Best Practices and Safe Diving

[Chuck843]

I recently returned from a dive trip with a number of experienced divers including several dive instructors. On one particular dive, a lion fish hunt, buddy teams and groups broke up nearly as soon as we hit the water. It was apparent that 'the hunt' took control and eventually, several buddy pairs were separated as the groups came together and split apart again. Only one buddy pair, when they realized they had become separated, searched then surfaced and headed back to the boat.

After the dive, two of the instructors said that they realized early on that they had become separated from their buddy, but assumed that they were ok and kept hunting. Their buddies, who were not hunting, also commented that when they realized they had split, they just assumed their partner was ok and stayed with their group.

How should this have been handled?

 

[Storker]

IMO, according to your training.

Buddy separation is, according to BSAC, one of the most common factors associated with diving fatalities (I'm not saying it's the cause, but there's a strong correlation).

I know that some 'experienced' divers dive with 'same day, same ocean' buddies or agree 'to search for an hour before surfacing'. IMO, if someone wants to dive solo, they'd better agree on that before the dive. I prefer to follow my training if I'm buddied up.

If my buddy went missing I'd search for the time implicitly agreed upon, i.e. one minute, and surface. If he continued to be missing for some length of time (like five or ten minutes), I'd call emergency services, report a missing diver and try to organize a search. If he were entangled on the bottom, there could still be time to find him and get him up alive if the alarm was raised and the search started fast enough. If he was missing just because he chose to disregard the plan, the bill will be his problem, not mine.

 

[Mike]

You should understand that anything associated with spear fishing, or any type of hunting underwater usually means dive buddy's and typical recreational diving protocols disappear as soon as they hit the water. This is not good, but it is reality almost 99% of the time.

 

[captain]

What Mike said. It is what it is.

 

[uncfnp]

When Eric and I dive in Florida, especially if one or more of us are hunting, we gear up as solo divers. We often splash together but have an agreement that if we do separate, we continue as solo divers. No big deal.

 

[Storker]

When Eric and I dive in Florida, especially if one or more of us are hunting, we gear up as solo divers. We often splash together but have an agreement that if we do separate, we continue as solo divers.

That's not a problem as long as it's explicitly agreed upon before you splash. The way I understood the OP, it wasn't agreed upon during planning.


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Sent from my Android phone
Typos are a feature, not a bug

 

[uncfnp]

That's not a problem as long as it's explicitly agreed upon before you splash. The way I understood the OP, it wasn't agreed upon during planning.


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Sent from my Android phone
Typos are a feature, not a bug

I agree. And that is why I offer it as option to the OP and any divers that find themselves doing the type of dives (hunting) where buddy separation is almost inevitable. Interestingly, I have noticed that Southern Florida divers, both on SB and on my usual dive boat, seem to be moving toward equipping and training as solo/self reliant divers, even on group dives. Just a nonscientific observation on my part.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

It's well and good if you hit the water prepared to dive solo ... and if you've communicated this approach with your buddy and agreed to it.

Otherwise, it's really dumb ... basically at that point your dive plan is to hope nothing goes wrong.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Bob DBF]

You should understand that anything associated with spear fishing, or any type of hunting underwater usually means dive buddy's and typical recreational diving protocols disappear as soon as they hit the water. This is not good, but it is reality almost 99% of the time.

Although it looks that way, in my case and many others, the buddy protocols were changed before we hit the water. I have done a buddy dive when hunting and as a buddy. As a buddy, it is not your dive and it takes skill to stay with the hunter especially in low viz, and it takes longer for the hunter to notice buddy separation and respond. Unless you are with a new hunter, solo or same ocean buddy is safer for both parties IMHO.

To take a page from DaleC

One could have a whole discussion just on the unintended hazards of [-]photography/videography[/-] hunting. I believe a [-]camera[/-] speargun is the most dangerous piece of equipment a diver can own.

Bob
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... you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?
Harry Calahan

 

[Chuck843]

That's not a problem as long as it's explicitly agreed upon before you splash. The way I understood the OP, it wasn't agreed upon during planning.


--
Sent from my Android phone
Typos are a feature, not a bug

Appreciate all of the comments. For more info, loosing a buddy was not discussed at all during our dive briefing. Out of our group of 12, only one had ever used a spear before (and I wasn't that person). The local dive masters for each group of six divers apparently spear lion fish regularly. Unfortunately, the only instruction we were given was in spearing technique. I'm trying to figure the best way to bring it up with the instructors from our group without damaging egos too much or casting stones. They stress the buddy process strongly when they train other divers. Just assumed they would practice what they preach. My objective is to be as safe as possible in the future. Guess this should have been discussed in detail before the dive.