Buddy missing on surface - What would you have done?

[Bo Danker]

I would like to thank you for the posts. My OW instructor told me that eventually I would see every form stupidity being practice if I chose to stay in the sport long enough but I have found your posts to help speed that up a bit

Seriously though I think it helps to read threads like this especially for newbs like me. It is either informative or helps to re-inforce things learned in classes.

 

[lord1234]

don just to chime in here....I think that all your incidents focus around your pony bottle. Ditch it. Get either a) a bigger single tank, or even better b) move to a nice set of doubles.

 

[gangrel441]

I would like to thank you for the posts. My OW instructor told me that eventually I would see every form stupidity being practice if I chose to stay in the sport long enough but I have found your posts to help speed that up a bit

Seriously though I think it helps to read threads like this especially for newbs like me. It is either informative or helps to re-inforce things learned in classes.

LOL

pwn3d!

Sorry Don....couldn't resist... :rofl:

 

[Rick Inman]

You did find your buddy's bubbles and follow them, in line with accepted lost buddy procedures...

Yes.

Don't like the idea of solo descent on night dive, but I can deal with this one...

Agreed.

 

[lamont]

I checked my gas. I had 1300psi in an HP100. I made sure the diver on the surface had his BC inflated and instructed him to swim around the dock to the beach and not to descend again. Then I put my reg back in my mouth and started searching for the other diver on the surface. When I found his bubbles, I headed down to join him. He had just gone under the dock in 12' of water, so I joined him, exchanged OKs, and accompanied him to the beach where we met up with the other diver.

Problem with that one is that the guy you sent back could have had a problem -- lets say he inflates his BC a little more and his OPV explosively disintegrates and the BC deflates. Now he's struggling on the surface, and he 62 years old and his heart is racing and that precipitates a CVA...

I can't say I haven't done anything similar, but the ideal is that you keep everyone together. Searching for the other guy on the surface, finding his bubbles and dropping on him I think was fine though. You're in 12 feet of water and you know that there's at least one certified diver below you and you're getting closer to them the entire time you're descending...

 

[Web Monkey]

don just to chime in here....I think that all your incidents focus around your pony bottle. Ditch it. Get either a) a bigger single tank, or even better b) move to a nice set of doubles.

That wouldn't matter. In fact it might be worse.

If this were software, I'd be reminding people that you can't overcome using the wrong algorithm by buying faster hardware.

A 100 Cu Ft tank (or even 200 Cu Ft in a set of doubles) is still a finite amount of gas, and will eventually run out. It will also give the user the possibility of incurring a significant deco obligation, which would be a problem if not part of the plan.

There's nothing wrong with a pony as an alternative to an EBA/ESA, but there is a lot wrong with it if you use it for anything except a direct ascent to the surface in case of emergency.

Terry

 

[ianr33]

Howdy and welcome to ScubaBoard.com

I've been diving for 3 years now, and while I am interested in becoming a better diver, I also have little interest in the Rescue course. Instead, I am pursuing Technical training possibilities.

Hmmm...........

 

[gangrel441]

Nice find, ianr33....never saw that before....kind of speaks for itself, don't it?

 

[DandyDon]

Hmmm...........

Digging a quote from another thread that must be a year old - kinda shows the lack of appropriateness some people bring to message boards designed to help divers.

 

[gangrel441]

Not inappropriate when it is pretty clear that your attitudes and opinions haven't significantly changed since then...

So...when is it that you are signed up to start that rescue course?