Uncle Pug:
Second and last warning: if you want to take
cheap shots at the thread starter I will see to it that your have free and unfettered access to rec.scuba or any other forum of your choosing with the exception Scuba Board.
If you want to discuss the original question or the original incident feel free... but if you want to discuss and disparage the thread starter your Scuba Board account will be terminated.
C'mon UP, how are they going to ride over thar hills into the sunset without a pony?
You're a good rider Don. I mean sport. Just out of curiosity if you want to answer, how much time passed after you and the other buddy surfaced before you went back down? How long after you went back down till he surfaced?
I felt less comfortable later, and worked on prevention of ever repeating the problem, but have decided to ask other trained and experienced divers - what would you have done at the moment...??
Yes, an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of medicine.
Strictly from the perspective of what I would have done when faced with this situation, and I’m no expert on these matters, so feel free to dismiss everything I say, but for whatever it may be worth, I would wait a few brief minutes thinking that possibly the other diver may have decided to extend the stop, become distracted by looking at something of interest or whatever. In this case it's possible he may have mistaken some in the class for you guys. The important thing is that given that you guys were surfacing, any such delays or confusion would likely be soon resolved. While waiting at the surface I would be searching for signs of him surfacing. I would shortly begin discussion with the other diver about any pertinent knowledge such as gas consumption, remaining gas, known habits, etc. As time passed without him surfacing, eventually the gas consumption estimate would determine crunch time.
Based on the leeway you had in terms of gas supply and available dive time, at some point after a reasonable amount of time has passed, but while a rescue mission is still possiible, as a personal decision I would probably have gone back down in an attempt to cover all possible angles. Underwater search considerations have been pointed out which determine it’s effectiveness and accordingly guide in risk exposure assessment. How much risk would I have taken? It depends on who I was searching for, much more for a loved one than an unknown. One has to consider one’s ability, available resources and options, before deciding to proceed in this matter, as well as the willingness to accept unnecessary personal risk. There is no universal right and wrong here, just a personal choice to be made and the need to willingly accept any resulting consequences. Obviously, if one does not have the ability to effect a rescue, the decision is simple, it should not be attempted. Other measures to help should be taken, such as seeking the assistance of those who can help, collecting and assisting them with relevant information and assistance within one's means. Having a diver on the surface or watching in case assistance in needed when the diver surfaces is a big plus. This was a big advantage in this situation.
In the end if I may pass some judgment on your decisions, it would be that going back down was possibly generally premature and thus unnecessary, hence my two questions in the beginning. I don’t know your ability to help with any given scenario, so I can’t comment on that. And I don’t know how sound was your judgment about your abilities, available resources, and considerations for a worst case scenario, in regards to whether you unknowingly took unacceptable risks for yourself. The fact that you later admitted you need to make some adjustment in this matter, if I’m not mistaken, would indicate you may have unknowingly taken unacceptable risks. We live and we learn. Play it safe.
I’ve had, as probably most divers have at one time or another, surfaced separated from a buddy, but luckily I have never faced a critical decision point. Care in choosing and knowing one’s buddy is of utmost importance here, followed next by good predive planning and communication plus indive adherance and communication. It’s not easy to do, but often the best course of action with a non cooperative buddy is to dedicate the dive to baby-sitting with an explanation later, or even harder to do but possibly more impactful and helpful, would be to thumb the dive, and later after exiting explain the reasons why. If the latter were widely practiced it would probably create more knowledgeable and responsible buddy divers. But I’m shifting the topic here.
