Bolting to the surface...

[dytis-sm]

There seems to be two very distinct philosophies of diving here, one routed in self-reliance and independence the other in team work and cooperation. Personally i think the best philosophy to have and teach in diving, or any sport for that matter, would be a mindset that met right in the middle, someone who was self-reliant, confident in their ability to handle problems individually, but also recognize the advantages that Bob mentions of having a buddy, an extra set of eyes and two brains to help deal with sh1t storms when they arise. I dont understand why the two philosophies have to be mutually exclusive.

Absolutely what I meant to say by saying that I understand John Chatterton's article... Originally I thought he promoted diving solo exclusively but as he explained here, there is nothing wrong about being self reliant while diving with a buddy. In my case, I think my buddy relied on me for gas management and extra air and when the problem surfaced I proved to be "inadequate" and could have cost him his life if we were just a little deeper...