OOA Buddy starts to drag you up by your octo - What would you do?

[pennypue]

I'm gonna go read ALL Nemrod's posts!!!
It's my birthday and this is FREE entertainment.
Thanks for the present Nemrod.

 

[gangrel441]

I'll take the Troll Bait.

Don't donate Primary Regulator????? Have you ever looked at how many AIR2 style alternates there are on the typical dive boat? You can suck off the other person't chest if you want to. Me? I'm going for the primary if everything comes up snake eyes and I need gas.

If the donor has an Air2 (or Air XS or any other integrated type inflator), then they should know the procedure is to donate their primary, just like a diver with a long hose and a bungeed alternate does. The question isn't about what another diver would do if you panic on his octo...it is about what happens if another diver panics on your octo. One way to control this situation before it ever happens is to choose a set-up that you are comfortable with. The poster who said that the 7 ft hose is the wrong choice didn't say that if he was OOA, he would refuse a 7 ft hose and insist on receiving the alternate. He said that it is a bad configuration and inferred that he would never use it himself, because of potential loss of control of the victim. Very different points.

 

[mwhities]

You're missing the point:

With a seven foot hose your panicked OOA buddy can surface but you can still do a "shallow stop" at seven feet for three minutes!

 

[GulfDiver77]

 

[Web Monkey]

That is why I prefer to carry a redundant cylinder that I can unclip if OOA buddy was dragging me to surface. The donate what you're breathing mentality loses something when you dive a rebreather or even double hose reg.

Never thought much about it, but that's a great reason to donate a pony.

If the other diver panics, and you can't stop them, at least you can unclip the pony and wave goodbye.

Terry

 

[Footslogger]

Blame it on my original training back in 1971, but I was taught to deal with underwater things underwater. My original post might have seemed a bit turse, but I too have experienced this type of thing. It was years ago and I was diving with someone I did not know. We were at 125 feet and he grabbed my octo and started to pull hard for the surface. I yanked back on the octo hose and got his attention. I swam over to him (one kick stroke), looked him right in the eye and put one hand on his shoulder. With my other hand I grabbed the octo second stage, put it back in his mouth and purged. At that point I gave him the "going up" sign, got his OK and we surfaced together, with me holding on to his shoulder straps all the way, doing most of the kicking and managing our buoyancy. It is something I hope I never again experience.

Was that the best way ...or the way that is taught nowadays ?? Dunno, but if faced with the same decision tomorrow I'd likely attempt that first before just giving in and rocketing toward the surface under tow.

 

[GulfDiver77]

That is the way we were taught, that the donor controls the ascent.

 

[Ice9]

A CESA, although an acceptable course of action when the alternative is drowning, is not the preferred method to solving problems, and the risks associated with a CESA increase with time at depth.

Right, which is why I would prefer to avoid it.

So, regardless of the buddy, why would you do a dive where you would not accompany your buddy on a CESA? And if the answer is that you would accompany your buddy during a CESA, why would that change if the OOA was resolved, but the buddy still headed toward the surface?

My thinking is:

Why roll the dice on a CESA when its not necessary if the OOA situation is resolved? At this point, it is panic that is inducing the CESA, and not an OOA situation. By all rights, we should be able to make a normal safe ascent.

Last time I checked, the C in CESA stood for "Controlled." Although I've never experienced one, I wouldn't think there would be much Control in a panicked diver. Thus my fear of breaching the surface from 100 ft in like 5 seconds, being dragged up by said panicked diver.

No thanks. If I can help it, I'd prefer not to take that ride.

 

[Adobo]

Blame it on my original training back in 1971, but I was taught to deal with underwater things underwater. My original post might have seemed a bit turse, but I too have experienced this type of thing. It was years ago and I was diving with someone I did not know. We were at 125 feet and he grabbed my octo and started to pull hard for the surface. I yanked back on the octo hose and got his attention. I swam over to him (one kick stroke), looked him right in the eye and put one hand on his shoulder. With my other hand I grabbed the octo second stage, put it back in his mouth and purged. At that point I gave him the "going up" sign, got his OK and we surfaced together, with me holding on to his shoulder straps all the way, doing most of the kicking and managing our buoyancy. It is something I hope I never again experience.

Was that the best way ...or the way that is taught nowadays ?? Dunno, but if faced with the same decision tomorrow I'd likely attempt that first before just giving in and rocketing toward the surface under tow.

A humble question from a newb to a veteran:
I wonder if asking about the wisdom of going to 125 ft with someone you didn't know is a more important question at this stage than asking about whether or not you would do the same thing under the same circumstances. You know, ounce of prevention type thing.

 

[Adobo]

I'm gonna go read ALL Nemrod's posts!!!
It's my birthday and this is FREE entertainment.
Thanks for the present Nemrod.

Yes, Nemrod's posts are instant classics. Here is one of my favorites:

... I prefer danger, taking it to the limit and then marveling in retrospect that I am still alive to tell of it. Y'all keep all that safety stuff to yourself, I love danger. If safety was the number one requirment of the human race we would never have climbed down out of the trees...

...Besides, safety is way over rated, live dangerous and die free."