Knew it would happen eventually

[RikRaeder]

Rather than making sure the IB follows me, I follow them; at least initially. If I lose them, it's MY fault. I try to communicate if I want to stop and look at something, etc. but I follow them. If they seem to be uncertain or having problems in the water, I politely suggest that perhaps they should follow ME next time (and in one recent case suggested so during the dive and was eagerly agreed with). If seperated during the dive (hasn't happened YET) I'd follow the seperation procedure (as discussed with buddy or as outlined by the guide as the case may be). If a seperated buddy fails to follow the protocol, it's on them, not me.

 

[drbill]

I rarely dive with insta-buddies, and only if they are divers I have some knowledge of at least through the boards.

My last one, a comely lass, left me as I was filming something. I saw her reflection in my port, filmed for about 20 seconds, turned around and she was nowhere to be seen! I looked for her for about a minute, surfaced to see if I could see her, returned to the bottom to see if I could find her (fearing an accident). When I got back in to shore 20 minutes later, she was already dressed and walking off to have drinks with some guy she had just met.

I read her the riot act and asked why she left me without any communication. She replied "I knew you would be fine." I rather pointedly said "But I didn't know if you were... I've been looking for your body."

 

[Herk_Man]

Wow how could someone get on a boat without a dive buddy and then when given a buddy that apparently could care less about diving with them get on Scuba board and whine about losing that buddy. You want to point out that the Insta-buddy did not adhere to training. what about you where was your responsibility in this dive. what was your plan. plan your dive dive your plan.
PADI, NAUI,SSI TDI,NSS,ect and ect. this is a building block of all agency standards. yet you Whine that the other guy was wrong. Why did you go without a buddy? If no one wants to go with you self examination is in order. If now one had time to go with you your in to much of a hurry. Insta buddys are divers to or they would not be there diving. I got hooked up with a guy from spain on a live aboard that started drinking at noon and still made 3 more dives a day. He is a diver and i am a diver. he is still alive im still alive.

If diving is to much for you and you hve got to have someone hold your hand Quit
no one will think less of you.

No no no no no. If you are on the dive boat and plan to dive solo, then state that and don't take on a buddy. If you agree to buddy up, that other person is DEPENDING on you for certain life-saving options to dive emergencies. Leaving them is basically reckless endangerment.

Someone who dives with a buddy probably does not have backup air options available if they become solo.

What that other diver did was selfish and dangerous. You, in my opinion, are no better.

 

[Herk_Man]

more people should snorkel
Diveing is to much for some

Apparently spelling is difficult as well. :shocked2:

 

[Herk_Man]

Thanks Jax: Actually, I wasn't that stressed out about my, all of a sudden, solo situation. I'm getting pretty comfortable in the water and comfortable with my abilities. We weren't very deep. I was concerned about him though, that's what was stressing me out, just not knowing what had happened to him.

And that's another huge issue here. When he just off and left you, do you think he even stopped to consider the panic you might have dealt with over wondering if he was in trouble? Anyone that has become separated and has to do the 1 minute search and then surface drill, knows the nagging fears lurking in the back of the mind that only clear when the missing buddy appears.

So inconsiderate on so many levels.

 

[Herk_Man]

LMAO I defended the Insta-Buddy and im the bad guy but then sometimes I forget I dive for a living not for a vacation. I like this board its entertaining to say the least. the dive could have went like this and be posted somewhere else by the Insta-buddy
(insta-buddy)
I was on vacation last week and I got stuck with this newbie. The boat cap would not let me go solo and I was tired of baby sitting. the guy was a pretty good diver and i could see he wouldnt hurt himself so I ditched him and enjoyed my last dive of the trip.

Not the right thing to do but he is not here to defend himself. The Op could be right but some of you are only proping up the OP. If the OP was truly concerned that some peril had come to insta-buddy then a search and rescue should have begun way before 20 mins have passed.
The title to the thread is I knew it would happen. I would have found that guy before I let him stay underwater by himself for over 20 mins If i was concerned for his well being.

I have certified over 500 divers and have never lost one yet. I don't teach just anyone I don't have to. If I don't think you'll be a good diver I pass. I get paid to dive so mabey I see it in a different light.

I will continue to dive and i enjoy teaching scuba. if you ever get to dive with one of my students
You can be assured that they will be able to take care of you and themselves.
I don't certify divers that would not be a good dive buddy to my son.

So let me paraphrase, "I am a self-centered moron." Ya, I think that does it.

 

[Herk_Man]

I completely empathise with the OPs situation. Several years ago, I was buddied up with a guy from work on a two tank dive out of Riviera Beach, FL. We dived the Mitzpa on the first dive and made a float dive on the second. We discussed our dive plan before we made the first dive. When I entered the water directly behing him, the last I saw of him was his fins as he kicked to the wreck. I followed him, thinking I could keep up, but he never looked back for an ok sign nor did he ever look for me. I had seen him enter the wreck (the Mitzpa can be penetrated safely, or it could back then) so I followed. I never found him in the wreck so I exited, looked around the wreck for a bit and then went back up the line, made my safety stops and got back on the boat with 1500 lbs still in my tank. I was ticked off. When he got back on the boat (tanks near zero lbs), we had a long discussion. Since the next dive was a float dive (most people incorrectly call this a drift dive) and we were going with a group of 6, I thought things would be better. Nope, he hit the water kicking like a fool and we came up on him in about 20 minutes. He was kneeling on the bottom, and he showed me his guage, he had 500 lbs left. I took him to the float line and showed him the way to the surface. I finished my dive. And I never dived with him as a buddy again. Turns out no one wanted to be his buddy. Wonder why? So, the one choice on your poll, "Let the idiot go.", wasn't there. I couldn't vote.

I'm amazed you went on the second dive with him. Way more tolerant than I would be.

 

[chokdeekap]

I dive with a mate who I have dived with for around five years , we are both photographers, we are always losing each other but we both carry pony’s. if I do get buddy up with a instant buddy I tell them straight if you get lost surface or dive on your own do not surface and Waite for me I will be up when my dive is over

 

[Herk_Man]

I dive with a mate who I have dived with for around five years , we are both photographers, we are always losing each other but we both carry pony’s. if I do get buddy up with a instant buddy I tell them straight if you get lost surface or dive on your own do not surface and Waite for me I will be up when my dive is over

That is certainly "a plan" and if you both agree to it, then no problem. Certainly very different than SF's approach.

But what if your insta-buddy says, "Actually, I'd prefer if you looked around a bit for me if you can't find me?" What is your response to that?

 

[boulderjohn]

Given the number and nature of the comments posted by a certain individual, I feel confident in saying that you likely won't have the mods bugging you if you put him in his place. He really has it coming to him and I'm sure every sane individual agrees - mods included.

I am not a mod, but I do hang out with them in my role as a guide. I think some people might find the following information useful.

Mods almost never act on a thread or post unless it is reported by someone using the button on the left side of the post. That report leads to a discussion. In some cases the action needed is so clear cut that no discussion is needed and action is taken immediately. An example is when someone comes on the Basic Scuba forum and asks a question about finding buddies in Florida--a report of this will get the thread immediately moved to the Florida forum so that the OP will get a better response.

No one has reported anything from this thread.

Sometimes mods will report posts themselves so that the correct action can be discussed. This is the sort of thing that can happen in a forum like this. Posts in both the New Divers and Basic Scuba forums have been moderated when they have advocated dangerous practices that could mislead new divers into doing something potentially harmful to themselves. Several mods have participated in this thread and have neither reported nor acted. I think the reason is obvious. Although dangerous practices have been advocated, the response has been so overwhelming in opposition to that point of view that there is no danger that a new diver could be misled by that advice. Quite the contrary--if anything a new diver will have the safe diving practices taught in his or her instruction (apparently depending upon the instructor, amazingly enough) thoroughly reinforced through this discussion.

IMO, the less a thread is moderated the better. In this case, the participants did a good job of providing their own moderation, and things took care of themselves nicely.