Buddy missing on surface - What would you have done?

[DandyDon]

Thanks ILDiver. Yeah, this is where the problem started....

You said you ran into a class on your way back. I assume this is where you lost your third diver. Personally I would not assume he went back down considering there was a mass of people. My first thought would be to sort out who is who. There is no reason to waste time descending 80ft when your not sure.

I dive with newer divers that don't have buddies quite a bit. I learn on every dive with them. I've learned that you can not assume anything about their training. Even if you know who trained them and trust that person, an individual still does not dive like that instructor that taught them. They don't know how I dive either.

I simple should have searched the surface and parking lot better, then sounded an alarm for help from better trained divers. My emotions gave me a bad lead, leading to a bad action.

And I did learn again from the experience to discuss details better in advance. I wrote the notes on my slate of "stay close" and "tell me when you're at 1500#/1000#" most as a reminded to me to discuss those, but also so I can point to them later. I think that buddies should do those things for each other but I really want it to happen with me.

 

[TSandM]

I don't know whether this played any role here, but something I have learned the hard way is that it is very easy to succumb to perceptual narrowing when task loaded . . . and descents and ascents, when you are managing your depth and your buoyancy, are very easy times to lose track of your buddy. And bad times, because those are the times when people tend to have problems. My husband chewed me a new one over a dive where he had ear problems on descent and I didn't notice, because I was so busy managing my own descent.

It's well worth making a practice of orienting yourself and your buddy(ies) so that you can all see each other, and monitoring one another as you go up. It's harder with three than with two, and it does take some facility with buoyancy, but if I can learn to do it, anybody can.

 

[gangrel441]

And I did learn again from the experience to discuss details better in advance. I wrote the notes on my slate of "stay close" and "tell me when you're at 1500#/1000#" most as a reminded to me to discuss those, but also so I can point to them later. I think that buddies should do those things for each other but I really want it to happen with me.

Forget about writing notes on your slate about tank pressures. Take your right index finger. Tap your left palm. This means "What is your SPG reading?" Clarify this signal before you enter the water. Use this signal frequently, especially with new buddies/inexperienced divers. Every 5 minutes at a minimum. Explain to them how to signal back. If using psi, have them use fingers to denote how many hundreds they have remaining. If using bar, fingers represent tens. By putting a note on your slate to tell you when they get to 1,500 psi, you are counting on them to check their guages frequently and remember when to notify you. If you make note of your turn pressures, and ask them frequently what their pressure is, you are no longer relying on them to do so. It should also be clear to them that the communication is a two way street, and if they realize they hit turn pressure and you haven't asked, they need to get your attention and let you know.

Slates are a good tool, but some things are much more efficiently handled with a few simple hand signals. Everyone should have learned the following ones in OW class, last I checked:

1) Ok
2) Go up
3) Go down
4) Look
5) Tank pressure?
6) Low on air
6) Out of air
7) Share air

I know plenty more hand signals than these, mainly from picking up books on the topics, but can't recall if there are others they teach beginners in OW courses. Instructors, please feel free to add to the list

I would review these signals and make sure the buddies understand them before entering the water, as well as perhaps one or two others specific to the dive site or conditions. Share the responsibility of checking tank pressures, rather than telling your buddies what you want them to tell you, then relying on them to follow through. My wife and I are ususally dive buddies, and have done over 60 dives together, plus quite a few more each with other buddies. We signal eachother often to monitor air consumption, so we each know the other's situation at any point in time.

Leave nothing to chance. It's life or death down there.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Good buddy procedure is essential for me to enjoy diving with other people. Communication is key. Last weekend did a relatively easy dive with a guy I've dove with before but never been officially buddied up with. If you are not sure of someone ask them to lead the dive and you follow and be the good buddy. Vis was 4-6 ft at best, less in some areas. I was leading, plan was stay go no deeper than 35-40 ft out along the shore down along the dam wall and turn at 1000 psi. Were in a lake and even tho was a mild current it was not really a factor on the way back cause it would have been in our favor. 3/4 out was ok were in sight at all times then he got a little ahead of me and was starting to go a little deeper than planned shining his light in among the rocks. Thought ok no big deal he sees a fish so I start to follow. Then out of nowhere right in fronnt of me is BIG sharp rock I need to go around, inhale deep coast over and come around and he's gone. Don't know if he went up or down right or left. Stop, look around for a few seconds, nothing, turn off my light and hope to see his, nothing, depth now 40 ft already below planned, air 1400 psi no big deal I can do 30-45 min at 35 ft on that so I'm not too concerned. Take out knife and tap on tank, response that sounds real close but still no sight, tap again response farther away, ok he's turend and heading back(assumption, don't) start back my self for a few and then surface. he does also 100 yds behind me! hey what you doing clear over there. Thought you started back. Nope, was looking for the fish. met up on surface and went back to shore. What happened was he saw a large catfish (24-30 inches by his guess) I never saw it and he had just watched a show on noodling for em and decided to try it. No indication hey I'm going after this thing he just took off. The plan went out the window. I'll dive with him again, have to I'm assisting with his rescue class, but not as his buddy. My instructor has had some minor buddy issues with him also, same type of things. We have decide to let him lead from now on and speak to him about proper buddy procedures. Hoping this will reinforce him to follow them. As for me if it comes down to diving with someone I have questions or reservations about I'll politely decline and go solo. Actually did a solo previous to this dive and had a great time. Multi-level to 90 ft for a five minutes, up to 70 along the ridge for 10 then up to the 50 platfrom for another 10 and then to the 25 for 20 minutes watching an ow class do skills, did the stop at 13 ft for 4 minutes and out total time 50 minutes air used 1900 psi.

 

[SadiesMom]

Slates are a good tool, but some things are much more efficiently handled with a few simple hand signals. Everyone should have learned the following ones in OW class, last I checked:

1) Ok
2) Go up
3) Go down
4) Look
5) Tank pressure?
6) Low on air
6) Out of air
7) Share air

I know plenty more hand signals than these, mainly from picking up books on the topics, but can't recall if there are others they teach beginners in OW courses. Instructors, please feel free to add to the list

One that's not taught in OW class, but one I use/have used to me on every dive (except drift dives) is "Time to turn around/go back" - signalled by pointing the index finger up and moving it in a rotating motion.

It can be signalled by either buddy (or if diving in a group, by anyone in the group) and, with those I dive with, is not questioned by anyone. Once the signal for "turn around" is given, the buddy (or everyone in the group) nods or gives the "OK" signal back - to make sure that everyone has seen it and understood - and everyone turns around to head back to the exit.

(Everyone I dive with has an unwritten rule - anyone can turn a dive at any time for any reason - no questions, no recriminations. It can be for *any* reason - gear issues, low vis, cold, too much surge, the diver is simply uncomfortable...whatever. No one questions it and no explanation is expected. Conditions up here in New England are just too challenging on a normal basis for anyone to be diving who isn't *totally* comfortable with the dive.)

 

[waynne fowler]

Don is an easy target for cheap shots. Show some restraint.

This isn't rec.scuba and none of you are all that anyway.

That is kinda my thought, I've read all the post here and with only a few exceptions... (amazingly from some of the less experienced divers.. though some from the experienced folks.) all I can make of it is these guy's are flexing there "scuba musle" trying to sound like they have some magic answers or something..I've read things like teams of 3 are a nightmare, you were a bonehead for looking, you didn't dive your plan, take a rescue course... blah,blah,blah. And then it digressed to basically telling Don he should just quit diving, the only thing they didn't tell him was that he should carry a filled out toe tag with him to the dive site. I've been waiting for someone to give him some real advice.. some have come close to a good start, and if someone were to take some of the reasonable responses as a whole they can gain some good ideas as to how to avoid this kind of thing. But most of this thread is written by people with maybe 100 dives under there diapers pretending like they have some answers but yet very little has been forthcoming.

Come on guy's spell it out... let's here how you would have

A) Taken care of the problem

B) Avoided the problem in the first place.

Let's see if you're really any smarter than the guy your calling an idiot?

Waynne Fowler

 

[waynne fowler]

Okey.... apparently there were a few more pages that I was unaware of prior to my previous post..... there were, on those, pages, attempts at some very good answers. After I get a bit of help from some friends who will attempt to get my right foot out of my mouth and the other out of my ***** perhaps I'll heal from that and I will be able to use the keyboard a littlebit easier....:lightingz :bonk: :gulp18: :sorry19z:

 

[markfm]

Don -- I thought you did carry a toe tag, in one of the bags

(I must be unlucky, for I have run into a few "uh oh" dives too, though different circumstances. Come to think of it, anyone I have spoken with has had similar experiences, if they've done a decent number of dives -- take your pick: low air, feet first while learning a drysuit, a bit of current taking you to an unexpected location, deeper than planned, weird-buddy-pairs, commenting about how can anyone ever do a giant stride on snorkel and then doing so immediately afterwards. Sometimes I suspect that "nostalgia" kicks in, we forget the whoopses. If anything, I'd be spooked by anyone who claims experience yet also says they never had any of these things happen -- I'd be wondering if they were a fantasy diver, or on waaaay too strong a meds. I haven't met anyone yet who's perfect. )

Keep it up, Don -- one sign of intelligence is learning from others' mistakes, and the things you post about give some of us things to remember in order to avoid similar circumstances.

 

[DandyDon]

Don -- I thought you did carry a toe tag, in one of the bags

Yellow one, on my BC - with my DAN info.

Wayne, you don't post here on SB much, so I can understand how you might have seen page 1 posts and not seen pages 2, etc. Depending on your settings, you may have 2-1/2 pages with 40 per page, or a little over 5 pages with 20 per page. Yeah, there has been some vendetta posting here, and I can only speculate where they perfect their poor manners, but there has also been some very good posting here too.

I've learned here, I hope others who read this thread can learn from it, and - I hope that others who may want to post their experiences won't fear enduring crap like we've seen at places here the last couple of days.

BTW, would enjoy seeing you post more, if you'd care to. With 1000+ dives, I'm sure you could be a lot of help to many...

 

[limeyx]

Limeyx is talking about my post, and he is right. We should have surfaced together.

Right, sorry for the quoting confusion, and we *all* know that "should have" and actually "did do" are not always in 100% alignment.

A buddy and I have also been victims of "where the heck has the guy leading the dive gone" only to discover he was already *on the boat getting a fill* after having "lost us"