Yes, thank you for the coroner report. Good points have been made about what occured during the dive. These included the responsibility of the diver to herself and the responsibities of the supporting personnel (DM, physician, Dive Operator). I would conclude that Jenny was anxious, that the DM should not have let her ascend alone, and that Jenny should be fully classified as inexperienced.
The responsibility that lies with the diver should include their educating themselves on dive conditions (including physical health and condition at the time of diving) and buddy operation.
I recently read another thread on buddy diving, with a poll on Would you leave your buddy. I did not answer to this thread, but will now comment on buddy procedures. I agree that it should not be a legal requirement or legally binding procedure to operate under buddy systems. We reserve the right to our freedoms, which include knowingly diving under medical conditions and diving solo. All OW and AOW divers should always ascend together and operate as a buddy team. The diving industry should publish information on diving practices, but they cannot legally cover the sufficient grey areas to buddy diving. Their rules are as stated in OW, dive in buddy teams, communicate, and do not separate.
The DM in this case should have ascended with her buddy and have not questioned whether she could ascend alone. The DM, it seems, was getting in a personal dive. In working as a DM, she should have held to her responsibilities to the diver. She should dive on her own time with her own buddies or solo if she is wanting to get in personal dive time. If her dive operation mislead her as to her duties, saying she could have personal time and then buddied her with an inexperienced diver as a DM, then she should have performed according to the accepted DM role and stayed with her buddy.
When diving with her experienced buddies, the DM can set the buddy rules and make room for the solo dive technique she practiced with the inexperienced diver. At any time a diver can become separated, and must be self-sufficient and understand this risk of solo diving. However, for recreational divers who are operating under buddy standards, this independence and self-sufficiency is taught in the case of unexpected separation to guide a diver towards a safe exit. This is not to be common dive practice. It is like the buoyant ascent is the last resort. Emergency use only. The same for solo diving for any recreational diving. Don't do it.
The DM is irresponsible to treat any diver otherwise.
With regards to the duties of buddy vs supervisor, I hope that you see my point here. A DM operating underwater with recreational divers is always supervisor. They should know that by accepting their training and certification that this is the role they have chosen. A DM can be an effective supervisor underwater. When compounded with teams, a DM that is buddy to a diver and supervisor to two other divers, or more must keep the entire group together. There are limitations to the number of divers a PADI DM can supervise.
I have been in situations where I buddied divers together, and because I am DM, despite my explanation of who buddy teams are, they disregard their teams and all try to be my buddy, watching only me, and not each other. I have made explicit who their buddies are, and they only mind me, and do not treat me as a buddy either, but more as a parent watching children who are without responsibilities. A DM can only do their best and act within their standards. This DM in the coroner's report did not act with sufficient supervision. Also, the diver really is responsible for themself. Please be honest. We do our best to see who's nervous, having difficulty with gear, what experience they've had, how they're feeling, but divers should know that they are self-sufficient and be prepared. Always feel free to abort a dive calmly and communicate the need to do so. Never fear aborting before you get in the water. I've aborted and said, I'm sitting this one out, on trips I paid for. Also, ask questions, educate yourself, get experience diving. Dive in your swimming pool, in the lake. Do not wait until you get to the Caribbean for your first dive. Get experience. Play with your gear. Figure out how it fits, how it works. Read the manuals. Check out rental gear. Take it slowly and dive according to your experience. Feel free to make shallow dives.
DMs should do their best to act within their training, to communicate effectively the dive plan, and to stick to the plan. DMs should also clarify to divers what their role is. Perhaps the roles of DM are set for the crew, but this needs to be made explicit to divers as well. A good boat briefing should include the personnel aboard the boat and what their duties are. Who is instructor? Who is DM boat leader? Who is DM group leader? Who is DIT? Who is boat captain, etc.?
The responsibility that lies with the diver should include their educating themselves on dive conditions (including physical health and condition at the time of diving) and buddy operation.
I recently read another thread on buddy diving, with a poll on Would you leave your buddy. I did not answer to this thread, but will now comment on buddy procedures. I agree that it should not be a legal requirement or legally binding procedure to operate under buddy systems. We reserve the right to our freedoms, which include knowingly diving under medical conditions and diving solo. All OW and AOW divers should always ascend together and operate as a buddy team. The diving industry should publish information on diving practices, but they cannot legally cover the sufficient grey areas to buddy diving. Their rules are as stated in OW, dive in buddy teams, communicate, and do not separate.
The DM in this case should have ascended with her buddy and have not questioned whether she could ascend alone. The DM, it seems, was getting in a personal dive. In working as a DM, she should have held to her responsibilities to the diver. She should dive on her own time with her own buddies or solo if she is wanting to get in personal dive time. If her dive operation mislead her as to her duties, saying she could have personal time and then buddied her with an inexperienced diver as a DM, then she should have performed according to the accepted DM role and stayed with her buddy.
When diving with her experienced buddies, the DM can set the buddy rules and make room for the solo dive technique she practiced with the inexperienced diver. At any time a diver can become separated, and must be self-sufficient and understand this risk of solo diving. However, for recreational divers who are operating under buddy standards, this independence and self-sufficiency is taught in the case of unexpected separation to guide a diver towards a safe exit. This is not to be common dive practice. It is like the buoyant ascent is the last resort. Emergency use only. The same for solo diving for any recreational diving. Don't do it.
The DM is irresponsible to treat any diver otherwise.
With regards to the duties of buddy vs supervisor, I hope that you see my point here. A DM operating underwater with recreational divers is always supervisor. They should know that by accepting their training and certification that this is the role they have chosen. A DM can be an effective supervisor underwater. When compounded with teams, a DM that is buddy to a diver and supervisor to two other divers, or more must keep the entire group together. There are limitations to the number of divers a PADI DM can supervise.
I have been in situations where I buddied divers together, and because I am DM, despite my explanation of who buddy teams are, they disregard their teams and all try to be my buddy, watching only me, and not each other. I have made explicit who their buddies are, and they only mind me, and do not treat me as a buddy either, but more as a parent watching children who are without responsibilities. A DM can only do their best and act within their standards. This DM in the coroner's report did not act with sufficient supervision. Also, the diver really is responsible for themself. Please be honest. We do our best to see who's nervous, having difficulty with gear, what experience they've had, how they're feeling, but divers should know that they are self-sufficient and be prepared. Always feel free to abort a dive calmly and communicate the need to do so. Never fear aborting before you get in the water. I've aborted and said, I'm sitting this one out, on trips I paid for. Also, ask questions, educate yourself, get experience diving. Dive in your swimming pool, in the lake. Do not wait until you get to the Caribbean for your first dive. Get experience. Play with your gear. Figure out how it fits, how it works. Read the manuals. Check out rental gear. Take it slowly and dive according to your experience. Feel free to make shallow dives.
DMs should do their best to act within their training, to communicate effectively the dive plan, and to stick to the plan. DMs should also clarify to divers what their role is. Perhaps the roles of DM are set for the crew, but this needs to be made explicit to divers as well. A good boat briefing should include the personnel aboard the boat and what their duties are. Who is instructor? Who is DM boat leader? Who is DM group leader? Who is DIT? Who is boat captain, etc.?
