buddy separation

[Jason B]

When getting separated from ones buddy I was taught to search for 30 seconds, then ascend, hopefully your buddy does the same and you will meet up at the surface.
Should you include a safety stop in this ascent or should you try to get to the surface to locate your missing buddy?

Jason

 

[rab]

Hopefully, you cover this in your pre-dive buddy-check. It definitely depends on the situation. If you're deep enough to make a safety stop a good idea, then 30 sec might not be long enough. When recently diving in a quarry with 10-15ft viz, I looked around for at least 2 minutes before surfacing. My buddy was having drysuit bouyancy problems and was halfway back to the entry/exit point on the surface by the time I surfaced. Of course, our max depth was only around 30ft. With better viz, we might not have lost sight of each other (when he went to the surface). With less viz (I know, you're thinking "Less than 10ft??"), I probably wouldn't search as long. It depends on how independent and experienced you and your buddy are, too. If you're on a wreck and there's a better chance that your buddy is in trouble at depth than just "lost" and equally able to take a trip to the surface to regroup, then you might have a plan to search longer or to meet at an agreed point (anchor line, etc.) other than the surface.

-Rob

 

[DORSETBOY]

PADI say search for one min in the local area when you ealise you've lost your buddy, I take this as meaning not to go hurtling off in one direction for a min as this may increase the distance of seperation when you both surface, this can be important if the viz at the surface is low and/or the water choppy.

As far as no dec diving goes, you're fine to make an ascent directly to the surface, at less than 18 m per min without a safety stop.

 

[Inst. Dean]

I guess the main thing is that you follow normal ascent and table procedures so you don't put yourself in harms way. If you are required to make a stop, then you definately make your stop. If you can go directly to the surface without a deco stop, you can, just follow your normal ascent rate.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

When getting separated from ones buddy I was taught to search for 30 seconds, then ascend, hopefully your buddy does the same and you will meet up at the surface.
Should you include a safety stop in this ascent or should you try to get to the surface to locate your missing buddy?

Jason

It completely depends on the situation. If you're fairly shallow and/or early into the dive, an ascent directly to the surface is a good idea, as it saves time and anxiety to ascertain that your buddy is OK. You can reunite and decide how to proceed. If you're deep, or have been down a long time, then a safety stop is a good idea, as your body is fairly well saturated with nitrogen and you will want to assure your own safety on the ascent.

A separation plan is something you and your buddy need to discuss before the dive ... every dive ... especially if you're diving with someone you're not familiar with.

Some things to think about ...

- If there's current and you do a safety stop, chances are you and your buddy will arrive at the surface fairly far apart. If there's waves or chop, it may be difficult to see each other once you get to the surface. Do you have a surface marker, whistle, or some other means to get your buddy's attention if you come up too far from each other to hail?

- Three minutes is an eternity when you're separated from your buddy. For most people, all sorts of bad thoughts will be going through your head with respect to what might have happened. It's probably worse for the person at the surface, than for the person ascending ... unless the two of you are so close that the diver on the surface can see their buddy's bubbles.

- Once you are on the surface ... STAY ON THE SURFACE! It amazes me how often I see two divers ... obviously separated dive buddies ... popping up, waiting a minute, and going back down ... only to have their buddy pop up and do the same thing a few seconds later. If you need to go back down and conduct a search, GET HELP. In particular, make sure there's someone remaining on the surface to prevent divers from taking multiple "elevator rides".

- I would recommend an ascent rate of 10 meters/minute, not 18 meters/minute as someone previously stated. Slower is better ... especially if you decide to skip the safety stop.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Mako Mark]

the theory is that if you havent found them after about a minute, then you probably wont find them, and you really dont want to be underwater by yourself for much longer than that unless you are rigged for technical solo diving.

If you both follow the plan of heading to the surface when you lose each other, then you can meet up quickly and continue the dive without delay. No shame in taking the safe route.

BTW, an interesting statistic regarding buddy separation is that 80% of fatal dive accidents includes some kind of buddy separation during the incident, so is something that the prudent diver will try to avoid..

(this is just an observation, so please dont turn this thread into a solo diving bunfight)

 

[ScubaFreak]

agree with all above.
All training i have done and any teaching i do, is to search for 1 min then ascend without safety stop unless by not doing safety stop you're putting yourself in danger (eg Deco Diving as compared to PADI no deco diving).

But IMHO, its absolutely imperative for a buddy pair to clarify this on a pre-dive plan.

Scubafreak

 

[String]

Standard brief for us is 60 second circular search then surface. Safety stop - i wouldnt bother - its a SAFETY stop after all and not required or mandatory. If you're skirting the very edge of NDLs then maybe do a minute or 2.

If its mandatory deco you MUST complete all your stops regardless.

TW, an interesting statistic regarding buddy separation is that 80% of fatal dive accidents includes some kind of buddy separation during the incident, so is something that the prudent diver will try to avoid..

(this is just an observation, so please dont turn this thread into a solo diving bunfight)

BSAC 2004 accident stats are out and have 6/25 (24%) of fatalities involved a separation (of course this doesnt mean the separation caused the fatality OR whether it would still have happened if together).

http://www.bsac.org/techserv/increp04/overview04.htm

As for solo diving, a properly prepared solo diver and someone prepared only for buddy diving are not the same thing so the argument shouldnt even appear here.

 

[jbisjim]

I was always taught 3 minutes and up. (keeping in mind NDLs and saftey stops)
A search like String descibes as well.

 

[miketsp]

As commented above, this is one where there should be an agreed procedure before every dive especially if there are any special conditions: deep, night, surface current, intense surface boating etc. and even more so when you get all these combined.