Collapse of the "Buddy System"

[Lorenzoid]

I keep seeing references to guys go fast and women go slow. In my experience with insta-buddies, the newer the diver the faster they go. I've had plenty of women buddies that are olympic racers. With more experience you come to learn (with certain exceptions) that this 100 ft. of reef looks alot like the next 100 ft and if you'll stay still, stuff will come to you. I think excessive finnning for new divers helps with their bouyancy and trim. It takes practice to be still and hover. I've seen really experienced divers take a nap.

Not just newer divers, but also experienced divemasters/guides who race along the reef, possibly in the belief that the divers they are leading will feel cheated if the guide doesn't take them on a "journey."

 

[boulderjohn]

PADI has done a big upgrade/update to their training addressing many other issues that were lacking in OW, perhaps in 10 more years with the next redo they will include the buddy system beyond talking about equipment checks?

Instruction in the buddy system is a major part of the new PADI rule changes being implemented this year and next year, depending upon your location.

Students are supposed to spend a considerable amount of time in the confined water portion of the class operating as buddies. They are supposed to check each other's gas supply unexpectedly, and when they do, the person asked is supposed to respond with reasonable accuracy without looking, having only recently checked without being asked. At the end of the confined water sessions, they are to do a "mini-dive" as a buddy team, with the instructor choosing several situations for them to react to during that dive.

In the open water checkout dives, the final dive has no instructor-led skills or activities. The students are supposed to plan and execute a dive in buddy teams with no input from the instructor. The instructor observes the planning and the dive, only intervening if necessary.

 

[Steve_C]

once you get to your buddy, you have to do the "I screwed up" hand signals and your buddy has to figure out what's going on.

My preference is to bring my little yellow buddy "Luxfer" or my big white buddy "Faber"

flots.

If I get an OA signal, I pass over the nice bright yellow reg. However, in pre dive I tell them if they are OOA and pressed for time they can just grab it from the quick release. When they do so I raise my right arm out of the way so they have a clear shot at it ( in the process I have my hand/arm up to protect my other reg and goggles, but I do not mention that),

For NC coastal dives I have my own backup of slung AL19. We also discuss that in case of an air share we will share back to the anchor if that is practical. Then I will transfer the unused pony to them and we will ascend with our own air. They are told the pony holds the equivalent of an AL80 with 750 psi.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

They are told the pony holds the equivalent of an AL80 with 750 psi.

Not to quibble - I come up with 715 psi using 19 cu ft from an AL80. It is still enough to get to the surface from recreational levels.

 

[JohnN]

Not to quibble - I come up with 715 psi using 19 cu ft from an AL80. It is still enough to get to the surface from recreational levels.

(750/3000)*77 = 19.25

 

[DaleC]

I was just talking about this with a dive buddy last night.

She claimed that she was becoming something of a dive snob because she had become a little choosy about whom she dove with (she's a photog). I said no, she wasn't being a snob, she just knew what she wanted to accomplish during her dive and the people that would/wouldn't facilitate that.

I am the same way. On some dives I am very focused on videography and don't want to waste bandwidth (to borrow a term) thinking about a buddy who needs my attention. Some buddies do work out, if they have the right mentality and skill to work easily as a team without conscious thought (my friend being one of those) but otherwise I'd rather solo.

On other dives I don't mind being a buddy, if that's what a diver wants/needs, and I devote as much bandwidth to that activity as is required to do it right. I am even more willing to devote time/energy if the other person seems to be seeking an honest working buddy system and not just using me as their ticket to dive the way they want. Fool me once, but usually not twice.

I've become very clear about when those times are and will intentionally state I am going solo when I want to, or that I am diving as a buddy. If you dive with me I will do exactly what I say I will do and expect you to do the same.

I spent a whole trip buddied with the same new diver last year (and enjoyed it) because he wanted to learn and followed the plan. I ditched my original buddy (for the trip) after the first dive, when he splashed, swam off, and never looked back to see where we were. Conversely, on a recent dive outing I flat out told the two people I was with I'd rather not buddy because I wanted to concentrate completely on the fish.

I think that is what is needed. Honest discussions about our intentions. This can happen in my case because I predominantly shore dive and there are no rules/captains/scuba police imposing behavior on us. For charter diving I think this is less likely as people are forced to buddy, even when they have no intention of following through in a meaningful way.

People think solo diving is a cause of poor buddy skills but I think it is the fact that people can't be more honest about solo diving that creates pseudo buddies. Once you can be honest about truly wanting/not wanting to be buddies, then you can begin to look at exactly what is needed for each scenario to be safe.

 

[Kharon]

It has more to do with "How far/fast can you travel with no air in your lungs?" than visibility, especially since once you get to your buddy, you have to do the "I screwed up" hand signals and your buddy has to figure out what's going on.

My preference is to bring my little yellow buddy "Luxfer" or my big white buddy "Faber"

flots.

+1 +1 +1 +1 - I couldn't agree more - although my 13cf is a Catalina not a Lux (my 27cf is a Faber though). You have good taste in ponies - lol.

---------- Post added October 21st, 2014 at 10:29 AM ----------

Not to quibble

Oh, but you are - lol.

My calculations are as follows: An al-80 (77.4cf) has 0.0258 cf/psi (3000 working pressure/77.4cf). Then 19cf/0.0258 comes out to 736.434 psi. Don't really care who's right but I wonder why we are all doing essentially the same calculation and coming up with different answers. The math should come out the same.

 

[flots am]

I think that is spot on. Because if you don't you might find yourself with an olympic racer flying off into the distance. Not only will you go through your air quickly,as you are trying to try catch up, but you won't even get a chance to check out anything interesting around you. You will be fixated on keeping up with speedy,and that will be your only goal for the whole dive, wonderful!.

You don't actually have to chase anybody. In fact, I don't recommend it. Somewhere in my first couple of dozen dives, I was on a boat from John Pennekamp. We hit the water and my buddy took off like a shot. I surfaced (probably less than 20 seconds after splashing), and the captain asked me where my buddy was, and I said "If you give him a couple of hours, probably England".

He buddied me up with someone else, and Speedy got to sit out the next dive.

Trying to keep up is only good for using up your air, hyperventilating and possibly having a panic attack.

flots.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

Oh, but you are - lol.
My calculations are as follows: An al-80 (77.4cf) has 0.0258 cf/psi (3000 working pressure/77.4cf). Then 19cf/0.0258 comes out to 736.434 psi. Don't really care who's right but I wonder why we are all doing essentially the same calculation and coming up with different answers. The math should come out the same.

BTW your calculations are correct unless you use 19 or 19.9 (Luxfer 19) for the pony... I did the same calculation but then thought - does it really matter - 750 is close enough... No OW newbie is going to care if it was 736 and small change - 750 is easier to remember and I thought do I really need to continue the quibble - - so I guess I do...
Don't even get me started on the RMV/SAC Rate... lol cause that would just throw this whole conversation into a tail spin...

 

[JohnN]

My calculations are as follows: An al-80 (77.4cf) has 0.0258 cf/psi (3000 working pressure/77.4cf). Then 19cf/0.0258 comes out to 736.434 psi. Don't really care who's right but I wonder why we are all doing essentially the same calculation and coming up with different answers. The math should come out the same.

Measure with a micrometer, mark with chalk, cut with an axe, hammer to fit and paint to match

Do you really believe you can resolve 14 PSI ? (and we're all assuming the cylinder started at 3000.00000 PSI)