Diving in larger groups than pairs

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pelagic_by_nature

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In the past I have made some dives with a group. Instead of being assigned a specific buddy, we just stuck together as a group. It seemed like an OK idea at the time but looking back I recall several times when I had to put up my arms to defend myself from being kicked in the head, not intentionally, of course, but if 4 or 5 people are trying to stick together, this problem seems inevitable. I think I've been luck to have seen a fin, out of the corner of my eye, heading my way and was able to react. It's got me thinking that maybe diving in pairs is the way to go. I'm interested to hear your thoughts, experiences.

:popcorn:
 
i don't mind diving in a wad as long as i have only 1 or 2 other people i'm supposed to be really keeping up with.

example - we went diving in a wad at the quarry. one of us got separated because another group ended up at the same boat. our group left that boat & went elsewhere - then realized we were one down. it was really pretty scary that we couldn't find him. after some looking, we came up and he was getting out with the other group, so it ended ok but shouldn't have happened.

so, my personal take - i don't mind being a team of 2 or 3 that happen to have the same dive plan with other teams, but i won't dive in a group without primary buddies settled before we splash.
 
All of the group diving I've done has gone well, with the group essentially forming a line. Each person in contact with the person in front and behind. If the leader needed to convey a message, he would stop, and everyone would circle around. I kind of equated it to hiking in the woods. If you needed anything, the person on either side would provide it, if you had to thumb, one of them would go with you. Our groups were all of the same mindset, and we were all equally willing, etc. I don't think it would have gone as well if it were a group of strangers, because everyone would be waiting for someone else to step forward if you had an issue, and like you mentioned, the pecking order, everyone wants to go first.

It's almost like you have to have a dive plan for a group. It's not as easy to tap someone on the shoulder if you decide you want to lead, and are you going to stay in a line, double line, or flank out?
 
One of the reasons I'm (99%) of the time a solo diver--ie hate getting kicked in the mouth...

Example(& I just got these 2 pics sent to me, of me, yesterday)-------a group of us dove Fiji last month & I made 16 (solo)dives, 1 of them a shore nite dive-----tell me where my buddy(&ies) are in this pic----this pic was taken by another(of several) solo photo-divers in our group.....

35490_1275280502483_1844083396_537003_5657102_n.jpg


35490_1275280462482_1844083396_537002_1749182_n.jpg
 
I travel a lot with groups of friends to different caribbean dive destinations and we usually find ourselves on the same boat. Sometimes when we dive we'll all head the same way. Other times we will pair off with our buddies and folks do their own thing. A lot of times that depends on how the operator runs things. But even when we dive as a "group" so to speak, we don't get all over top of each other. You can all go in the same direction without running into each other. I find that when I'm in the clear waters of the caribbean, I don't need to be within an arms reach of a buddy so there's no need to be kicking each other and running into each other.
 
The ideal number is going to vary depending on among conditions, training and friendships...

Fo pure enjoyment some just prefer solo.

When considering safety

Group diving with no specific buddy causes more confussion and frustration then it's worth.
"Wonder where Joe is?" "No worries SOMEONE will be watching him"...
There are plenty of examples in the accident forum where group diving was a really bad idea

That said there are those that advocate 3 man teams vs buddy pairs...
 
There have been many times I have dived with a large group, usually beach diving. If there is not a pre dive discussion, 99% of the time the group gets split up and everybody gets back to shore at different times and places. Therefore, whenever possible, I try to "sub group" a smaller group of 2-4 max who are each others buddy and we stick together. This has worked pretty well.
 
Group diving with no specific buddy causes more confussion and frustration then it's worth.
"Wonder where Joe is?" "No worries SOMEONE will be watching him"...
There are plenty of examples in the accident forum where group diving was a really bad idea

Easy to see how that could happen
 
I dislike group diving ... but when it's inevitable the proper approach is to establish "primary" buddy teams of two or three divers per team. Any more than three is not very manageable. You can agree to generally stay with the group, but in the event of separation from the group you stick with your primary buddies.

This approach works pretty well, in that it limits the number of people you have to keep track of ... and it also allows a bit more separation between the divers in the group.

One thing ... don't just drop in the water and assume that the dive guide is keeping track of you. That's what buddies are for. Don't assume ... specify before the dive who your buddies are. And make sure they know and agree that you're a team. Don't assume the dive guide can or will watch everyone in the group ... that's how separations happen. Following a dive guide under the assumption that they are responsible for the safety of the group is called a "trust me" dive ... and under any circumstances it's not a recommended practice. You still need to plan and execute your own dive. Assume that the guide is there only to find and point out interesting wildlife. Otherwise, conduct your dive as though you and your team are solely responsible for each other.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
 
We dove as a group of five for a week in Cozumel, but we were internally split into a team of two and a team of three. Everyone knew which of the divers he was responsible for keeping track of.

I find that, even with a team of three, if you are all milling around a point of interest, it takes a LOT of vigilance to know where everybody is, so that you don't bump anyone or kick them. If there are more people, it's virtually impossible (we don't have rear view mirrors!) But my biggest worry with a large group is that some one person will get into trouble and go missing, and no one will notice because nobody's "his" buddy. This seems to be a common theme in a lot of deaths, like the recent one in the Minnesota lake.
 

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