Dealing with the dark?

[TexasFencer]

OK, I apologize if this has been asked/posted before, but I didn't find anything in the search function.

On my last checkout dive for OW, I got separated from my buddy. We were at 50 ft in Lake Travis and visibility was lousy, very lousy. What happened is that we were diving in a large group and my sister/buddy and I momentarily "switched" with another buddy team. (In essence we went from AB and CD to AC and BD.) Everybody looks the same down there to me.

When I realized the person I was swimming with was not my sister I about died! I didn't know she was with someone else and the thought of her being alone was the worst I have ever felt before. I still feel sick thinking of it and all of the possible outcomes. Thankfully, we reunited after about a minute. Turns out she and her new buddy were right out of sight behind us and we sorted ourselves out when my new partner and I stopped to try and figure out what was going on.

When we surfaced our dive master said that when he dives Travis with his wife, they hold hands to stay connected. (Thanks for the prior warning.) Anyway, I never want this to happen again. I know if I dive a lot, it might. But the point is, I want to minimize the risk of it (especially after reading how many fatalities/problems happen when people are alone).

Anyway, the most visible person in the group had a chemical stick on his tank, so I was thinking of using that for subsequent dives so I can easily ID who my buddy is and vice versa. I was also looking at other lights and strobes as well, pros and cons y'all? Additional advice? Admonishments?

TexasFencer
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I hope having this online helps another newbie avoid the stress I experienced. I swear, it was MISERABLE!

(Oh, and just to reassure all you professionals out there, I am not diving in such terrible visibility again for quite a while. I have a lot more to learn before that's going to happen! But, I still want to be prepared.)

 

[contender]

Getting seperated should not be a cause for panic. Remember your training, take a sanity breath and tell yourself you have air, then initiate the lost buddy procedures. I am sure your instructor taught this to you but if not pm me and I will explain it to you. Be sure you and your buddy know how to do this and you will be fine if you become seperated. Bad things don't always happen when you lose sight of your buddy, once you gain more experience you will see that most of the time it's a minor inconvenience.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Anyway, the most visible person in the group had a chemical stick on his tank, so I was thinking of using that for subsequent dives so I can easily ID who my buddy is and vice versa. I was also looking at other lights and strobes as well, pros and cons y'all? Additional advice? Admonishments?

Some folks have not experienced dark black water with vis anywhere from 6" to 24". Its an unusual environment, and one you should avoid unless you need to be in it (e.g. hunting megalodon teeth. etc) until you have some additional experience.

Actually some sort of light isn't a bad idea to identify your buddy. A strobe is not a good choice, because it reflects off the particulate suspended in the water and drives you nuts. Something with a steady beam and an omnidirectional glow works best. Something you may want to consider before doing much more of that sort of diving is take a night diving course...they typically cover multiple types of lights, some navigation, buddy communication tips, equipment redundancy, and other ideas for dark water low-vis environments.

Dive safe.

 

[Zero]

Ah yes, brings back memories with my first no vis dive! It occurred in a shelter bay on the east coast of Canada, called Deep Bay, it was only 25' deep. Unfortunately the bottom was covered with 3-4' of black fine slit. My buddy decided fire up his light and push his hand into the bottom while I fired up my light. Once the particle matter bloomed around us, we could not see either other even though we were only 4' apart. This included both our lights. I slowly moved towards my buddy until he felt my hand hitting his chest.

We spent the rest of the dive working on low/no vis touch drills. It was a great learning experience in this controlled environment. I wouldn't want to deal with this for the first time in a current, surge, night time or with an equipment failure.

It always pays to plan your dive to include this scenario with our buddy before dropping below the water along with practicing no/low vis drills. Just in case!

 

[Jim Kerr]

OK, I apologize if this has been asked/posted before, but I didn't find anything in the search function.

On my last checkout dive for OW, I got separated from my buddy. We were at 50 ft in Lake Travis and visibility was lousy, very lousy. What happened is that we were diving in a large group and my sister/buddy and I momentarily "switched" with another buddy team. (In essence we went from AB and CD to AC and BD.) Everybody looks the same down there to me.

When I realized the person I was swimming with was not my sister I about died! I didn't know she was with someone else and the thought of her being alone was the worst I have ever felt before. I still feel sick thinking of it and all of the possible outcomes. Thankfully, we reunited after about a minute. Turns out she and her new buddy were right out of sight behind us and we sorted ourselves out when my new partner and I stopped to try and figure out what was going on.

When we surfaced our dive master said that when he dives Travis with his wife, they hold hands to stay connected. (Thanks for the prior warning.) Anyway, I never want this to happen again. I know if I dive a lot, it might. But the point is, I want to minimize the risk of it (especially after reading how many fatalities/problems happen when people are alone).

Anyway, the most visible person in the group had a chemical stick on his tank, so I was thinking of using that for subsequent dives so I can easily ID who my buddy is and vice versa. I was also looking at other lights and strobes as well, pros and cons y'all? Additional advice? Admonishments?

TexasFencer
-----
I hope having this online helps another newbie avoid the stress I experienced. I swear, it was MISERABLE!

(Oh, and just to reassure all you professionals out there, I am not diving in such terrible visibility again for quite a while. I have a lot more to learn before that's going to happen! But, I still want to be prepared.)

It does get confusing at times especially if you're all in rented suits that are the same make and style. If and when you have your own gear you can pick out things like a particular marking on the suit or color and type of fins. For instance somone wearing yellow fins would be easily distinguishable from a mass of divers all wearing black fins.

The visibilty issue is something you need to get use to so you might as well get use to it now. You can't always tell what the viz is like untill you're down there. In viz that's very poor you need to stay very close. Having HID lights help alot if you momentarily lose each other, you'll still be able to see the beam.

In viz like you descibed you don't have to go far. Explore small areas and look for the tiny creatures you would otherwise not even notice. It will really open up your eyes on how much life is really down there.

Don't forget to take a compass reading so you know which way shore is. Towards the end of the dive you can start heading back in that direction. You'll know you're going the right way because it will start getting shallower.

 

[Thalassamania]

Holding hands is good, buddy lines can help. It is also good to have a way to recognize your buddy, reflective tape on the snorkel or the bottom of the fins works well if you've a light.

 

[waynel]

You should never do a night dive without a tank light (chemical stick or battery powered). In fact, open water ops will bring one for every diver before leaving the dock. The DM does a "light count" constantly during the dive.

 

[JeffG]

You should never do a night dive without a tank light (chemical stick or battery powered).

I am soooooooo going to die!

LOL


TexasFencer, use big bright lights for you and your buddy. If the vis is so bad that you can't use lights, I would question why do the dive.

 

[MBH]

I am soooooooo going to die!

LOL

Don't fret, I'll mail you some cyalume sticks, you'll feel much safer, might even live forever if you use enough of 'em.

 

[jeckyll]

TexasFencer:

Tank lights can help. However, if you work on your buddy awareness and make sure to mark your gear in a way that is recognizable, you will find that they may not be necessary. I used to use one and was told it was great, but that was also with a 'buddy' who stayed to far back for the visibility (just over 5 feet from what I recall).

I don't use the tank light anymore. But I do have big yellow stripes painted across my (black) fins. And I wear white gloves (see picture).

If you are diving "in a big group" IMO that's also not the best way to go, especially if everyone is in look-alike shop gear.