Yes I am... And i know it is in the book... in practice, it is just not the right thing to do. What isn't in the book is the fact that separation does not mean instant death. So panic is not needed. Follow the plan and if you still haven't found each other in a reasonable amount of time (this is visibility, current and environment dependent), surface and STAY surfaced. Also make sure that is what you agree upon before the dive. Plan the dive and dive the plan. If the plan falls apart, don't do a thing untill you both agree and are sure you are on the same page. Communication is the keyword.
I have never had to start a lost diver search. When separated I would find him or her where I expected him or her to be. Either in front of me, behind me or at the surface.
Remember books aren't allways right...
I'm not sure I agree with all of this, for a variety of reasons.
Blanket statements rarely cover the whole picture. The thing you always have to ask yourself is whether what's in the book makes sense for the situation you find yourself in.
First off, as for following the plan ... what to do in the event of a buddy separation should be part of the plan. You follow what you discussed and agreed to do. In that respect, if you agreed to search for one minute and then ascend, that's what you should do ... because that's what your buddy is expecting. If you didn't verbalize a separation plan, then follow your training ... that's why you got it.
Nobody said anything about panic or death ... so I don't understand why you're using those terms. It's not about panic or death ... it's about uncertainty, stress, and the fact that you're now diving alone in a situation where you are probably unprepared to do so. Panic and death have nothing to do with it ... you make decisions based on the best possibility for the desired outcome ... which in this case is a safe reunion with the person you were diving with, while at the same time taking actions to minimize risk to yourself.
The Incidents and Accidents forum is full of stories about people who were injured or died while diving alone. DAN statistics show that as many as 40% of diving accidents occur while diving alone ... in the vast majority of those cases, the divers did not enter the water alone, but were separated at some point during the dive. How does that happen? It happens because people deviate from their training ... or from what they agreed to do ... or because they failed to make a proper plan in the first place. Or sometimes it happens due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the diver's control.
In an ideal world, dive buddies don't get separated ... or if they do, they know exactly how to react in order to reunite. But we don't live in an ideal world, and sometimes things don't go according to plan. In that case, you have to make a decision ... and that decision should be based on what's best for your safety, and what has the highest probability of producing an outcome that avoids diver injury. In most cases, I think that will involve seeking the safety of the surface, and if you don't reunite with your buddy within a very short period, initiating a lost diver search. It may not be needed. It may create inconvenience for yourself or others. But those are lower priorities than taking actions that will maximize the chance for a good outcome to those involved.
You say stick to the plan. I agree. But that plan needs to include a buddy separation contingency. And once that contingency is verbalized and agreed to, you need to stick to it. And when in doubt, follow your training. If that training says search for one minute and then ascend, that's what you should do.
Seems like common sense to me ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
<this would be a time to start running>
