My predicament?

[waterpirate]

Well I have managed to get myself in a situation that I may regret, but I hope not. My crew of local solo divers are slowly deteriorating and I fear extinction is near. This prompted me to seek out a local dive club that keeps a low profile, to meet new people and keep diving.
I spoke to the president of the club and found out that I need a sponsor to join, That there is a required 2 dive audition of your skills if you will, and that buddy diving is mandatory.
Well I have not dove with a buddy in? I am going to use the usual cert agencies for the low end of the proccess, and am hear to get info on the high end of the team/buddy concept.
Will you provide me with an overview, as I am not sure what my audition will entail. I have faith in my skills, but no buddy skills. I plan on telling my evaluator up front pre-dive, but knowledge before hand may get me the secret handshake.
Eric

 

[TSandM]

waterpirate, I think you really want to ask this question in the General Scuba forum.

DIR diving is TEAM diving. This not only includes high situational awareness (keeping track of one another, diving in positions where you can easily remain seen, using high intensity lights for continuous passive communication, etc.) but includes assumptions about resource allocation (planning gas supplies with the assumption that your spare gas is on your buddy's (or buddies') back. The team dives the same mix, plans bottom time and deco the same way . . . It's WAY more than simple buddy skills.

Although I do not understand why a solo diver cares if other solo divers stop diving, or diving solo, I think you can get by a normal diving audition simply by doing a pre-dive buddy check and "diving to stay found", as HBDiveGirl would put it -- In other words, staying within visual contact of your buddy.

You might also want to practice air-sharing . . . Dunno if a club would require that you do that, but it IS one of the major things buddies can do for one another.

 

[captain]

His situation sounds like the same ocean buddy diving common with spearos and photographers. You jump in together and may or may not surface together. In between everyone is on their own going in different directions. Maybe their buddy requirement is not that strick. Is it a spearo club?

 

[David P]

hmm if you solo dive... why do you care if your crew of divers dies off? You dive solo not with them....

 

[rakkis]

I don't really do the whole solo diving thing, but why does it matter if there are no local buddies? I thought the whole point of diving solo was to dive solo???

 

[Vayu]

Buddy skills include but are not limited to:

1. Pre-dive planning and discussion. This includes a review with your buddy about the site conditions, transportation to the site, depth, meet times, dive times, and gas that will be used for the dive. This should happen before the day of the dive.

2. Pre-dive gear check. Check out your buddies gear and make sure everything is good. Don't dive with a buddy that has equipment you would not be comfortable diving with. Make sure their gas is on before getting in the water.

3. In water buddy checks. Ask your buddy if they are feeling alright for the dive. Then check their bubbles in the water. You want them to submerge just a little and you will check their spg, regulators, hoses, bcd, and tank for any bubbles that shouldn't be there. Then they do the same to you.

4. Surface or in water air share drill. This can be as complicated as you like or as easy as you prefer. Since most of us in this forum use a long hose as our primary regulator which we donate in an out of air situation, we check the longhose and make sure it is routed properly. I like to show my buddy I can deploy it on the surface of the water and then put it back. Some people prefer to do a complete air share drill as soon as you go under. Both are good ways to make sure your dive will go well in case of an out of air situation.

5. In the water pay attention to your buddy. If you are diving with lights use light communication. Otherwise I would say don't get more than 10' apart and give a few ok signals here and there. An OK signal must be returned with an OK signal. A STOP signal must be returned with a STOP signal. These are command signals and include the ascent signal as well.

6. Ascend as a team which means if someone thumbs the dive you thumb back and go up while completing the stops you talked about before the dive. This could be just a safety stop or it could be deeper stops as well.
A thumbs up cannot be followed with a question or an argument. It is final and is every buddies right to call a dive at any time for any reason. This is the golden rule.

7. Hang out on the surface for a minute with your buddy and ask how they are feeling. Then tell them they look good or alternately ask them why they pulled some stunt underwater. Then do your surface interval. Share some food with your buddy if you have extra. Rinse, repeat.


Hope this helps,

-V

 

[ArcticDiver]

Well I have managed to get myself in a situation that I may regret, but I hope not. My crew of local solo divers are slowly deteriorating and I fear extinction is near. This prompted me to seek out a local dive club that keeps a low profile, to meet new people and keep diving.
I spoke to the president of the club and found out that I need a sponsor to join, That there is a required 2 dive audition of your skills if you will, and that buddy diving is mandatory.
Well I have not dove with a buddy in? I am going to use the usual cert agencies for the low end of the proccess, and am hear to get info on the high end of the team/buddy concept.
Will you provide me with an overview, as I am not sure what my audition will entail. I have faith in my skills, but no buddy skills. I plan on telling my evaluator up front pre-dive, but knowledge before hand may get me the secret handshake.
Eric

I am thoroughly confused by your question.

Why is this a DIR question? Is the group a DIR group? If so, I have never found any DIR diver to be the least bit reluctant to answer any question. In fact, people who claim to be DIR divers are about the most evangelical about DIR as one can be.

If this is not DIR oriented, then TS&M's advise is right on.

In any case; it is their club. If you want to join you have to follow their rules. If you want to know the rules ask them. If you don't like the rules then don't join. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff.