Buddy line use

[Rick Murchison]

Of course keeping open water students in sight and safe is priorty one, so I am curious about the buddy line. I've never tried it myself. If it were relatively short, and only held, never attached, it sounds like it could be useful with students? Are there any other DMs (or instructors) out there who have thoughts on this, or have tried it?

My thought is that if the vis is so bad as to warrant a buddy line, OW students have no business being there - so it's sort of a Hobson's choice. While whipping out the buddy line might "save the day," it is also an admission the instructor has let things get out of hand already.
Rick

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

My thought is that if the vis is so bad as to warrant a buddy line, OW students have no business being there - so it's sort of a Hobson's choice. While whipping out the buddy line might "save the day," it is also an admission the instructor has let things get out of hand already.
Rick

More to the point, as instructors we should all be not only teaching our students that there are times and conditions when it's proper to call a dive, we should be demonstrating it when appropriate. While it may be proper for an experienced diver to dive in low-vis conditions, it's not proper to take students out in conditions where they cannot see more than a couple of feet.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Uncle Pug]

The only *buddy line* I've ever used was as a PSD single diver down tethered to a surface tender.

I can't imagine any of the other dives I've done where I would want to use a buddy line. That doesn't mean that there aren't any... just none that I've done (or can imagine wanting to do.)

 

[String]

Buddy lines maybe ok in a few very specific situations but i generally dont like them. In extremely low visibility maintaining contact with a buddys kit strap or something i find preferable.

Buddy lines are also useless if low vis and a non flat bottom, kelp, rocky outcrops etc can all snag especially if theres a current and its a drift dive.

We use one very occasionally and then its most definately held and not clipped to either person.

About the only practical use ive found for one is a pair involved in a line search, it maintains the required separation between the divers to make sure they arent interfering with each others search or missing areas.

I keep a line in my drysuit pocket but more commonly its used for lashing things to a stand on the boat as opposed to underwater.

Im led to believe a few scandanavian training agencies for some reason teach their use as mandatory in some conditions which i find odd.

 

[DiverDebbie]

My thought is that if the vis is so bad as to warrant a buddy line, OW students have no business being there - so it's sort of a Hobson's choice. While whipping out the buddy line might "save the day," it is also an admission the instructor has let things get out of hand already.
Rick

Gee, thanks for the implication that instructors around here let things get out of hand. If you actually read what I already wrote you would know how extra cautious instructors and DMs have to be here with students... and the dive will be called if the conditions aren't good, and more than once we've moved to another site without attempting a dive. Have you ever worked up here Uncle Ricky? If we waited for great viz. here (especially in under 40 feet) we'd never get students out! I have a lot of respect for instructors who work in the less than perfect conditions of the Pacific NorthWest. They are always safety conscious. I was certified in Australia with 1 instructor and no DM. It's not necessary to have such a high staff/student ratio there. The fabulous viz, warm water, less gear, less weight... and certainly no dry suit upgrades! ...make the tropics a comparative walk in the park.
I was merely curious about a technique I wasn't familiar with, because I certainly don't think I know it all.

 

[TeddyDiver]

If we waited for great viz. here (especially in under 40 feet) we'd never get students out! I have a lot of respect for instructors who work in the less than perfect conditions of the Pacific NorthWest. They are always safety conscious. I was certified in Australia with 1 instructor and no DM. It's not necessary to have such a high staff/student ratio there. The fabulous viz, warm water, less gear, less weight... and certainly no dry suit upgrades! ...make the tropics a comparative walk in the park.

Couldn't agree more!! Here's something about the water env. round here. Very simpified expl. and lot of exeptions! Like I said earlier I do most of my dives in Norway, where the visibility generally is round 7 to 12meters (20'-40'), but occasionally in certain depths closer to zero, so there are times to use a rope and not. In the lake areas in Finland and wrecken in Sweden too, most lakes have clear water, but the visibility is limited less than 5m(15'). Depth of 12 to 15 meters (40'-50') starts total darknes. About Baltic I don't have experience, but it's something in between. Winter time visibility is great, but the diving is done under ice so it's overhead env. Anyway temp. in depths is whole year round freezing so risks for separated divers are present.
The bottom line: Most of the time diving is done in circumstances where losing a visual contact is possible in some part of the dive.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Couldn't agree more!! Here's something about the water env. round here. Very simpified expl. and lot of exeptions! Like I said earlier I do most of my dives in Norway, where the visibility generally is round 7 to 12meters (20'-40'), but occasionally in certain depths closer to zero, so there are times to use a rope and not. In the lake areas in Finland and wrecken in Sweden too, most lakes have clear water, but the visibility is limited less than 5m(15'). Depth of 12 to 15 meters (40'-50') starts total darknes. About Baltic I don't have experience, but it's something in between. Winter time visibility is great, but the diving is done under ice so it's overhead env. Anyway temp. in depths is whole year round freezing so risks for separated divers are present.
The bottom line: Most of the time diving is done in circumstances where losing a visual contact is possible in some part of the dive.

It really depends on the diver, and the circumstances. Last time I used a buddy line was on a drift dive. Normally for those I don't, but at this particular dive site it's a common practice because of the strength of the current and the typically limited vis. It's very easy to catch an eddy and drift apart unless you're physically connected.

As DiverDebbie pointed out, the vis here in the PacNW can get pretty thick. We adapt. Most of us carry lights on every dive ... and powerful HID lights are not uncommon because they cut through that murk better than halogens. We learn techniques for using those lights for communication, and for keeping track of buddies. We also adopt swimming techniques and patterns that allow us to stay in constant visual contact with each other, even under very difficult conditions. Recently I've done dives in 3-6 foot (1-2 meter) vis with three person buddy teams and not had any difficulties keeping track of both of my buddies. It's all a matter of technique and practice.

That said, as an instructor I would not take Open Water students out in that kind of visibility unless I had one DM per buddy team to keep track of 'em ... otherwise the chances of losing a student would be too great, and that's a risk I'm not willing to take. It's a judgment call, and mine would be to reschedule the dives for another day, when vis was a bit better.

Whether to use buddy lines or not ... whether to call the dive or not ... like most things in diving, there are no hard and fast "rules" ... it's all about using good judgment.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Rick Murchison]

Gee, thanks for the implication that instructors around here let things get out of hand.

Whoa! That's a pretty big leap!
I thought you said you'd never used one...
Rick