Maltese court convicts dive buddy

[wetb4igetinthewater]

the prosecutor suggesting he was supposed to skip his mandatory-deco.

That prosecutor is a moron. Number one rule of rescuers is to not add to the number of victims.

When I was a ski patroller, if you went out of bounds, got hurt in the backcountry on a south facing slope on a sunny day after a massive storm went through, I wasn't going to come get you due to avalanche risk. You got yourself in there, get yourself out. If you want to pay for a helicopter to come get your stupid arse, I'll call for one.

 

[Celt]

Public safety diving (searching/recovery) is a completely different animal that recreational/technical diving. Buddy separation happens. Unless you think top tier GUE divers/instructors are inadequately trained or have bad buddy diving habits.

The world is not black and white.

Buddy separation is a mistake by one or more divers. The entire buddy or standby system depends on being able to monitor the diver 100% of the time. If that doesn't happen the system has failed.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Buddy separation is a mistake by one or more divers. The entire buddy or standby system depends on being able to monitor the diver 100% of the time. If that doesn't happen the system has failed.

That is not correct. Buddy separation can happen when both divers have simultaneous emergencies in challenging conditions (like high current). That's one case that I'm thinking about. Neither diver were inexperienced or low skilled (both had T2 and C2 ratings).

Unless you count getting into the water as a mistake.

By your definition, the system is broken by design as it is not reflective of reality.

 

[BoltSnap]

Buddy separation is a mistake by one or more divers. The entire buddy or standby system depends on being able to monitor the diver 100% of the time. If that doesn't happen the system has failed.

You are a very high maintenance buddy, I will never buddy up with somebody like you. I am not going to watch you, or anyone else, 100% of the time. That is just not what I dive for or want to do with buddies.

 

[Celt]

There's a massive difference from professional diving and a recreational dive.

If someone needs a buddy, find one. Don't rely on me. Especially for insta-buddy. I make it perfectly clear that I'm the world's worst buddy and they should find someone else.

To right, there's a lot less accidents in professional diving, not in a million years would a professional diver leave a mate to fend for themselves if they were having a bit of bother.

 

[Wibble]

In the case of Malta, most buddying will be of the insta-buddy variety. How on earth is a novice supposed to provide the level of attention and skill that this arbitrary ruling implies? As for experienced divers, just as in the Stephen Martin case, it's as if you've a judicial target painted on your back: someone must be blamed, so blame it on the most experienced, etc.

 

[L13]

Buddy separation is a mistake by one or more divers. The entire buddy or standby system depends on being able to monitor the diver 100% of the time. If that doesn't happen the system has failed.

You claim over 5000 dives. Are you also claiming that never in any of those dives did you fail to monitor your buddy 100% of the time? Never looked away to check anything else? Because if you did, by your standard, you should be prosecuted for attempted manslaughter.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

To right, there's a lot less accidents in professional diving, not in a million years would a professional diver leave a mate to fend for themselves if they were having a bit of bother.

Absolutely agreed! That's why this FB group Facebook is a result of delusion by all its members.

Question for you. What is the range from the descent point do commercial divers operate?

 

[Wibble]

To right, there's a lot less accidents in professional diving, not in a million years would a professional diver leave a mate to fend for themselves if they were having a bit of bother.

Absolutely. But the professional colleague is a very different animal to the loose "buddy" system of novice recreational divers.

 

[Celt]

That is not correct. Buddy separation can happen when both divers have simultaneous emergencies in challenging conditions (like high current). That's one case that I'm thinking about. Neither diver were inexperienced or low skilled (both had T2 and C2 ratings).

Unless you count getting into the water as a mistake.

By your definition, the system is broken by design as it is not reflective of reality.

Is the current going in two different directions why would that be a reason to lose sight of your buddy.