have used in the past have had a lead and a tail gunner, this worked much better, that was not an option here.


[snip]
What should I do;
Have a redundant air source and dive solo
or
Rent a dive guide when I take my camera.

Spend your days looking for a dive buddy that will go on triops with you. Actually, you need 2 buddies, because as a photographer, you are really a "dependant" buddy no matter how good a diver you are.
If you are shooting macro, your only hope of finding buddies that will be fine with your slow go and constant stopping, will be shell collectors or someone who is just facinated with macro creatures, and will enjoy having you point of the creatures for them....Or, rent a dive buddy or guide
Also, you should have one of your buddies tow a flag, since you will be no where near the other divers.

 

[Searcaigh]

My diving style is slow because I like to find things, and I am not out to establish some new world record for swimming underwater.

Best thing to do beforehand is to arrange for somebody to accompany you underwater to spot for you or who just wants to take it easy or preferably is another photographer.

On my recent trip to PG, there were generally around 4-6 divers per dive and all of us were taking photographs, I did manage to lose the main group a few times but it was never an issue as I eventually found them again at some point.