reefvagabond
Contributor
On my last dive I got paired up with a random buddy. He was slow to swim on the surface and had to rest a few times. Once under water he had some problems getting neutral and for some reason did not want to swim shoulder to shoulder; it was pretty obvious he was not that comfortable in the water yet. We ran into some very bad viz (less than 3 feet) and got separated. I looked around for 1 minute, couldn't find him, then surfaced and looked around. I waited for a while for my buddy but he didn't show up, worried I started swimming to shore to report a missing diver.
He finally popped up while I was swimming back. At that point I was already determined to end the dive. I signaled if he was OK, he replied he was OK. I tried waving him toward me but he refused to move for a while. Finally he decided to submerge, his reasoning was that it was easier than swimming under kelp and he claimed that my waiving him to me looked like a thumbs down. He was gone for a while again and I got concerned. I could not see him or bubbles so I started swimming to shore again to report a missing diver (ack!). He popped up again and I swam over toward him and asked if he was ok and that I was calling the dive. I told him I was concerned and that he should have surfaced sooner after losing his buddy. He agreed he wasn't ready for this dive yet and that it would be best to end the dive.
What could I have done better? Should I have swam toward him right away after he surfaced instead of asking him to swim towards me (and the shore)? I have about 20 dives and finished my advanced class about a month ago so I'm still pretty new.
He finally popped up while I was swimming back. At that point I was already determined to end the dive. I signaled if he was OK, he replied he was OK. I tried waving him toward me but he refused to move for a while. Finally he decided to submerge, his reasoning was that it was easier than swimming under kelp and he claimed that my waiving him to me looked like a thumbs down. He was gone for a while again and I got concerned. I could not see him or bubbles so I started swimming to shore again to report a missing diver (ack!). He popped up again and I swam over toward him and asked if he was ok and that I was calling the dive. I told him I was concerned and that he should have surfaced sooner after losing his buddy. He agreed he wasn't ready for this dive yet and that it would be best to end the dive.
What could I have done better? Should I have swam toward him right away after he surfaced instead of asking him to swim towards me (and the shore)? I have about 20 dives and finished my advanced class about a month ago so I'm still pretty new.