Ever leave a dive buddy behind?

[DennisS]

If you are the one leaving, for any reason LET YOUR BUDDY KNOW!!!!

I've spent time in the water searching for a buddy that got cold and went to the beach.

I've spent time on the beach searching for a buddy at sea, he was at the car loading gear.

Different buddies, different states, same oh sh** feeling

 

[dive_lover88]

They left me! Or sometimes they reach the surface faster than me even though i gave the signal

 

[Knight1989]

I've done it before, had a buddy run low on air and surface while I stayed down. No big deal to me, as long as I know that they are going up and are ok, I'll stay down a little longer, but I make sure that during our dive planning we forcast for this and know exactly where the other person plans to dive at if one of us needs to surface due to air.

 

[TSandM]

I had the awful experience of diving in a threesome and having one diver signal "up" (probably had hit rock bottom) when another diver decided to take a photograph, leaving me to decide whether to ascend with one (who was relatively novice) or remain underwater with the photographer. Needless to say, some words were exchanged at the end of that dive.

If I'm diving with somebody who is MY buddy, we go up together. I give the thumb and he ignores, he gets grabbed and shaken and made to see the signal again with emphasis. If he still ignored it (and I can't imagine any -- but perhaps one -- of my dive buddies doing that), I'd go up alone and furious.

 

[tracker]

One of my first dives in early '81, I was diving with a buddy taller and stronger. He didn't pay much attention to the buddy system, so I pretty much followed him. Training was a little different back then so we were told max 130'. Well, our second dive together, after training, we followed the bottom down (beach dive) and got to about 125'. He was just havin' a good ol' time, not paying attention to his gauges. We were Navy. He was aircrew/rescue, I was mechanic/inflight troubleshooter. Anyway, about 125', he decided it would be cool to kick hard and blast through the little sand mounds with his face. I caught him about 140' with just a bit less than half air left, (used a bit trying to catch him), tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to my pressure guage and watch and gave the up signal. I knew I might run out of air and he saw what I was doing. I ran out of air somewhere (I'm guessing) around 25', raised hand and blew bubbles to the surface. I remember that I wasn't that concerned with it then, but having been re-trained recently, and being older and wiser, I would be a whole lot more PO'd now. BTW, I could be wrong, but I don't remember being taught safety stops back then.

 

[cummings66]

I had the awful experience of diving in a threesome and having one diver signal "up" (probably had hit rock bottom) when another diver decided to take a photograph, leaving me to decide whether to ascend with one (who was relatively

Having been in that exact same boat I do not like to dive threesomes anymore. The question becomes whom do I stay with? Do I split the difference, next thing you know you've lost one and don't know where they are. Terrible feeling. When I do dive that way we brief that situation.

When I dive the rule is we stay together. When one thumbs it the other follows, you can't tell what will happen on the way up.

The other day I got hung up on a 1/2 inch rope 15 feet under, my buddy undid it before I could even feel where the tangle was. I'm sure I would have got out of it on my own, but what if? I didn't have to worry though 'cause my buddy was there to help me out right away. ( You know I hate to admit mistakes like that )

Good reason for buddies to stay together no matter what.

 

[The Chairman]

I escort my buddy to the boat or shore. If I want to continue, I do so AFTER they are safe. There is so much DENIAL that I never believe an "OK" sign: I ascend with them.

BTW, if your buddy is in trouble and ascends w/o you knowing it: DON'T BLAME HIM! YOU should have been paying attention to your buddy and what was happening. I have had buddies RACE off and then try and blame me for losing them. It's a two way street. BOTH of you need to be aware of the situation of the other and that includes location, air, depth and emotional stability.

 

[Sloth]

Anytime I thumb a dive and the person I am diving with does anything other then acknowledge and ascend with me, I know that I am solo diving on any other dives with him.

I might spend an entire dive beside him but in my mind I am on a solo dive and I dive accordingly.

Buddy diving means that you and your buddy dive the same plan. Anything else is "same ocean buddy", nothing I dont mind doing but it isnt buddy diving in my mind.

Mark

 

[shellbackdiver1]

I usually have my camera in hand....so my buddies tend to drift off after I spend countless minutes trying to get the perfect spot. But never have I intentionally left a buddy which is 90% of time the person that I love the most. Whenever she signals thumbs, that's it....dive over....resume taking pictures at the safety stop.

 

[wilkie]

During my early dives, I "houvered" my tank, and would "pass buddy responsibility" to another diver, so as not to deprive my buddy of bottom time, but only when this was made clear. When he situation is reversed, I stay with my buddy.