How often do you check remaining gas supplies? You vs. regular buddy vs. insta-buddy

[it_mike]

I don't have any regular buddies, so I don't know how I'd handle that.

I check my own routinely, based upon consumption. I check my buddy's pre-dive, every 500psi of my own, and watch for the ratio (mine vs. theirs). As we get closer, I'll check more often if needed.

 

[njedrn]

AS a newer diver I tend to check a little more frequently. I dive the pro plus 2 computer... so I usually glance at it to check depth and overall time, on the same screen I can the pressure remaining.

This comp also has a nice little feature that calculates time remaining @ that depth for current air status, ndl, or o2 status and gives you the most conservative amt of time. This gets a little annoying when you do multi level dives tho...

 

[gcbryan]

I don't check regular buddies and I rarely dive with instabuddies but when I do I check at the beginning, a little before I think they're at the half way point and sometimes once more after that.

For myself, it's just before getting in the water, just after going under, upon arriving at max depth and just before leaving max depth, when I arrive back in relatively shallow depths.

It's mainly to verify that I already (hopefully) know. If there's any surprises on that particular dive I'm check more often.

 

[spectrum]

Pre-dive we discuss turn pressure and that they are welcome to turn earlier at their discretion. If I'm leading I state that I won't be asking pressures, "you're a diver".

If the dive is running long and they begin to strain credibility then I ask and we go from there....... They usually do better the next time.

Note that we're not talking about deep or overhead situations. The worst case is usually an inconvenient surface swim.

Pete

 

[Jax]

@Jax: Do you really check your SPG this often?

Jax: Spent tank? Been there, done that. Came up from a dive on the Duane, got in a conversation with insta-buddy while changing out, slammed the catches shut on the old tank and jumped in without looking at the gauge. Just took a couple breaths from the reg and jumped in. Got back down to the Duane and the dude read 1000 psi. Of course I went back up and changed tanks and got in about half a dive. DUMMMM.

Yes;
1 - at hookup - is it full?
2 - at prep-to-dive - is it on, is it still full? (i.e., didn't leave it on and leaking
3 - at surface, before descending, as part of making sure you don't have a leak or your inflater hose popped off . . .
4 - at the bottom - last check to be sure everything is okay.

From then on, it's all about usage.

I'm a check-list kind of person.

 

[Jax]

Apparently people breath around 12 times a minute.

So you're looking at your gauge every 30s? Seems a wee bit excessive.

Maybe you should get the Oceanic HUD mask with transmitter. It may allow you to see more while diving.

Nah . . . you're right, it's not that often . . . seems like it . . about every 200-300 psi, whatever that is.

I have an AI as well as the SPG, and since it's right there in my face . . .

Maybe I'm just a nervous noobie!

 

[Jax]

If a certified diver were to forget to check gas pressure upon hooking up regulator and go through the whole pre-dive checklist routine, then that diver shouldn't have gotten a C-card in the first place.

Watched ScottiTheDuck do a rescue on a numbnuts that thought his tank would be magically filled or exchanged.

I don't like anything about making that mistake.

 

[Rhone Man]

That works for me. We're buddies and not nannies. We agree on turnaround pressures, so whichever got there first, signal the other and we'll start heading back.

Works for me too. Except when I am with my son. But that is just part of being a Dad.

 

[Ana]

Yes;
1 - at hookup - is it full?
2 - at prep-to-dive - is it on, is it still full? (i.e., didn't leave it on and leaking
3 - at surface, before descending, as part of making sure you don't have a leak or your inflater hose popped off . . .
4 - at the bottom - last check to be sure everything is okay.

From then on, it's all about usage.

I'm a check-list kind of person.

My routine is similar to Jax

1 -at hookup, check pressure and turn valve off
2 - right before or right after suiting up
3 - the last think I do before jumping in I make a point to check at the same time I take a couple of breaths.

*may do another check before #3 if anyone touches my valve.

From there on very often. I take my time going down and usually look several times on the way down; more than for the air pressure, for the depth but both numbers are together on my display.

I check again right before anything. If I see a flounder I check before going for it, anything is a good excuse to look. The Datamask is great for that, but even with an analog gauge I used to look very often. I don't know every how many minutes but I get to see every 2~300 psi consumption.


I don't look at anyone else's. Now for the people that check their buddy's gas what would you do if the head's up display masks become popular? I know I could set my mask to check on my husband's transponder, but I don't do it.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

The other thing I did with the couple of the insta buddies I dove with. I asked one guy if he would be offended if I asked what his pressure was during the dive. (trying to be diplomatic) and he says "I better not be offended, because I AM going to ask you what yours is..." for the very reason you stated above about me carrying his disaster recovery gas.

Brownie points for excellent diplomatic skills! That's a wonderful, non-threatening way to broach the subject of gas checks with an insta-buddy. His response was very reassuring as well. Well done.

I have seen people get pissed off under water when a buddy has asked how much gas was left in their tank. I'm not joking.