Buddy breathing??

[diver 85]

Me being new to this site & seeing alot of 'fairly new divers' here, I was reading a thread about using no BC's & got to wondering, do they (still) teach true buddy breathing in OW classes today?...In '85 when we were certified, it was equally taught along with octopus technique- just remembered wife & daughter 'bout flipped out' when our instructor said now lets got to 35' & we'll buddy breathe coming up...They did well & thankfully have only had to use this technique once @ a fairly shallow depth...thanks......

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

As of 2004, when I certified with PADI, we had to take our buddy's octo and breathe from it from 35 feet to the surface, holding on to the buddy's bc face to face as we ascended to simulate OOA. At the surface, we orally inflated bc. This was also a pool exercise at shallower depths, of course. They have eliminated the exercise technique of both divers breathing off one shared regulator, I guess for hygienic reasons.

 

[stefo2]

Buddy breathing as in sharing one regulator is no longer compulsory in PADI OWC, and as far as I know many instructors do not teach it anymore. The reasoning is that it is extremely unlikely that one buddy would be OOA and the other one's secondary would malfunction on the same dive, so that teaching buddy breathing will actually confuse (and maybe scare) new divers more than anything.
It is still part of the DM course, though, in the "stress test", where you and your buddy have to exchange all your gear except for the wetsuit while taking turns breathing from one regulator.

 

[Jimmer]

When I was certified in 1993 I had to do all kinds of buddy breathing excercises. Now the shop that I am working on my DM with, tells me it was pulled out of the curriculum because of too many accidents among an OOA diver who was so panicky he refused to give the regulator back when the donor was expecting buddy breathing. My instructor still offers to teach the skill AFTER the diver has successfully completed the OW courses and is certified, as an additional skill.

 

[Chuffy]

It is still part of the DM course, though, in the "stress test", where you and your buddy have to exchange all your gear except for the wetsuit while taking turns breathing from one regulator.

We had a couple of DMTs that exchanged bikinis!!! They did it in return for having no stress added. Unfortunately they had finished by the time I returned to the boat!!

I think Buddy Breathing is often taught if you are doing a longer OW course back home. I was taught it during my OW in the UK back in '99. However I don't think many instructors teach it during resort based 3 day OW courses. I have only ever had one customer want to do it as part of a scuba review. He was taught it in Germany during his OW.

 

[Charlie99]

I think Buddy Breathing is often taught if you are doing a longer OW course back home. I was taught it during my OW in the UK back in '99. However I don't think many instructors teach it during resort based 3 day OW courses.

I was under the impression that BSAC stopped the training for buddy breathing a few years ago. Apparently divers were training and practicing it so much that there were several incidents where divers instinctively started buddy breathing from one reg, even though they had octos, and then got into problems during the ascent.

Any current BSAC instructors around to confirm or dispute this?

 

[Rick Inman]

I was told by a NAUI instructor a few days ago that they still teach it in confined water.

I guess I've still got enough old school in me to believe that it's a good skill to learn - for confidence building at the least. However, I guess we can skip the "breathing off the tank valve" skill now.

 

[Tom Smedley]

As we progress technologically some stuff just becomes obsolete. For instance, since the invention of the blinker light we no longer have to hang our arms out the window to let others know what direction we wish to turn.

In the early days we had no choice but to share air from a single regulator. You should try this with a double hose. With the idea that all divers should have a redundant second stage the skill of buddy breathing just became one of those things that wasn't needed.

The process of buddy breathing with a single second stage requires coordination and thought. Things that aren't in abundance during an emergent situation. New divers are already in sensory overload.

HOWEVER - buddy breathing is still cool in non-entry classes. The divers have already had some experience and are more relaxed. When I did one of my instructor courses we were required to swim 300 yards buddy breathing from a single snorkel. If a candidate lifted their head from the water they were disqualified and had to start over. Not a very practical exercise for day-to-day diving but what a great lesson in breath control. Advanced diver candidates love and live for challenge.

In my opinion entry level diving courses should be designed to teach basic operation of the equipment, and how not to get hurt. One is not expected to have the skills to win the Indy 500 upon leaving the driver license examiner's office. Experience and continuing education will make the driver or the diver.

 

[Hickdive]

I was under the impression that BSAC stopped the training for buddy breathing a few years ago. Apparently divers were training and practicing it so much that there were several incidents where divers instinctively started buddy breathing from one reg, even though they had octos, and then got into problems during the ascent.

Any current BSAC instructors around to confirm or dispute this?

Yes this is correct. Analysis of the BSAC Incidents Report showed a trend for divers equipped with suitable, functioning AAS to 'buddy breathe' instead of using the AAS in an OOA situation.

As with all skills you practice, practice, practice until you get it right and it becomes 'muscle memory'. Unfortunately, compared with simply breathing from an AAS, buddy breathing requires much more training and therefore some divers developed an instinctive preference for the skill they've practiced most in training i.e . buddy breathing. The problem then arises that unless you practice this skill very regularly with the same buddy it has a relatively low chance of success compared with AAS use. Ultimately you end up with divers whose 'muscle memory' in a stressful situation leads them to use a skill which they or their buddy may have actually lost proficiency in.

This is why BSAC has dropped the skill and specifically discourages training in it as an addendum to the DTP.

HTH

Steve

(BSAC Advanced Instructor No.1201)

 

[JessH]

NAUI still teaches buddy breathing and I personally feel that it is a very important skill to learn. In reality it isn't very necessary as an emergency procuder in OW diving these days, BUT it teaches divers to become comfortable without a reg in their mouth, which I personally feel is very important.

~Jess