Buddy Finding Project

[Landlockeddiving]

Hello Everyone,

My two friends and I (2 of us divers) are working on a school project to help divers locate their dive buddy better. We've been hunting around for interviews and haven't had much like in finding experienced divers (being in Indiana and all dive shops are not too common). We were hoping some divers on this forum would answer a few questions for us such as:

1. How many dives have you gone on since you got your certification?
2. Have you or someone you've known ever lost their dive buddy before?

If you answered yes to the previous questions please answerthe following questions.

1. estimate how many times it has occurred?
2. Why had you lost your dive buddy? (Examples can include: poor visibility, ocean currents, etc.) ­­­­­­­­­­
3. Have you ever lost your dive buddy and that lost had resulted in injury, harm, or death to you or your dive buddy?
4. If so, could it have been avoid if you had known where they were and came to their rescue in the event?
5. Would you buy a device that would allow you to know where your dive buddy is at all times?
6. If yes, how much would you be willing to spend on such a device?

 

[xdjio]

Hello Everyone,

My two friends and I (2 of us divers) are working on a school project to help divers locate their dive buddy better. We've been hunting around for interviews and haven't had much like in finding experienced divers (being in Indiana and all dive shops are not too common). We were hoping some divers on this forum would answer a few questions for us such as:

1. How many dives have you gone on since you got your certification?
2. Have you or someone you've known ever lost their dive buddy before?

If you answered yes to the previous questions please answerthe following questions.

1. estimate how many times it has occurred?
2. Why had you lost your dive buddy? (Examples can include: poor visibility, ocean currents, etc.) ­­­­­­­­­­
3. Have you ever lost your dive buddy and that lost had resulted in injury, harm, or death to you or your dive buddy?
4. If so, could it have been avoid if you had known where they were and came to their rescue in the event?
5. Would you buy a device that would allow you to know where your dive buddy is at all times?
6. If yes, how much would you be willing to spend on such a device?

1) about 70
2) I have
---
1) Only one time
2) A combination of poor vis and current
3) Nope, everyone was fine
4) I suppose in an academic sense, maybe it could have been avoided, but who knows? It happened already. A rescue wasn't needed, and finding my buddy would have been nice, but no harm, no foul
5) No, I can't imagine I would buy such a thing. Devices can fail and shouldn't be used to replace the most important device - each diver with a good brain and solid team awareness and mentality.
6) N/A

I guess I have a different view of things. Namely, that a device is all well and good until it breaks. A team shouldn't get separated, true, but in the real world, sometimes "**** happens" and that's why you have a plan for what to do, in such an event. In my one case of losing a buddy on a real dive, we both followed the contingency plan, and life went on.

I suppose if we both had had some magical device to let us find each other in poor conditions, the dive could have continued, but so what? We found each other at the surface, and resumed the dive after locating a more protected area to re-descend.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

1. over 500
2. Yes

1. once to me and based on my research a whole lot to others
2. He deviated from the plan. All of a sudden went and chased a catfish deep. I let him go. I was his buddy, not his baby sitter.
3. No
4. N/A
5. Hell no. It sounds like something that would actually encourage poor buddy procedures.
6. You'd have to pay me to take one so I could throw it away.

 

[islanddream]

Hello Everyone,

My two friends and I (2 of us divers) are working on a school project to help divers locate their dive buddy better. We've been hunting around for interviews and haven't had much like in finding experienced divers (being in Indiana and all dive shops are not too common). We were hoping some divers on this forum would answer a few questions for us such as:

1. How many dives have you gone on since you got your certification?
2. Have you or someone you've known ever lost their dive buddy before?

If you answered yes to the previous questions please answerthe following questions.

1. estimate how many times it has occurred?
2. Why had you lost your dive buddy? (Examples can include: poor visibility, ocean currents, etc.) ­­­­­­­­­­
3. Have you ever lost your dive buddy and that lost had resulted in injury, harm, or death to you or your dive buddy?
4. If so, could it have been avoid if you had known where they were and came to their rescue in the event?
5. Would you buy a device that would allow you to know where your dive buddy is at all times?
6. If yes, how much would you be willing to spend on such a device?

1. 100
2. Yes

1. Twice.

2. The first time he was using his new GoPro and wasn't watching where I was going. I went straight and he turned right because he saw bubbles in the distance and thought they were mine. As it turned out, he surfaced with the other group which was right next to where our group surfaced. There was no harm or injury. However, it was a great learning experience for both of us. We decided if one of us is carrying a camera, the other one will follow close behind or side by side with NO camera. The second time was because the viz was so poor when we jumped off the boat, he couldn't find me. He ended up diving with another person and I ended up diving with someone else, so we both ended up with buddies. Another good learning experience.....watch your buddy jump off the boat and when he/she hits the water, descend together.

3. No harm/injury/death either times.

4. Both times could have been avoided if my buddy and I had planned better for separation events.

5. No, I wouldn't buy a device. I believe we learn from our experiences and make corrections for future dives. Depending on a device isn't the answer for me. However, I FIRMLY believe in a Nautilus Lifeline because I saw the positive results of a diver using one. If he hadn't had it, I'm afraid the outcome would've been very good.

6. N/A since I wouldn't buy one.

I hope you let us know the results of your survey. Best of luck on your project!

 

[WB2GLP]

You'd have to pay me to take one so I could throw it away.

N/A since I wouldn't buy one.

Tough crowd huh Landlcoked?

For me: Plenty of times due to poor vis. A few times by insta-buddies in the Keys. No to the product for me. I have enough crap hanging from D-rings.

 

[SeaHorse81]

Hello Everyone,

My two friends and I (2 of us divers) are working on a school project to help divers locate their dive buddy better. We've been hunting around for interviews and haven't had much like in finding experienced divers (being in Indiana and all dive shops are not too common). We were hoping some divers on this forum would answer a few questions for us such as:

1. How many dives have you gone on since you got your certification?
2. Have you or someone you've known ever lost their dive buddy before?

If you answered yes to the previous questions please answerthe following questions.

1. estimate how many times it has occurred?
2. Why had you lost your dive buddy? (Examples can include: poor visibility, ocean currents, etc.) ­­­­­­­­­­
3. Have you ever lost your dive buddy and that lost had resulted in injury, harm, or death to you or your dive buddy?
4. If so, could it have been avoid if you had known where they were and came to their rescue in the event?
5. Would you buy a device that would allow you to know where your dive buddy is at all times?
6. If yes, how much would you be willing to spend on such a device?

1. over 200
2. I've seen it happen on ocean dives, when people weren't making much of an effort to stay together in the first place.

I've not seen any harm come to anyone who got separated, though I've heard of it, so the question of rescue is not applicable in my case.

I would not buy a device for keeping track of my buddy. I have eyes and if need be, hands, for doing that. The only device I might consider would be a short buddy line for truly awful conditions, but I'd be unlikely to dive in such conditions so it's a moot point.

I'm not sure what device you could come up with that would help, as we already have lights for making visual contact and you can't tell where sounds are coming from underwater. I'm not sure what that leaves. I'd rather just stay very aware of where my buddy is, or dive solo.

 

[TMHeimer]

Hello Everyone,

My two friends and I (2 of us divers) are working on a school project to help divers locate their dive buddy better. We've been hunting around for interviews and haven't had much like in finding experienced divers (being in Indiana and all dive shops are not too common). We were hoping some divers on this forum would answer a few questions for us such as:

1. How many dives have you gone on since you got your certification?
2. Have you or someone you've known ever lost their dive buddy before?

If you answered yes to the previous questions please answerthe following questions.

1. estimate how many times it has occurred?
2. Why had you lost your dive buddy? (Examples can include: poor visibility, ocean currents, etc.) ­­­­­­­­­­
3. Have you ever lost your dive buddy and that lost had resulted in injury, harm, or death to you or your dive buddy?
4. If so, could it have been avoid if you had known where they were and came to their rescue in the event?
5. Would you buy a device that would allow you to know where your dive buddy is at all times?
6. If yes, how much would you be willing to spend on such a device?

1. 386 (at least half were solo dives)
2.yes
*************
1. Once when it could've been serious.
2. He didn't follow captain's instructions to keep the descent line always in view due to current and descend immediately into the current.
3. No. We found him a ways away from the boat. Thanks to his sausage.
4. N/A
5,6: Probably not. I dive solo lots and don't like spending money (Scottish).

 

[freewillie]

1. 56
2. No, not yet and don't really plan on it. My current two dive partners are my 15 yo daughter and my 27 yo nephew. If I got separated from them and something happened I couldn't go home to face my wife. Better something happened to me.

-----
1,2,3,4 - haven't been separated yet but came close in very low viz (6 ft) and surge.

5. Possibly. I'm a gear freak. It would depend on how easy it was to use and how much the cost. They have buddy tethers but who wants to be tied to a buddy like some toddler who can't wander from the mom.
6. Would have to be pretty cheap, maybe less than $20.

 

[Tigerman]

Hello Everyone,

My two friends and I (2 of us divers) are working on a school project to help divers locate their dive buddy better. We've been hunting around for interviews and haven't had much like in finding experienced divers (being in Indiana and all dive shops are not too common). We were hoping some divers on this forum would answer a few questions for us such as:

1. How many dives have you gone on since you got your certification?
2. Have you or someone you've known ever lost their dive buddy before?

If you answered yes to the previous questions please answerthe following questions.

1. estimate how many times it has occurred?
2. Why had you lost your dive buddy? (Examples can include: poor visibility, ocean currents, etc.) ­­­­­­­­­­
3. Have you ever lost your dive buddy and that lost had resulted in injury, harm, or death to you or your dive buddy?
4. If so, could it have been avoid if you had known where they were and came to their rescue in the event?
5. Would you buy a device that would allow you to know where your dive buddy is at all times?
6. If yes, how much would you be willing to spend on such a device?

1: 200++
2: Yes

1: it has happened only once and it was not me who lost my buddy, but someone else in the group.
2: Night dive and what happened was that there was 2 groups in the water. 2 buddies ended up "swiching places" in groups without their buddies knowing.
3: No, I did not die by losing my buddy (Nor did anyone I know)
4: It could have been avoided with visual aids that distinguished the different divers better (the "change" of divers, not the accident we didnt have)
5: Possibly, depending on the conditions I would be diving
6: Dependent on the reusability (single use vs long-term use like a dive computer) and how effective it would be.

 

[spectrum]

Hello Everyone,

My two friends and I (2 of us divers) are working on a school project to help divers locate their dive buddy better. We've been hunting around for interviews and haven't had much like in finding experienced divers (being in Indiana and all dive shops are not too common). We were hoping some divers on this forum would answer a few questions for us such as:

1. How many dives have you gone on since you got your certification? ~625
2. Have you or someone you've known ever lost their dive buddy before? Yes

If you answered yes to the previous questions please answerthe following questions.

1. Estimate how many times it has occurred? ~5%
2. Why had you lost your dive buddy? (Examples can include: poor visibility, ocean currents, etc.) ­­­­­­­­­­Visibility/distraction
3. Have you ever lost your dive buddy and that lost had resulted in injury, harm, or death to you or your dive buddy? No
4. If so, could it have been avoid if you had known where they were and came to their rescue in the event? It's never been a rescue situation. I guess if we knew where each other was reuniting would be easier.
5. Would you buy a device that would allow you to know where your dive buddy is at all times? Probably not.
6. If yes, how much would you be willing to spend on such a device?

Responses above in bold.
Pete