Buddy Separation - Safety Stop??

[TSandM]

I certainly hope that nobody will ever find me by following my silt trail!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I certainly hope that nobody will ever find me by following my silt trail!

If you've lost a buddy, don't just assume it happened under "normal" circumstances.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[TSandM]

Well, there is that . . .

 

[witchhead]

I use the Diver Signal tube from Surface Marker (http://www.surfacemarker.com)
Intelligent Deployment System, compact and comes with a red and a yellow side so it can be seen in all conditions.
Love it>

 

[jeckyll]

Do these as part of your one-minute circular scan ...

First thing you do is look up ... chances are if your buddy suddenly turns up missing they are either up in your "blind" spot, or on their way to the surface (intentional or otherwise). If the latter, you can see their silouette in the ambient light for quite a ways.

If you don't see them going up, rise up above the bottom a few feet and scan for bubbles. With a dive light, bubbles are far more reflective than most dive gear, and you'll be able to detect them from a fair distance, even in poor visibility.

If that doesn't turn up anything, check for a silt trail. Keep in mind that in certain parts of the world you may end up following a harbor seal, but most places a silt trail will mean a diver. It may or may not be the one you're looking for ... that will depend on the diver density in the area. But it's often a clue as to the whereabouts of the missing buddy ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Good suggestions Bob. I've been better at selecting my dive buddies and have not had to really look for one in a while

And the ones I did lose were always(!) above me... sneaky buggers.

 

[Charlie99]

And the ones I did lose were always(!) above me... sneaky buggers.

The really and truly sneaky buggers position themselves about 5' above and 5' back from you. From their point of view they are nice close buddies. From your point of view they are invisible, unless you do a backroll.

I once had a recently certified insta-buddy that had done 10 or 15 dives with that as his preferred positioning during the dive, and I was the first one to mention to him that it really wasn't the ideal spot!

 

[jeckyll]

Charlie: I dive with several instructors from my LDS who instinctivly take that position because they are used to it when they keep an eye on students. I've disuaded them from doing that when we dive together.

 

[TSandM]

That's where Peter was through most of our dives in Indonesia. I've gotten very good at the peculiar tuck and roll move you need to do to find somebody up there (or rolling over supine). It worked pretty well except on the night dives, where having to look up into the blackness got me disoriented again.

It's a very annoying place for a buddy.

 

[Meng_Tze]

Buddy lost?
Try to find him/her (they should do the same). When coming up/out, maintain plan if there is a need for it (deco etc). If you do not HAVE to hang, go up and see if buddy is up. If not notify operator/authorities.

 

[HowardE]

I'm hoping to get some input from those more experienced/educated than I:

My wife and I were discussing our buddy separation plan for an upcoming dive; search for your buddy for 1 minute and if unable to locate, execute a controlled ascent and head for the surface. A debate began about whether or not a safety stop should be executed before surfacing.

You should execute the safety stop, if you need to, and if you have the gas supply available (which you should anyway)