I just finished PADI Rescue, and was taught buddy breathing for the first time...

[teknitroxdiver]

I was taught it in a PADI BOW course in '02.

 

[Gary D.]

BB is an important skill everyone should know from the start. Like it has already been said Octo's get the daylights beat out of them and may not always work as intended. They may work fine at the start of a dive but may get crudded up by the end impeding their performance.

For those that think BB with a single hose is tough try a double hose. Then to throw in another wrench into it, try it with out hoses.

BB is a simple skill that shouldn’t short-circuit the gray matter of a student.

Gary D.

 

[Rick Inman]

BB is an important skill everyone should know from the start. Like it has already been said Octo's get the daylights beat out of them and may not always work as intended. They may work fine at the start of a dive but may get crudded up by the end impeding their performance.

For those that think BB with a single hose is tough try a double hose. Then to throw in another wrench into it, try it with out hoses.

BB is a simple skill that shouldn’t short-circuit the gray matter of a student.

Gary D.

...In fact, the book, The Complete Illustrated Guide to Snorkel and Deep Diving by Owen Lee, 1963, says of buddy breathing with a double hose:

Try inviting other divers to join you in buddy breathing from the same lung and then - invite others! See how many divers you can have breathing from the same lung before someone breaks for the surface!

Try suggesting that in a PADI OW class! :11:

 

[Peter Guy]

Originally certified in 1967 and yes, we learned to buddy breathe -- but then, no Air2, no Octo, no BC --- oh, and since I was an AquaMaster lover, that meant learning & doing BB with both hoses.

Just got PADI certified a month or so ago -- they mentioned it and said nope, don't do it! Me, I find it amazing PADI thinks a CESA is safer than buddy breathing.

 

[DelightedDiver]

I did my OW 17 years ago. We had an octo, but buddy breathing was one of the basic skills we had to pass. Our friends were certified last year and they did not do buddy breathing in their class. The skill wasn't fun to learn, but I'm glad I know it.

 

[Vtdiver2]

I wasn't PADI cert(NAUI)but we were taught both buddy breathing and octopus(Give up primary second and breath through back-up )for this reason I always rig With a 7' hose
Since I WASN'T Born With GILLS, I'm glad We covered ALL available options.
My guess is anyone teaching (and leaving out an avail option) must expect one to race to the surface in the event of an OOA situation where your buddy's octo fails as well. (Have seen too many divers not test thier back-up second reg) They must teach in, and expect one to do ALL thier dives in a shallow pool, or don't care what happens to them after the check is cashed,or about the poss of dive locations being closed as a result of what are IMO VERY preventable accidents. Also IMO anyone who's loved one is involved in one of these accidents should seek a Lawer's advice.(The inexperienced think they have gained necessary skills and get short cutted by someone who thinks because it never happed to them that it isn't poss. Yet most octos I see on regs tend to be less that friendly and less reliable,to keep price of reg down. That is why we sign up for the courses right? to learn from the accidents of the past and learn from these to make the sport safer??
Thats just my two cents

Brewone0to
Just Another Florida Diver
Dive Safe
Brian

I was taught BB when I took the PDIC OW. The LDS I work at part time is a PADI shop and teaches it as part of their OW class as well.
I was taught to give up your second and breathe off your octo, but since I use a SEA-CURE mouthpiece, that isn't possible anymore, so my longer hose is on my OCTO
Chris

 

[discrepancy]

YMCA class in 1974, required skill. Most of us had 1 reg on a J valve, No BC, No Octo, No SPG.

I've always been intruiged about how you dive with no BC. I know that's just how diving was before some bright spark invented the BC. But how on Earth do you handle the buoyancy problem at 35 metres and on the surface with no BC??!! :06:

Paul m

 

[TwoBitTxn]

I actually enjoyed the full gear exchange while buddy breathing in my DM course.

TwoBit

 

[ScubaSixString]

PADI certified about ten years ago and we did learn to Buddy Breathe. Octos were a standard part of the equipment used by all divers in the class. The skill was taught as a backup to octopus use.

Mark Vlahos

Second that. Octos were the norm (and have been in the us at least since the late 70s) Buddy breathing and ascending with your buddy on his/her octo were required.

I was PADI OW certified in 1995

 

[Dectek]

2001 SSI
Instructor said it was optional and we did not have to do it if I was afraid of AIDS. SSI was Not requiring it because too many folks were fearful.
When I told him I was not concerned of HIV by way of buddy breathing we did the exercises.