Lets see what happens with this statement

[Gary D.]

Great observation.

"ANOTHER BINGO"

Take a look at most of the Dive Rescue/ Recovery or Dive Recovery units around the country. They are called "Teams". If one person is in the water it is still a team. If two, three, four or more are in the water they are not buddies, they are team mates and there is a big difference.

On the other extreame go to a SEAL Team and call them SEAL Buddies. Let me know how long it takes the doc to replace some of your rearranged body parts. They are a team.

Gary D.

 

[Rec Diver]

My thoughts as a newbie:
There is great irony in that the divers with the most experience, and who are best able to effect self-rescue, are usually the ones who take the most care in not becoming seperated from their dive partners.

The result of experience! With this additude and observation ability you are going to become a good diver.

 

[TSandM]

I am very new at this, and therefore speak perhaps where I should not, but I cannot help but contrast my last two dives in the light of the opening quotation.

A week ago, I dove with NW Grateful Diver. We dove shoulder-to-shoulder (as best I could maintain it) and could see each other, and one another's lights. As a result, there was no anxiety about the location of my buddy or my "responsibility" for him, and we had the leisure to look about us and see a great deal of sea life. It was certainly the best Puget Sound dive I have had thus far.

Yesterday, I dove with a novice diver, although under the supervision of Bob and Uncle Pug. Totally different experience. My buddy did not stay in my peripheral vision, but repeatedly turned away, so I had to look for him. At the same time, I was trying to keep the dive leader in sight as well. I could NOT stay in continuous contact with my buddy, because if I turned to look at the leader, when I turned back, my buddy wasn't there. He wasn't far, he just often was where I had to turn my head or change my position to see what he was doing.

The dive was stressful and anxious, and I didn't have the processing power to do any "sightseeing".

I'll take the rigorous attitude toward buddy diving any day. It's more relaxed, more reassuring, and at least for me, much more fun.

 

[Rick Inman]

I am very new at this, and therefore speak perhaps where I should not, but I cannot help but contrast my last two dives in the light of the opening quotation.

A week ago, I dove with NW Grateful Diver. We dove shoulder-to-shoulder (as best I could maintain it) and could see each other, and one another's lights. As a result, there was no anxiety about the location of my buddy or my "responsibility" for him, and we had the leisure to look about us and see a great deal of sea life. It was certainly the best Puget Sound dive I have had thus far.

Yesterday, I dove with a novice diver, although under the supervision of Bob and Uncle Pug. Totally different experience. My buddy did not stay in my peripheral vision, but repeatedly turned away, so I had to look for him. At the same time, I was trying to keep the dive leader in sight as well. I could NOT stay in continuous contact with my buddy, because if I turned to look at the leader, when I turned back, my buddy wasn't there. He wasn't far, he just often was where I had to turn my head or change my position to see what he was doing.

The dive was stressful and anxious, and I didn't have the processing power to do any "sightseeing".

I'll take the rigorous attitude toward buddy diving any day. It's more relaxed, more reassuring, and at least for me, much more fun.

Did a dive once with Uncle Pug some time back and followed a little behind him.

After the dive he gave me the what-fore.

He's really not very nice, you know...

 

[wedivebc]

The idea of "team diving" appeals to me far more than a buddy. When I read of explorations where one guy has the reel, one guy has the SMBs, another guy has something else, you are FAR more likely to be sure to keep an eye on each other, even if not primarly trained to do so.

When everyone has all gear to be self sufficient, and self-rescue, the impetus to keep tight reins on the other parties is lost, and it then becomes a matter of training.

.

When I drive my car I control the accellerator, the brake, the clutch and the steering wheel. I don't relegate those tasks to any of my passengers. When I dive I take the same approach. If I have a buddy with me, great. If not, that's OK too. I see alot less when I am constantly watching a buddy.

 

[del_mo]

Before opening up the board this evening, my "buddy" and I had a little discussion about what we have been doing wrong in this regard. It seems to fit this discussion since we just came off a vacation where we dived with DM's you led us on tours. What I found myself slipping into was the "team" mentality (someone somewhere is close enough if I need assistance). NOT paying attention to my buddy anywhere near what I should have been. While at the time this extra freedom was very enjoyable, in hindsight it now scares me to have been so foolish as to NOT realize the possible consequences.

My buddy and I have decided team or no team diving, we WILL be buddies and watch each other even if it takes a little away from the freedom.

 

[PerroneFord]

When I drive my car I control the accellerator, the brake, the clutch and the steering wheel. I don't relegate those tasks to any of my passengers. When I dive I take the same approach. If I have a buddy with me, great. If not, that's OK too. I see alot less when I am constantly watching a buddy.

Quite true, but a couple of thoughts:

1. if you dive as a partner team, you needn't be worried at all about your buddy performing any underwater tasks. It's implied. And you don't have to constantly watch him/her if they are where they are supposed to be.

2. I've watched some of the best drivers in the world put themseves into spins, hit walls, other cars, etc. The difference between you on the road, and them on the track was the stress level due to the imposed demands. I can assure you that if you tried to drive your car at 200mph, in traffic, and under pressures of time, you might well feel relieved to have some assistance when things went wrong (flat tire, transmission failure, etc.

3. I am all for self rescue and self sufficiency. I suspect the great majority of the worlds best divers of today have a similar attitude. However, and this is simply a guess, I'd be willing to wager that any of them would be VERY glad to have a few other top notch divers along for the dive, and some quality support guys around should the brown stuff meet the spinnnig thing.


When you are tooling around in 60ft of water, inside NDL, with a bright sky above you, the idea of "needing a buddy" is perhaps overstated. When you are squeezing along a cave 200ft down and half a mile in, the idea of having your buddy BS'ing around down a passage somewhere out of visible and audible contact is far less appealing. At least to the rational diver.

In short, I view a buddy, not as a passenger as you alluded to in your metaphor, but rather as a co-driver with equal responsibilities, and an equal share of the risk.

 

[matt_unique]

Be prepared to manage your own challenges as a solo diver to become the best buddy should you have one. It is folly to *rely* on others for such an activity. A competant buddy or a team should be just a bonus and not a requisite for your own safety.

--Matt

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Be prepared to manage your own challenges as a solo diver to become the best buddy should you have one. It is folly to *rely* on others for such an activity. A competant buddy or a team should be just a bonus and not a requisite for your own safety.

--Matt

I think you just answered your own question ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[in_cavediver]

I think this description of two modes of diving communication is right on the money and I feel it would have been good to hear such a clear presentation in my basic training.

The continuous communication mode is obviously the most desirable especially under any less-than-optimum conditions But many divers (especially some teenagers I know) will dive in "buddy-checking" mode most all the time if you let them.

On the other hand, I feel that there are conditions under which "checking mode" is not really as bad as it sounds (shallow dive , good vis, no current, experienced divers, etc).

Buddy checking is most certainly is the mode you'll find youself in when an operator takes you on a guided dive as a "group" without specific buddy assignments.

I am interested in a previous post referencing the idea of "team" diving as opposed to "buddy" diving. Isn't a "team" (like the dive "group" mentioned above) more likely than a buddy pair to not notice one missing or otherwise fail to communicate continuously between all members?

I'll go out on a limb and say this. The concept of just checking in with your buddy is not nearly the evil its made out to be. I dive that way A LOT. It just so happens that all of the dive buddies/team I dive with are equipped to be self reliant for almost every failure mode. With that, we don't find it truly neccessary to be in "constant" communication.