Is it okay to be a quasi-solo diver in certain situations?

[Bob DBF]

I personally think anyone that dives without a buddy is insane.

Lucky guess.

However, as prepared as you are, you are making the assumptions that:

1. You'll be able to make any decision at all (think black-outs, sudden strokes, etc)
2. You can make a good decision in various conditions (aspirated a bunch of seawater, caught a strong or downcurrent, have catastrophic gear failure that's not redundant such as BCD failure).

You are making the assumption that a buddy could help, and that, depending on the circumstances, your buddy would even notice your problem in time to be of any assistance. Just because you have a buddy does not mean that they have the skills to be of any assistance, other than mugging them for their air, if they have any air and have not wandered off.

This is an activity where your life is literally on the line if something goes wrong. Why gamble?

Over the years I have found that if your life is on the line diving, you are diving way past your limits or have an extreme specialty.

I've had absolutely horrible experience with insta-buddies, so I understand your pain, but someone is better than no one.

Get some more dives in, you might revise your theory.


I am not against buddy diving, over the years I have had several excellent buddies but it took time to develop a good relationship in the water. I don't complain about bad insta-buddys because I don't expect much, and usually solo when not with one of my regular buddys.
A couple of my regular buddys were insta-buddys that worked out a lot better than I, or them, expected.


Bob

 

[lermontov]

Especially if you can swim faster than your buddy.

more divers in the water increases your odds that it wont be you that gets eaten!

 

[admikar]

have catastrophic gear failure that's not redundant such as BCD failure).

Why don't dive with redundancy? Lift bag, DSMB, drysuit? Besides, search for threads here, look for balanced rig, it might be an eye opener.

 

[TMHeimer]

Bob's point about a buddy maybe not having the skills to help you, I think, is something not emphasized enough in OW courses. When I was assisting courses I would advise students to try to buddy with someone who has Rescue Cert., or at least more experience than themselves-- as opposed to two new OW divers buddying. Also gets around to another topic about at least some of the most important rescue skills being added to the OW course (as I've heard use to be the case). Make sense?

 

[Rred]

" I always figured that two "solo" divers diving together was the best of both worlds."
Kudos, Stoo!
Best way that I have ever heard it said.

There is worrisome talk going around, at DAN and at dive shops, about the trend for the estate of dead divers to sue anyone who might have been responsible including the poor idiot who got tagged "buddy" off some boat dive. Which is making some divers look more toward diving solo, which in turn requires a "self reliant diver" certification and waiver forms to make some organizations and operators happy to allow it. So there's a sadly real value in taking the course, if only because then you can show the paperwork and keep the operators happy when you want to dive solo.

An old buddy and I often used to split up, intentionally, on dives. We'd just agree to meet back in a certain place at a certain time, and no one questioned anything if they saw you enter and exit the water as a team. What happened in between...was our decision.

 

[TMHeimer]

Yes, estates (and others) suing some diver tagged "Buddy" has always been a question in my mind. There have been many discussions about instructors/DMs on vacation and being worried that they will be "held to a higher standard of care" as a buddy (or in any rescue situation) compared to say an OW diver. So, what then is the "normal" standard of care for the non-pro? Or, IS there even one if you "agree" to be a buddy (as with either a friend you regularly dive with, or an instabuddy assigned to you by the crew because that's just the way it worked out)? Anyone aware of lawsuits that have occurred?

 

[Rred]

I can't cite lawsuits for you, but distinctly remember reading about several of them. From what I recall, they all seemed like "victim failed to exercise normal safety practice and failed to take advantage of normal redundant equipment" incidents. Like, a shallow water drowning where the victim had all their weight still on.

But that's also part of the job of any rabid, ergh, competent attorney. If they do not attack every possible plaintiff, then they can be accused of malpractice for failing to go over someone, however unlikely, that might have been responsible.

I just don't want to know about these entanglements. Used to be, if you saw someone with a dead battery, you cold give them a jump. These days? With all the electronics that can blow in a car, and folks so eager to sue? Hell, I'm about ready to make up a liability waiver that says "I understand that xxx may be diving with me, but have expressly agreed and contracted that xxx is not my "dive buddy" and is in no way responsible for any of my actions or failures to act on this day or any other day and instruct my estate and assignees to hold xxx harmless for any actions including my death that may result while he is near me in any capacity."

WTF, everyone else wants a superman suit...why shouldn't I?

And we won't even mention the casual way so many boat operators in warm waters conduct drift dives--running their props while divers are in the water. Whatever happened to securing the engine keys until AFTER everyone was out of the water and accounted for?

 

[PfcAJ]

It just takes a LITTLE discipline for two people to stick together and boom your resources are doubled.

It's really not that hard.

 

[TMHeimer]

It just takes a LITTLE discipline for two people to stick together and boom your resources are doubled.

It's really not that hard.

Well, maybe. Depends on a number of things, in particular visibility--like 3 feet and not 30. Of course you can also use a line if it's so bad. I know what you mean by "LITTLE". Get a formation that makes sense and always be very---very close. Seems easy to me as well. But again, not as easy in 5 foot viz.

Rred, Really like your anti-buddy suit form idea!

 

[ls1dreams]

Wow...I've never thought about the potential legal liabilities of a buddy. That is kinda scary.