Buddy Skills - remaining vigilant !

[Phil_C]

Sorry to hear about the disappointment. Out of curiosity, was the dive buddy someone you usually dive with? If he/she was a new one, then it might either need some getting used to or keep looking for a good one. I totally get your frustration. I got paired up with a diver with similar experience during a recent dive trip (we were both solo divers). That guy was far more interested in wandering off with his GoPro than staying close to his buddy, me. He never bothered to signal me when/where he was going, and too many times I turned to check upon him and he was 5-10 meters away from me and/or on the other side of a reef/wreck. He never checked on me for the 4/5 dives we did together.

I wouldn't so much say it was a disappointment in the sense that it made me angry or anything, just that it surprised me and brought home ho quickly things can go from 'hey nice dive and I chilled out' - to 'bl**dy heck, I nearly just drowned myself and nobody noticed!'

We are both club members and have dived together several times, and I would say that during the dive he was great, visibility was very poor, sometimes only 2 or 3 feet, we did a proper buddy check, had a proper dive plan, i.e. directions and distance to each feature we were going to try to find, and we constantly communicated on direction and who would be where. From that point of view the dive was great. It was just the shock of falling over when we clearly both thought the dive was over and we were safe and winding down.

There is one guy at the club like your Go-Pro man - he likes collecting freshwater crayfish, and he is an ok buddy right until he sees one. Then he is like the dog when someone throws a ball - off he goes and forgets everything else, he'll happily go 10 or 12 metre chasing one - which when visibility is only 3 or 4 metres at best means that if your not watching you get separated very quickly. Unsurprisingly most people don't like diving with him, and avoid him like the plague. He's been told countless times, he is contrite and apologetic, behaves for a bit, then hey - theres goes another ball - woof!

Hi Eric - I have seen what you mean - someone posted a link to so youtube videos of surf entries at Monastery (a.k.a. Mortuary) Beach - not sure if that was So-Cal but that is some scary surf.

Best - P

 

[Edward3c]

Hi Phil,

Hence the importance, during training, of teaching trainees to keep their reg (and mask) in place until out of the water. As an instructor, DO, and senior diver (in both senses) it's my responsibility to lead by example. So I always keep the reg in until out of the water.

Great on you having the courage to post, most would keep quiet.

Kind regards

Edward

 

[bowlofpetunias]

I have to say the one thing my DI really stressed was Reg IN Mask ON until you are OUT. Good thing too. I've got trashed twice both times with Reg IN and Mask ON. I have to say the only thing I have complained to my favourite/regular dive buddy (husband) about is his tendency to get out and just start heading across the rock platforms back to the car.

I figure you are buddies until you are both out, gear is off and you are both ok. Yeah I am paranoid maybe but I think the last part of the buddy's job is to make sure they are also feeling ok after the dive.

 

[Edward3c]

I have to say the one thing my DI really stressed was Reg IN Mask ON until you are OUT. Good thing too. I've got trashed twice both times with Reg IN and Mask ON. I have to say the only thing I have complained to my favourite/regular dive buddy (husband) about is his tendency to get out and just start heading across the rock platforms back to the car.

I figure you are buddies until you are both out, gear is off and you are both ok. Yeah I am paranoid maybe but I think the last part of the buddy's job is to make sure they are also feeling ok after the dive.

As the Dive Manager I'm looking for latent DCI symptoms until the group leave.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Not sure exactly what the Dive Leader's role is in Phil's country.. I'm in OZ but yes that is my concern. Once a Paramedic... well you never quite leave that mentality behind

 

[Searcaigh]

Buddy should also continue in that role until all the gear is packed up and it's time to drive home, which I think is Phil's key point on the first post.

As it happened nobody appeared to notice Phil going in after his mask let alone falling over when he tried to grab his fin.

All it would take is to hit your head on a submerged rock and that could have been a subject for the A&I section, glad it was just an embarrassing moment in Phil's dive history.

 

[Phil_C]

Hi Edward - no problem sharing if it helps others out - I have (mostly ) left my ego behind when it comes to diving and safety. BTW Jim has already been in touch ! -

Searcaigh - I should clarify they all knew I was dropping down to get the mask, and watched me down and back, but it was after that it went wrong from th point of view of noticing that I had fallen over.

BoP - for club dives we have a dive manager - a non diving person who keeps the clipboard and monitors people in and out - records tanks, mixes, air in/air out, max depth and buddy pairs - the club keeps a record - they also babysit the O2 kit that is on the bank ready in case of issues.

We then have a safety diver in the water, kitted up and ready to go, but just waiting - usually the last pair to kit up (so long as they have appropriate skills) then another diver/pair will take over so the safety diver/pair can make their own dive.

It is usual to dive as a buddy pair and just do your own thing, so although we may have up to 20 club divers in the water at peak times they are normally split up and have different run times etc. hence we have the surface manager to keep track.

The dive leader is just whichever of the buddy pair has been nominated to lead that particular dive - may be the most experienced but not always, sometimes someone is learning and wants/needs the practise.

Best

Phil

---------- Post added October 12th, 2015 at 12:32 PM ----------

glad it was just an embarrassing moment in Phil's dive history.

There's more than a few of them - but you'd need to ply me with a good scotch (a few times) before I told some of them - :rofl2: - P

 

[Searcaigh]

There's more than a few of them - but you'd need to ply me with a good scotch (a few times) before I told some of them - :rofl2: - P

Perhaps the next time you are in my neighbourhood, I have some Scotch but I don't know how good it is as I drink rum

 

[Neilwood]

Hi Edward - no problem sharing if it helps others out - I have (mostly ) left my ego behind when it comes to diving and safety. BTW Jim has already been in touch ! -

Searcaigh - I should clarify they all knew I was dropping down to get the mask, and watched me down and back, but it was after that it went wrong from th point of view of noticing that I had fallen over.

BoP - for club dives we have a dive manager - a non diving person who keeps the clipboard and monitors people in and out - records tanks, mixes, air in/air out, max depth and buddy pairs - the club keeps a record - they also babysit the O2 kit that is on the bank ready in case of issues.

We then have a safety diver in the water, kitted up and ready to go, but just waiting - usually the last pair to kit up (so long as they have appropriate skills) then another diver/pair will take over so the safety diver/pair can make their own dive.

It is usual to dive as a buddy pair and just do your own thing, so although we may have up to 20 club divers in the water at peak times they are normally split up and have different run times etc. hence we have the surface manager to keep track.

The dive leader is just whichever of the buddy pair has been nominated to lead that particular dive - may be the most experienced but not always, sometimes someone is learning and wants/needs the practise.

Best

Phil

---------- Post added October 12th, 2015 at 12:32 PM ----------



There's more than a few of them - but you'd need to ply me with a good scotch (a few times) before I told some of them - :rofl2: - P

Pop round - I have a number of decent single malts that are begging to be drunk!:beer: