Odd Buddies?

[rakkis]

Laguna Beach city counsel. In the 70s sometime?

I'm fairly certain you can find it in the city's website. I've also seen the relevant sections in the lifeguard website.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Have you read it?

 

[scjoe]

It has been around for a long time and mirrors the recommendations of most of the certification agencies at the time of adoption. The rules (not the ordinance) are posted at the top of the stairs at Shaws, Crescent, etc. People complain about it from time to time, but the city is not going to change the rules. Laguna Beach is a rules oriented town. It is not just divers that have to deal with this.

 

[Mo2vation]

Friggen OCal...

OY!

---
Ken

 

[SeaWorthy]

OK... I just got a REEEEALLLY funny visual image of about 9 divers, moving across the sand, en masse towards the water, and being stopped by the Laguna Snorkle police.

SP: "Do you all have buddies, here?"

MASSE, droning in unison: "We are ALL buddies in Neptune's eyes".

SP: "No, I mean in pairs and triplets. So you can buddy-snorkle in case someone loses a snorkle in this crushing 2 foot surf."

MASSE, droning in tighter unison: "We are ALL buddies in Neptune's eyes".

SP: "Well... OK... ya'll just stay together now, ya hear??!?"


Thankfully, I've never heard of the beach constabulary ever challenging the number of buddies on a team... as long as it's at least 2.
There are valid reasons to limit teams to 2 or 3 people, but that's a whole 'nother discussion .

Dive joyfully,
Claudette

. I must admit, this is pretty funny Claudette.

Actually, there's a dive group in Orange County (South Coast Divers) that meets and dives every weekend. The diving is en mass, in group. It can be (but doesn't need to be) "all divers near me are my buddies" sort of thing while underwater; or a diver can buddy up with another beforehand. The latter is always preferrable.

Back to the subject of diving in 3; I've done it, but only on day dives. A trio dive takes some additional planning - who to lead, what formation to use, communication system (all at same time or sequentially), separation plan, who to respond first when one of the divers needs help, etc. Without this planning, it could get a little dicey if something unexpected happens, especially if the dive is a night dive.

 

[CompuDude]

Certain agencies actually recommend 3-diver teams as the preferred arrangement. But without training, 3 is indeed more difficult to manage than two.

I think the actual text of the Laguna regs is posted in the Solo divers forum somewhere.

 

[Sam Miller III]

It has been around for a long time and mirrors the recommendations of most of the certification agencies at the time of adoption. The rules (not the ordinance) are posted at the top of the stairs at Shaws, Crescent, etc...

_________________________________________________________________
How long is a long time?

What were the certification agencies that recommened the adoptation?

a rule in generally not inforceable. Ordinances are inforceable.

Do you have ANY history on the Rules/Ordinances?

Inquiring minds want to know....

And ASAP or PDQ, which ever is first,

SDM

 

[HBDiveGirl]

. I must admit, this is pretty funny Claudette.

I love cracking up fellow Aquarians... we're always half-way to a laugh anyway, and it just takes an unexpected nudge to send us flying.

Welcome to The Board, Loi.

Back to the subject of diving in 3; I've done it, but only on day dives. A trio dive takes some additional planning - who to lead, what formation to use, communication system (all at same time or sequentially), separation plan, who to respond first when one of the divers needs help, etc. Without this planning, it could get a little dicey if something unexpected happens, especially if the dive is a night dive.

Exactly. Now, imagine that I routinely form 3-diver teams, night and day, shallow and deep, with some of the Odd Buddies who have posted on this thread.

"...Some additional planning..." required??! OY!

I'm joking (...partly..:14:,) because we've all taken congruent advanced training this year (DIR/F) that explicitly teaches how to Team Dive, in two's or three's. I struggled for years to learn to do this. After the classes? Success everytime.

I'm still learning... but teams of 2 or 3 divers, who are ALL diving to stay found, are wonderful.

A team of 4?
Not at my skill level. :no

It would be two teams of 2, with the relationship between the teams clarified before touching the water. What's it going to be?

• Stay absolutely together with a single agreed-upon plan in case of separation?
• Equal resources on each team? (masks, SMBs, lights, etc.)
• Teams can separate based on gas supply?
• Teams staying together is Nice2Do, but not a GottaDo?
• Division of any treasure found? ("Who's the bugmeat tonight?")
• Whose got car keys so those that are first-out aren't stranded in the parking lot waiting for the other team to finally get their neoprened carcasses outta the sea and get the cars opened? :11: (..uh.. we're still working on that one. Sorry, Jim and Christian :shakehead . You guys were patient..thnx.)

Thanks to Bionerd for starting a thread with an Award Winning title: "Odd Buddies"... beautiful

Claudette

 

[mark99]

Well I looked it up for you:
(From Laguna Beach Municipal Code)
<<18.21.030 Hazardous skin diving and scuba diving--Discontinuance orders authorized.
(a) Hazard to Others or Self. No person shall participate in any skin diving or scuba diving activity at any time in the Pacific Ocean within the city in a manner that constitutes a hazard to any other person or to themselves.

(b) Authorized Order to Discontinue Skin Diving or Scuba Diving. The city manager, marine safety chief, police chief or their authorized designees, or any officer or employee designated by the city manager to enforce surfing regulations and control skin diving and scuba diving activities, may prohibit skin diving and scuba diving at any time diving conditions become hazardous as a result of storm, congestion of persons, lack of proper equipment (such equipment to include mask, fins, snorkel, buoyancy compensator and diving partner) or other conditions which cause a present danger to the persons skin diving or scuba diving or to others. No person shall fail, refuse or neglect to stop skin diving or scuba diving activities or to leave the water when ordered to do so by any such employee of the city. (Ord. 1369 § 7, 2000; Ord. 1157 § 1, 1988: Ord. 506 (part), 1962).>>

Good to know that you are lacking proper equipment if you forget your dive partner. This is the also the infamous section that mandates the snorkel. I think it's interesting to note that it appears the only remedy they have would be to prohibit your "hazardous diving" (i.e. tell you to stop diving and/or leave the water) if they saw you without the buddy or the snorkel-i.e. you wouldn't get a ticket.

This one might be of interest to Sam and other scuba instructors- make sure you clear your students out before 10 am in the summer!

18.21.050 Scuba and skin diving classes restricted to certain hours.
No person shall conduct any class of instruction in scuba diving or skin diving from June fifteenth to September fifteenth of any year, inclusive, before seven a.m. or after ten a.m. on any day on public beaches within the city. (Ord. 813 § 1, 1974: Ord. 506 (part), 1962).

 

[Sam Miller III]

Mark99.

All the way from Riverside! Thank you!

There must be more to it? What about the fines-penalities for violations?

Do they define Skin diving and Scuba diving? It is mentioned but not defined.

Thanks again,

sdm