Is it my dive buddies or just me overreacting?

[Mark_J]

The Cayman Islands are little more than the tip of a 6000 foot mountain, some of the walls drop off several thousand feet. These walls are not the best choice for new divers without close experienced supervision.

That said kjunheart, you did very well to keep your wits and not take chances despite the fact you were saddled with new/careless divers. Don't rush the deep stuff, it's really not all that spectacular. Take your time and enjoy your dives, if you get paired up with someone you're not comfortable with, refuse to dive with them. If you're headed back to the Caymans anytime soon, let me know I'd be more than happy to dive with you...

 

[EvaL]

I second Diver0001's question - did you communicate on max depth prior to the dive? If it's a regular buddy, I think you both should work on communication and stress to him/her the importance of sticking to pre-agreed max depths. Also, it might help to get a tank banger to get your buddy's attention, and work on handsigns for numbers (for depth) and for leveling-off, going up etc. It is especially important when you're on nitrox (oxygen toxicity can be fatal at depth). I guess you can attribute it to bad luck for being assigned to depth-UNconcious buddies. Hopefully, by clarifying with the DM in the presence of that dive buddy can help remind everyone else what the max depth is and reinforce the rule that they stick to it.
Dive safely.

 

[Melicertes]

If you have agreed on a dive plan, you are not obligated to follow a buddy who blows the plan and heads down too deep, especially when you have an EAN MOD issue.

Yep, I agree with ReefHound, be sure to discuss your dive plan clearly and specifically properly with your dive buddy/ies before going on the dive. Be careful of thinking that having a last minute mention of your limits would be sufficient for them to hear what you are saying - some divers are so psyched out for the upcoming dive all have going on in their mind is "Gimme the bubbles! Gimme the bubbles!" and not "I'm diving EAN36% which means that at 105 ft my O2 partial pressure will be at around 1.512 so don't expect me to come hauling your mug back up to the planned 90ft if you go that deep." Especially when diving with a known "newbie" make it clear why you are planning a particular dive profile: my O2pp limit is at X feet so I will stick to X-9feet; I expect my gas usage at X feet to be Y which will give me Z minutes time at that depth for the dive in order to make sure that I have enough gas left for a comfortable and safe ascent as well as to make provision for any possible emergencies that might arise etc... - maybe they just didn't realize that with diving, and espcecially when starting to dive different gas mixes, that depth is that serious a factor to consider.

That said, if it does happen that you have an uncontrolled/ignorant/oblivious buddy descent, be mindful that your first and foremost responsibility is to your own personal safety first. At 105 ft you can still push that 1.6ATA oxtox limit to get your buddy back up to your planned depth but don't think that you have no choice but to chance oxtox if your buddy is violating the dive planning you both discussed and agreed to. They are as responsible for their own conduct as you are for yours.

I guess the short answer to your question is: communicate properly and clearly and then realize that ppl will either respect your safety limits as a responsible diver or they won't. If they don't - do what you can to make sure you both remain safe but always look out for your own safety first.

 

[pupdiver]

Assuming that pre-dive communication was good, these buddies are totally in the wrong. Dive the plan. I don't think there is ever a need to adjust the plan to go deeper than you planned. If there is something deeper that you wanted to see, you should know that when you are planning. One thing that might help you is communication underwater. I second EvaL's suggestion to get a tank banger or something. You should be able to get them to look at their SPG before they are 25 feet over the agreed-upon depth. If they refuse to come up, then I guess you know how much you can count on them being there for you in an emergency.

I have to say, I haven't had a problem even when buddied with random strangers. If these are people you know, then maybe you need to evaluate how mature they are before diving with them. In any case, if they behave like this, I would never have a second dive with them.

 

[donnad]

lots of great advice given here. i tell you what.........i've been diving now just under three years, and I CHECK MY GUAGE! (and/or computer as the case may be) i have a hard time understand people diving and not paying attention to their depth!!! regardless of what amazing creature comes along or whatever the deal is!! and when i'm diving deep, I AM WATCHING MY DEPTH AND AM WATCHING MY NDL like a hawk.........i plan on definitely NOT turning a recreational dive into a deco dive. anyway, just venting........i try to be careful, and always pay attention to what i am doing.......so i have a hard time with wreckless people. you are not overreacting!!! i would not be a happy camper either in those situations. dive safe!

 

[Bigcape]

You know, deco dives are fun WHEN YOU PLAN THEM.

You have a MOd issue. At 1.6ata your MOD was 113fsw. I am sure you were mostly pissed off that your buddy had no "lookin'out" for you on his mind when you were 6feet away from the fear of the possibility number!

Dive plans change all the time. However my buddies and I have a hand signal (both palms up) that when we get to our planned depth or distance we check and see if we want to change at that point.

Sounds like your buddies might have started narcing somewhere right after they broke the surface!!

Get new ones or be stern.

 

[Grounded]

I am one of those nefarious NON-planners. If I were diving with you and you said "let's go to 90 and check stuff out," I'd take it as general guide line that meant anything from 80 to 110 or so.

If however, you said "I can't go below 90 because [fill in the blank]" I'd take it as an absolute floor.

I don't speak for all lazy divers, only myself. But it would make a big difference to me if you distinguished between a "hard" and "soft" plan before we got wet.

As an aside, I do always discuss gasses with strange dive buddies ("I'm diving air today- is that going to cause a problem for you on this dive?"). Oddly, I only dive air, but generally have to coax a depth/bottom time discussion out of the nitrox divers.

 

[looped]

My nephew and I are planning on getting cert'd and being dive buddies. We've already had the talks about 'diving the plan' even though we're not even started in certification yet . We've both made it very clear to each other, that neither of us will EVER question the other if they need to call the dive, will promise to call the dive if something 'just doesnt seem right', and above all, stick to the plan.

I agree with others, sounds like you've just had some BBL, bad buddy luck.

On the 1st one, the DM, well you really didnt get to choose that one, but 2 and 3 sounds like regular buddies / friends. I think I'd have to have a sit down heart to heart with them. IMO, unless they were having other issues, 90' means 90'.

 

[kidspot]

Sounds like everyone else has had some good advice for you - I'd add that with some of your buddies it's very possible that their bouyancy control is lacking and they don't even realize they are dropping below the agreed upon plan ... this is not an excuse, but rather consider if that is the case (or they just don't pay attention ... ) that deeper dives (below 60fsw) may be a bad idea until they show they are able to "pay attention" ... in other words, if any of these buddies are regular dive buddies, is this an experience issue or a maturity issue?

Personally, when I am unsure of a buddies ability to maintain depth I prefer to choose a site with a hard bottom within my "comfort" range with them (usually shallower than 40fsw)

One of the nice things about diving with a buddy you can trust to stick to the plan, is you then can begin to mutually change the plan "on the fly" with good communication... Flexibility demands confidence imho.

Aloha, Tim

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I am one of those nefarious NON-planners. If I were diving with you and you said "let's go to 90 and check stuff out," I'd take it as general guide line that meant anything from 80 to 110 or so.


I don't speak for all lazy divers, only myself. But it would make a big difference to me if you distinguished between a "hard" and "soft" plan before we got wet.

As an aside, I do always discuss gasses with strange dive buddies ("I'm diving air today- is that going to cause a problem for you on this dive?"). Oddly, I only dive air, but generally have to coax a depth/bottom time discussion out of the nitrox divers.

That's the problem, using air you can be a sloppy diver on the wall, but with nitrox you CAN NOT. Air is much more forgiving to dumb people that just barely follow their computer. I like nitrox.