Error Losing Your Group - Lessons to be Learned

[johndiver999]

I find the story kind of ridiculous. The OP is not diving with buddies. He goes off by himself and leaves everyone for 3 minutes. If he is going to do this stuff - that is FINE. Then he is diving solo and he should take responsibility for himself. If he separates from the group - FINE. If I were the DM, it would not worry me in the least. If he takes off and dies alone.. well we will probably find him sooner or later. His choice to bail on the group.

The guy deliberately went off by himself. In my view, he is reckless, no buddy and no redundant air in over 100 feet or something. But again that is FINE - He has enough dives, almost surely has seen people die while diving (with all that experience) and chooses to not dive in close proximity to a buddy who could assist him nor carry redundant air. Those are his choices, they are not mistakes; those are predetermined decisions. Are we to view them as mistakes only when it bites him in the Azz?

I dive with a similar mindset with many buddies. We hang out together, watch for problems and will assist in any way we can BUT... if we get separated, we are now diving solo and I am not wasting time looking for the other guy and I expect the same from him (Same Ocean Buddies). Most of the people I dive with have redundant air supply, which I think is an important distinction. This kind of diving is fine, as long as everyone has the same expectations.

The problem with the OP's scenario is that he seems to want it both ways. He apparently wants a buddy to watch him and help him (when he has a heart attack) but clearly does not make a serious effort to remain in contact with the group (in fact he had no buddy) - just a group he was diving with. He claims to have messed up on this particular dive, but it seems to me that the entire mindset is very flawed and illogical.

When I dive with a "buddy" and we agree to stay together for the entire dive - then that is EXACTLY what I will do; on 99% of my dives (can't say I am always perfect). I will wait for them, look for them, try to swim after them etc. because that is what buddy diving is.

The OP's story is useful in that it points directly to a very weak concept of what is acceptable buddy diving.
For me we are one of the following:

• Buddies
• Same Ocean Buddies
• Completely solo and I aint gonna pay hardly any attention to you

Pick one of the three and everyone should be happy. Blur the lines and the situation is indefensible in my mind.

 

[Ken Kurtis]

I would think it behooves the photog to get someone's attention in the group (preferably the guide's) and give them the universal photo signal and an OK confirmation, before stopping to get their shot.

I'm guessing you're not a photog. I average about 150 shots/dive. Although it may seem like good advice, not practical on an actual dive.

 

[Ken Kurtis]

Hi @Ken Kurtis

I'm surprised that your group was able to get so far back toward the stern in 3 min that you were not able to spot them.

I'm guessing that they might have been visible behind me if I had looked that way when I came out from under the bow. But I thought they had moved ahead to the reef - since that's the general direction we were headed - and looked/moved in that direction. So maybe had I initially turned around and done a 360, I wouldn't have had this story to tell.

 

[Ken Kurtis]

I find the story kind of ridiculous.

Interestingly, I find your replies rather ridiculous John. You are assuming many facts not in evidence - let alone dancing on the edges of character assassination which goes against the rules of this forum - and reaching conclusions that seem to be based not on what actually happened but on your preconceived notions.

I posted this because I thought it provides some good lessons on lots of levels for divers of all stripes. I hope it causes some people to think and maybe even learn. And I'm happy to continue to answer questions. But not from you, John. It seems to be a waste of time and bandwidth.

 

[Ukmc]

Ken,
Thank you for posting. It is a good write up. Everything was done by the book and you were safe at all times. The only deviation, which you just mentioned was a “lost buddy procedure”. This should have been covered in the briefing. Do your 360 or 360 x2 and then go to safety stop , +/- deploy DSMB and then surface.
Many learning points. Btw, I like my camera and have been in exact situations like yours, so definitely a relatable experience.

 

[scubadada]

I'm guessing that they might have been visible behind me if I had looked that way when I came out from under the bow. But I thought they had moved ahead to the reef - since that's the general direction we were headed - and looked/moved in that direction. So maybe had I initially turned around and done a 360, I wouldn't have had this story to tell.

Yes, when we did that wreck, we finished with a very nice dive on the reef

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

I'm guessing that they might have been visible behind me if I had looked that way when I came out from under the bow. But I thought they had moved ahead to the reef - since that's the general direction we were headed - and looked/moved in that direction. So maybe had I initially turned around and done a 360, I wouldn't have had this story to tell.

All of that sounds great when diving in the visibility conditions that you describe for this event.

 

[shoredivr]

Which wouldn't have made a difference if I'd had a heart attack. And you can exhaust the redundant air supply as well if the situation was that I was stuck in the wreck.

Neither of those reasons sway me towards not diving with a slung redundant tank when solo diving.

 

[johndiver999]

Ken,
Thank you for posting. It is a good write up. Everything was done by the book and you were safe at all times. The only deviation, which you just mentioned was a “lost buddy procedure”. This should have been covered in the briefing. Do your 360 or 360 x2 and then go to safety stop , +/- deploy DSMB and then surface.
Many learning points. Btw, I like my camera and have been in exact situations like yours, so definitely a relatable experience.

How do you define safe? He was 100 and some feet deep, had no redundancy, and was not within 100 ft or so of a buddy and didn't even know which way to swim/look for his team? What "book" are you referring to? Seriously, what book?

I have zero problem with people diving like this, but it does not seem to optimizing the potential safety advantages of a buddy.

 

[Ukmc]

Well, John. Open Water Manual. Go to lost buddy procedure.
It does not appear that he “was diving like that”. He realized he separated from his buddy (which really was not clearly assigned, but it should have been). He looked around. Realized it was not safe to continue the dive . Ascended in controlled fashion. Saw the DM and rejoined him to go to the surface. He followed the procedure. Would it have been better to have redundant air - sure. But not necessary for a recreational diver…
How would you approach this differently or more importantly, how would you instruct a typical recreational diver with a single backmounted AL80 in situation where all of a sudden he separated from the buddy?