Red,
I guess I would really have to take stock of the situation and who I was with. First if there was a mooring buoy—that would be my new best friend. I think I would try to convince everyone to stay, but if they would not, I would rather be alone with a buoy in near a known location as a opposed to floating. I hate surface swimming with gear.
If people begin making irrational decisions, I would try to persuade them, but you can’t stop them or be responsible for them at that point. For your sake you might just have to let them to. Staying together is usually your best option, but not always.
I read an account of a young gal from the US that was over in the East doing relief work. The ferry she was on flipped over. Most of the people on it died as they could not swim. At first she stayed near the wreckage and tried to help people that could not swim get to floating objects. There was like one life raft. Some men pulled her in rapped her and tossed her back in the drink. At that point she decided the open ocean was a better choice. She swam the rest of that night and late into the next day alone swimming toward a little light on a distant shore using only her jeans that she removed as a swim float.
She eventually hooked up with a couple of Brits and an Aussie guy and they stayed together for a while. The Aussie decided he had enough and slipped under the water. The gal had some life guard training and pulled him back up. Happened a 2nd time and she revived him. He cursed her and said if he went under again to just leave him there. Next he went under she left him down. It was somewhere along in there that she decided that she would be better off using her energy to save herself rather that stay in the company of others. I think there was less than a dozen or so folks who survived. Her story was on the Weather Channel’s storm and accident show.
So I guess it really depends on who is in the water with you. If you can stay together, it would be best, but if they are nuts then you need some space between you. In crisis situations, people and do some really crazy things.
It would be a good idea to get everyone talking and to see what they think you should do.
Collectively you will have more ideas and more gear. Also by listening to everyone you get an idea of each persons state of mind and it will take up some time. And of course as discussed earlier, you should have your own set of safety ear and not depend on your buddy or the charter to have what you need in case anything hits the fan.
