Dive Buddies and Air Monitoring

[hermosadive]

...I also learned a lesson: I should keep track of everyone's air more often than I think is necessary. I didn't realize Scot was getting low, so he had to grab us and let us know. My apologies to Scot. Anyway, we surfaced to an easy exit...

Jim, you recently scolded yourself for not keeping track of everyone's air on a recent dive. Your intent is probably to provide a fun and safe dive for everyone in your group. I'm assuming from your comment that you might have been the more experienced diver of the group as well. I think you are being too hard on yourself.

As a buddy team, a dive plan is agreed to at the start of the dive. This usually includes determining a turnaround plan and surfacing plan based on reaching a predetermined air supply. As certified divers we are responsible for monitoring our air supply and following the dive plan. Sure I think a good buddy should check with their partner to confirm that all is okay, but ultimately each diver MUST be responsible for monitoring their air and notifying their partner when they hit the agreed turnaround or surfacing point. Also, a buddy is a two-way relationship. If you buddy fails to accurately monitor their air, they won't be able to provide much assistance if you find yourself in trouble.

Personally, I find it annoying when I've made a dive plan and my buddy continuously asks me how my air supply is. Especially when we are diving with different size tanks. I appreciate the concern, but I think it sometimes can be over done. With new divers, my wife for example, I am more cautious, but I still make sure they understand the need to monitor their own air and take control of their dive.

my 2cents

 

[mccabejc]

Yeah, I see what you're saying. But I have a couple of reasons for it.

The selfish reason is that I like to know everyone's status, so that I don't get surprised. When I'm cruising along with a good amount of air, and suddenly learn that a buddy is getting very low, it's a little bit of stress that I don't need. Suddenly you have to change plans, decide whether to surface where you are or if you have enough to get closer to shore, blah blah blah...

Also, I feel like I have an obligation to protect my buddy from himself to the extent I can, and verse visa. We'll both forget things, like checking air, or forgetting to put the weights in the BC, and it's nice to know that there's someone there to smack you in the head when you need it.

I'm all for personal responsibility, and we all SHOULD do things right, but I also recognize that we're all going to screw up.

Trust, yet verify. Or something like that.

 

[Charlie99]

There is a lot of difference between diving with a known buddy and diving with a stranger you met on the boat that morning.

When doing a first dive with a stranger, particularly one with little experience, I will compare SPG readings when I'm down to 1800-2000psi. That gives me a pretty good indication of our relative consumption rates and further checking isn't necessary unless I suspect that he has gotten to the agreed upon pressure turnpoint and hasn't noticed.

Since there are so many different ways of signalling pressure, when doing a predive plan with a stranger, I'll mention both that we will compare SPGs readings partway into the dive, and also "one handed, 1 finger per 100psi".

As Ronald Reagan said, "Trust, but verify".

edit: change Reagon to Reagan, avoiding temptation to make it "Ray-gun". Love live SDI!

 

[mccabejc]

Okay, this is really wierd. We both thought of "Trust yet verify" at the same time.

This is freakin me out. I think I'm gonna hurl...

 

[ryanarcher]

Just and FYI - your quote from the past President is a good one...but you spelled his name wrong! It's Ronald Reagan not Reagon!

 

[Scot M]

Jim, you recently scolded yourself for not keeping track of everyone's air on a recent dive. Your intent is probably to provide a fun and safe dive for everyone in your group. I'm assuming from your comment that you might have been the more experienced diver of the group as well. I think you are being too hard on yourself.

<snip>

Sure I think a good buddy should check with their partner to confirm that all is okay, but ultimately each diver MUST be responsible for monitoring their air and notifying their partner when they hit the agreed turnaround or surfacing point. Also, a buddy is a two-way relationship. If you buddy fails to accurately monitor their air, they won't be able to provide much assistance if you find yourself in trouble.

In this case, it wasn't a matter of Jim needing to keep track of anyone, or of me not monitoring my air. It was a minor miscommunication about a small side trip through a surgy area just before our planned surfacing. Once I realized where we were going, I elected to stick it out, but ascend immediately afterward. I started the detour with about 600 psi and hit the surface with about 300 psi - lower than I would prefer, but not a big deal since we were dinking around at only 25 feet.

 

[scubapro5]

When I dive with people on my boat I usually check their air since I know the area so well and usually do the dive planning. So if you dive with me and don't want your air checked at all just let me know.

I started the detour with about 600 psi and hit the surface with about 300 psi - lower than I would prefer, but not a big deal since we were dinking around at only 25 feet.

Ending the dive with 300psi is a whole other topic and some will think its a huge mistake or unsafe but for me if I am diving shallow I have gone under 500psi.

What's everyone take on the 500psi rule?

 

[headhunter]

In this case, it wasn't a matter of Jim needing to keep track of anyone, or of me not monitoring my air. It was a minor miscommunication about a small side trip through a surgy area just before our planned surfacing. Once I realized where we were going, I elected to stick it out, but ascend immediately afterward. I started the detour with about 600 psi and hit the surface with about 300 psi - lower than I would prefer, but not a big deal since we were dinking around at only 25 feet.

This is true. We actually compared pressure readings a couple of times during the dive and we were all pretty close for about two thirds of the dive. In fact, if I remember correctly we turned the dive with all of us between 1300 and 1600 PSI.

From the dive that Jim and I had done the day before, I recognized the spot where the swim through was and wanted Scot M to see it.

We should have probably checked each others pressures one last time before the detour, but I just did a quick "follow me!" Since no one said "no", I took them on a 3 min. side trip. We were within about 50 ft. of the far side of the swim through. We were only about 75 - 100 feet from actually being out of the water and on the beach.

Somewhere during the end of the dive, Jim and I were breathing a bit slower and Scot was breathing a bit faster. When Scot called the dive, both Jim and I had about 1000 PSI in our AL 80s, and could have easily shared air.

Realistically, we were no where near our NDLs and in very shallow water. The need to share air would have been pretty remote. So, there was no cause for any stress.

Hope this helps paint a clear picture of that part of the dive in question.

Christian

 

[hermosadive]

The reason I started this thread wasn't to question your dive specifically. I mentioned Jim's comment only because it seemed like he was going to carry a lot of the responsibility on his part for monitoring other's air consumption. We all do it, I was just trying to get some discussion on diving and the importance of having a dive plan and following it.

Regarding exiting the water with 500psi, once again, with an AL 80 that's the rule I try and follow, but if I dive with my LP95 I know I still okay at 400psi. PSI can be misleading for comparision measurements. Generally, for turnarounds, I like to use the rule of half your air+200. The first diver to reach this mark notifies their buddy and then we turn around. Of course, this can change depending on the type/location of of dive.

 

[ShakaZulu]

Do you guys ever calculate the rock-bottom pressures??? Search for that on this forum..........