How to handle a bad buddy?

[wreckchick]

My first night dive was about dive 6, it was in 25' of water in the tropics, but still.

Willie, I know you aren't actually telling someone with 7 whole dives to ditch a buddy, in the dark, at 80' and just carry on with an unplanned solo dive. And BTW, you may have had the worst buddy in the history of the world, but if anyone ever just decided to wander off on me, I hope, for his/her sake, the car is gone and I never see them again. There would be more than a couple choice words exchanged.

mrtremere, you got out of it fine. When in doubt thumb the dive, make sure the crappy buddy sees the thumb and if he doesn't respond or follow, go up and end it right there. Night diving is a blast, you'll have a great time with your instructor.

Rachel

 

[Willie]

Willie, I know you aren't actually telling someone with 7 whole dives to ditch a buddy, in the dark, at 80' and just carry on with an unplanned solo dive. And BTW, you may have had the worst buddy in the history of the world, but if anyone ever just decided to wander off on me, I hope, for his/her sake, the car is gone and I never see them again. There would be more than a couple choice words exchanged.

Rachel,

I guess I didnt explain the situation correctly. The buddy was running off and leaving me. I could not keep up and was in 70 fsw on the first dive at that location. I was hoovering like crazy due to exertion. I had a choice to make and I made what I believe was the correct choice. I do not recommend leaving a buddy and work very hard at staying with my buddy.

Willie

 

[Web Monkey]

Your buddy sucked.

An experienced diver buddied up with a new diver would typically keep an eye on his buddy's air periodically to make sure this didn't happen.

On The Other Hand, the real world is full of buddies who really don't watch out for each other and it's up to you to keep yourself safe.

If you ever feel that it's time to surface, then it's time to surface. A thumb isn't a question, it's a statement. If your buddy chooses to continue diving, you can change from showing him your thumb to showing him your middle finger, then surface without him.

Terry

I went on my first night dive. I have had a total of 6 dives. Location was La Jolla Shores in San Diego. My buddy said had 500 logged dives. He knew my experience level. I told I was limited to about 60ft and to head back @ 1700psi. We went down to 60, headed over to a canyon wall. I noticed he kept decending. I check the computer [80 feet] and followed him. I was mainly focus on bouyancy and not hogging air. At 1700 I informed him. At 1500 I informed him. He finally left at 1000psi. I informed him at 500psi to surface. We were at 34 ft. He insisted we carry on. At 200psi we started to assend from 21ft. We trying to do a safety stop, but I was really

 

[Darnold9999]

Just in possible defense of the buddy . . . I did a dive with a novice diver a week ago. We talked about turn pressures before we went down, and agreed on 1700 psi as turn pressure, and agreed on the signal protocol. When my buddy reached 1700, he signalled me. Unfortunately, I did not recognize the signal. Whether he did it wrong or I was having a brain fart, I don't know, but I did not recognize it at all. Later, he tried to signal me again, but the signal he used meant "hold" to me. So I held, wondering why he needed to stop, and once again, no useful information changed hands.

Throughout the dive, I was monitoring my gas, and I had so much left (surfaced with almost 2000 psi) that I figured the reason he hadn't signalled me is that I was diving a 95, and he had a 120, and was probably still above turn pressure. He finished the dive with 800 psi. He told me he was happy to see we were ascending, and had we not been, he would have been much more emphatic about his signals.

So did you debrief the dive? Are you SURE your "buddy" knew what you were trying to say to him? An "experienced" buddy who hasn't done a lot of diving with novices may not know how closely and how often you need to share your pressures. I don't think I'm a bad buddy, but I was a bad mentor in this particular.

On the list of "things I have learned" is to get a signal from a new buddy re air within the first ten minutes or so of a dive. If I don't understand it, or its not clear, then I look at their guage. Serves two purposes - now I have a good idea what their air consumption will be for the rest of the dive compared to mine, and I know if we can communicate.

This is as much to make sure that I am understood as it is to see if I can understand them. I am learning that I need to be much clearer in my own signals. Too vague most of the time.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Life is too short to dive with craptastic buddies.

Terry nailed it.

If you throw a thumb and your buddy fails to end the dive, the next step is to display the "You're Number 1" signal and surface without them.

Sticking with a moron will only subject you to a bucketful of ad hockery when they finally discover that they have issues and now you're both in the stank.

The best way to avoid an emergency is to not be there when one happens.

That's your responsibility, particularly when your buddy isn't cooperating.

 

[Jay Roy]

A light failure @ 80ft. I would have switched lights and ended the dive.

So you let yourself get down to 200PSI at 20'...Not enough gas for a safety stop...But if you had a light failure you'd switch to backup and thumb the dive....gotcha

 

[mrtremere]

Leftwinger16, I dont how diving is in Canaduh. But at Sunny San Diego, La Jolla Shores its all sand and pretty boring. I just started diving and its a learning experience. I got a lotta good info here. We did the instructor led night class and with eight students was a mess. Too many people and some guy who forget his mask, couldnt unflood the loaner ended the group dive. I felt much safer with the prior dive. The only thing I would have done different was surface sooner. There is a sale at the Ocean Enterprise for Steel Tanks @ $150+. I'm going to get some Steel 100's. I really appreciete all the comments and look forward to diving.

 

[Jay Roy]

Canaduh?

 

[Scuba_Steve]

Canaduh?

An unfortunate american trait some have.

Too bad to since I think the world of the US of A and what they do for Canada just by being there.


DOC:

OK I got the lingo down!

Craptastic........that goes with Stroke-tastic doesn't it?? LOL

 

[Web Monkey]

Canaduh?

Sorry, it's really embarassing from this side of the border.

Terry