On Your Own: The Buddy System Rebutted By Bob Halstead

[NAUI Wowie]

Unless things changed on this board, only people that want to talk about solo diver will see these posts, so the casual divers doesn't accidentally read.

However the newbie that looks around and notices that diving with an insta-buddy is for the birds, can find alternatives. This person actively looking for other ways can come here and see what others do. Some solo with full redundancy down to an extra hoodie , others solo all the time within rec limits, others do something else.

I'm not going to worry about a person reading stuff in the internet, there's people posting about the consumption of tide pods.

No, all active threads show on the right side of the forum. Thats how I and most people find these threads. I never look in solo diving. I read whats currently being talked about. EVERY new diver or person thinking of becoming a diver can and may read this thread.

do you know about that facet of this website? Its called " Latest Discussions" and is the first thing many people visit on scubaboard.

also to your second point, you say that this thread and im paraphrasing....is to help people that want to solo dive do so ....

I am saying THAT is not true. This thread has a couple of die hard people on a soapbox saying IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO SOLO DIVE.

thats the reason this thread is so active. which again makes it visible to every person visiting this site btw.....the thread is active because a couple people are saying buddy diving is dangerous. others are saying hogwash. that includes me. If you are agreeing that anyone is better off diving without a buddy then im saying thats false.

like i said earlier in this thread, if every scuba diver solo dived there would be a lot of dead bodies in wetsuits floating all over this planet right now. and some of them will be people we know

 

[MichaelMc]

But your and others on this thread whole philosophy of it being safer diving solo WILL put the majority of joe public divers at greater risk if they dive solo.

This really makes no sense.

Take rebreather diving. It can be done very safely. Yet if joe/jane OW diver strapped one on they would be at high risk.

We as a society have cars. Yet if a 5 year old got in one and tried to drive they would be at high risk.

People need to understand what they are trained for and what they are not. That is a fundamental part of society. Otherwise we would all be reduced to the actions only the least capable are able to handle.

 

[Ana]

Very interesting. Can you expand on why this is his preferred configuration? I could imagine lots of reasons but would like to hear his specific reasons for this configuration.

He started diving as a teenager with just one hose coming out of the 1st stage, when he was able to afford a pressure gauge he added another hose for that. Putting a 3rd hose messes with his symmetry for not additional value.
For a while he even removed the hose for the gauge because he used a datamask. Then the datamask died and the bastards at Oceanic stopped servicing it, so he had to go back to having 2 hoses.

There's no deep rooted philosophy behind his preference, he likes his gear that way. I started with 2 seconds and a gauge so it doesn't bother me, took the gauge out for a while with my datamask, but eventually mine died too.

Why do I have to configure my gear the way you configure yours, or my husband's? I do what works for me.
I understand liability on charters, and it is easier for everyone on their boats to have this or that. I saw a progression of requirements on charters to a point that stopped being fun for me so I looked for may solutions.
Diving on my own I do what I consider correct for me. For some things I have a specific reason for others is just what I like.

 

[NAUI Wowie]

This really makes no sense.

Take rebreather diving. It can be done very safely. Yet if joe/jane OW diver strapped one on they would be at high risk.

We as a society have cars. Yet if a 5 year old got in one and tried to drive they would be at high risk.

People need to understand what they are trained for and what they are not. That is a fundamental part of society. Other wise we would all be reduced to the actions only the least capable are able to handle.

What I said makes perfect sense. What you said is in the territory of PREPOSTEROUS and basically insane.

No five year old can drive a car. no one can strap on a rebreather and just go dive.

both scenarios WILL normally end in death or accident.

you bring up completely impossible things to prove your point. Thats called COMPLETE STRAWMAN ARGUMENT.

what i said is true. what you made up is laughable.

many average autopilot divers WILL die sooner or later if they dive solo. if you disagree with that you do not understand humanity. people forget everything. people run out of air in the ocean all the time. please explain that to me....running out of the one thing that keeps you alive.

how many times has an insta buddy saved someones life by giving their octo?

uncountable times. yes the majority may make it to the surface but many many of those will panic and die if solo.

 

[Ana]

No, all active threads show on the right side of the forum. Thats how I and most people find these threads. I never look in solo diving. I read whats currently being talked about. EVERY new diver or person thinking of becoming a diver can and may read this thread.

My mistake, the solo used to be an opt in forum. Didn't know they opened to every registered user.

Edit.
Actually if this forum is open to everyone now, it means that even scubaboard stopped hiding the fact that people solo dive. Good for them.
To every diver reading this I say stop putting your life in someone else's hands. Be responsible for your own safety.

 

[caruso]

if every scuba diver solo dived there would be a lot of dead bodies in wetsuits floating all over this planet right now. and some of them will be people we know

Now that's just silly nonsense talk.

I don't think there are lots of divers running out of air all over the place on a regular basis who are rescued by their buddies.

 

[loosenit2]

He started diving as a teenager with just one hose coming out of the 1st stage, when he was able to afford a pressure gauge he added another hose for that. Putting a 3rd hose messes with his symmetry for not additional value.
For a while he even removed the hose for the gauge because he used a datamask. Then the datamask died and the bastards at Oceanic stopped servicing it, so he had to go back to having 2 hoses.

There's no deep rooted philosophy behind his preference, he likes his gear that way. I started with 2 seconds and a gauge so it doesn't bother me, took the gauge out for a while with my datamask, but eventually mine died too.

Why do I have to configure my gear the way you configure yours, or my husband's? I do what works for me.
I understand liability on charters, and it is easier for everyone on their boats to have this or that. I saw a progression of requirements on charters to a point that stopped being fun for me so I looked for may solutions.
Diving on my own I do what I consider correct for me. For some things I have a specific reason for others is just what I like.

Thanks, appreciate he explanation. Truly was not asking so I could turn it around on you or flame you, honestly wanted to know.

 

[AfterDark]

Like Bob, I was solo diving when it was considered a REALLY bad thing to do. Like some people's opinion of diving below 100FSW on air these days; you goin'to die!

Many divers choose a buddy simply because they are alarmed at being alone, and not because there is a possibility of the buddy actually assisting in an emergency.

I don't know about that?
Having someone either with you or even on shore that knows when you went into the water and when you expect to come out is a great comfort. At least someone will be looking for you, maybe in time to help.

….introduction of the buddy system 30 years ago,.....

How long ago was this written? I've been diving 51 years and we were using the buddy system then.

 

[NAUI Wowie]

Now that's just silly nonsense talk.

I don't think there are lots of divers running out of air all over the place on a regular basis who are rescued by their buddies.

You must have extreme confidence in the capabilities of divers all over the world if you believe they are self reliant. ive seen large groups of 20 or more korean and japanese scuba divers basically walking on reefs to trust average skill level.

 

[caruso]

@NAUI Wowie I make no claim about the self reliant abilities of the average diver. I simply refute your silly unsubstantiated notion that if people dived solo there would be lots of dead divers in wetsuits floating all over the planet.