Yeah, I get that. What's acceptable in OW is often bad ju-ju in a cave. What's acceptable in a cave, is almost always fine in OW. I almost always dive like I'm in a cave. I don't know how else to put it.My point was that, as a recreational diver in open water, my buddy and the rest of the group are rarely right behind me where a simple head dip would allow me to locate them.
In a cave, I expect my buddy to have good light discipline. In OW, I expect my buddy to be close enough for me to hear their breathing. That's how I dive. I don't expect that of everyone. If we're going to be SOBs, then let's establish that before we splash. FWIW, I almost never follow the leader. Groups just aren't for me. I dive to explore, not to follow.
SOB = Same Ocean Buddy