Checking your buddy's gas

[TSandM]

A discussion in another subforum prompted this question: When you are diving in a buddy team, do you check your buddy's gas pressure during the dive? I have a poll to get answers and see if they vary between people who are technically trained or not, but please feel free to elaborate on your poll answer:

Do you check everybody, or just people unfamiliar to you, or people who are new divers or otherwise seem to merit closer monitoring?

Do you check multiple times, or just at the beginning, or middle, or toward the end?

Does it matter if you have made a gas plan ahead of time?

 

[Insta-Gator]

My primary dive buddy is my wife. We show each other our computer screens (AI) regularly during a dive.

This also mandates reasonable proximity during the dive.

 

[FinnMom]

What about the fact that those who are tech trained but are acting just as they did when they were rec trained?

I keep and have always kept an eye on my buddy's gas unless with someone equally or more experienced & also with whom I've dove with a fair bit.
I can't see why anyone whould find the question offensive, for all they know I'm asking because I suspect I'm an air hog. If it bothers someone, gotta file it inder "sorry, darn not given".

 

[oldogre]

There is always a Dive briefing, which includes gas planning and a reminder on signals to be used, (100bar. etc).
Edit
I am rec. and often dive with instabuddies.

 

[TSandM]

My theory is that there is a difference between recreationally trained divers, and technically trained divers, in their behavior around this particular issue. That's why I put up the poll.

 

[HowardE]

A discussion in another subforum prompted this question: When you are diving in a buddy team, do you check your buddy's gas pressure during the dive? I have a poll to get answers and see if they vary between people who are technically trained or not, but please feel free to elaborate on your poll answer:

Do you check everybody, or just people unfamiliar to you, or people who are new divers or otherwise seem to merit closer monitoring?

Do you check multiple times, or just at the beginning, or middle, or toward the end?

Does it matter if you have made a gas plan ahead of time?

I am technically trained. When I'm diving with dive buddies who are of similar training level, I don't ask them how much gas they have... ever. I expect that they should be able to manage their own gas.

If I'm diving with a group of "visitors" or people whom are under my supervision (whether I'm working as a DM, Instructor, just casually taking a less experienced diver along, or diving with maybe some out of town friends who are just recreationally trained divers) I check their pressure two or 3 times on a dive to gauge their consumption rate... I also review with them prior to the dive the hand signals that I prefer to see for communicating quantity of gas remaining. I also explain that if I point to my watch, I want to know how much "No Decompression Time" they have remaining.

For recreational reef diving around here, the gas plan is often, "when we get to 700 PSI or 50 minutes, we'll begin our ascent" When you're diving to 55 feet with nitrox, the NDL isn't really a big concern unless you're doing several repet dives.

 

[Tigerman]

I always check with my buddy atleast twice on every dive, one of those two times being on the buddy check.
The second time when Ive used about a third of my tank just to verify that were in the same ballpark. If we are, Im not likely to ask again.
Part of the reason WHY I have this habit is that I almost always travel alone and will be diving with new people quite often rather than a regular buddy with known gas consumption and known habits..

 

[tomfcrist]

Recreationally...yes, I ask periodically what my buddy's gas gauge says.
When dealing with tech guys, I rarely ask about their gas....I expect them to manage their gas and if we are in a team the first person to hit their turn pressure should alert the rest of the team anyway. When diving 1/3rds on your backgas and carrying travel and deco gasses the chances of running ooa is relatively slim. More likely to happen during deco than during the working portion of the dive, and that's only if A- they didn't bring an adequate supply, or B- you overstayed the bottom time and encountered an increased deco obligation that you didn't plan for. Once again, not likely scenarios in a properly trained tech team.

 

[TSandM]

Howard, your behavior is exactly what I do. Unknown or novice buddy, I check; anyone with training similar to mine (technical OR recreational) I don't.

 

[TheWetRookie]

Ditto on what Howard said. With my regular dive buddies I don't check unless I am suggesting a change in the dive plan mid dive and need to know if we have the gas to do it. With all new buddies or new divers I do check throughout the dive(s) until comfortable diving with them.