OW Certified....Now What?

[Gr8WyattWhale]

That is one of the problems with teams in any discipline - teamthink. Instead of the team working as it should to moderate itself ie someone saying "is everyone happy with the plan?" and getting honest answers back, it can become "Everyone is happy with the plan?" which becomes a more a statement of fact than the question it should be. It certainly has been (at least) partly responsible for one high profile death (Doc Deep) where the team appears to have talked themselves into the plan being OK despite a number of sources (this forum included) discussing the apparent plan and realising there was no virtually no chance of it working.

A good team (whether it is 2, 3 or more) working properly is a great thing but it is hard work to make it happen.

What happened to Doc Deep?

 

[Doby45]

What happened to Doc Deep?

In the south we just say "Bless his heart."

 

[TMHeimer]

I believe the solo courses explain using redundancies, like pony bottles and (accessible) cutting tools. But yes, to each his own as far as risk goes. My thought is you are probably somewhat safer with a buddy, but at times less safe. Not as much of a difference as "you can die from using a seat belt, but 99% of the time it will help you".

 

[Trace Malinowski]

A good team (whether it is 2, 3 or more) working properly is a great thing but it is hard work to make it happen.

That's why teams need to be built around a philosophy that transcends organization, training, and procedures. How divers plan for bigger experiences must factor into their "like-mindedness." How much practice time? How many build-up dives? It's important to learn each other's personalities to understand what a teammate may or may not like, what gets them jazzed, or throws them off their game. In my classes, I push the concept of looking out for each other's well-being and creating a fun, relaxed team experience.

 

[2airishuman]

That's why teams need to be built around a philosophy that transcends organization, training, and procedures. How divers plan for bigger experiences must factor into their "like-mindedness." How much practice time? How many build-up dives? It's important to learn each other's personalities to understand what a teammate may or may not like, what gets them jazzed, or throws them off their game. In my classes, I push the concept of looking out for each other's well-being and creating a fun, relaxed team experience.

For me, all of that is too much like work, and is out of touch with the reasons why I dive.

 

[TMHeimer]

I don't group dive. I would think any more than 3 divers and it should be buddy teams starting out together but if teams do separate just have a plan to meet/where to end the dive, etc. Even two groups of two would be harder to keep together than one, or a group of 3. What think those with experience with that?

 

[Neilwood]

What happened to Doc Deep?

Link

To cut a long story short, he was a relatively inexperienced tech diver who decided to try to break the world record and died. A lot of forum members with significant experience reckoned it was foolhardy and were proved right

 

[EireDiver606]

I dive solo and I dive in unified teams. As a GUE Tech 2 diver, I can say that the majority of my stress and close calls have been caused by peer pressure from GUE and UTD divers and instructors who put ego ahead of team or who have ignored safe diving practices completely. The advantage to team diving is that you have help and divers are all on the same page regarding procedures. The disadvantage is that buddies can pressure you into diving outside your comfort zone, pressure you into doing stupid stuff, or just go places and do things underwater that puts you at risk or causes you to play cowboy and wrangle the strays back on mission. Worse, you can have three divers none of whom are comfortable with conditions or the psych aspect of a dive continuing just so they don't ruin it for others. No one bothers to communicate and they all assume the others "have got this!"

Solo diving has the advantage of instant self-reflection and communication. You can determine your level of comfort moment by moment and instantly know what you are doing, why you are doing it, and change a dive plan on the fly without confusion. The disadvantage is that you won't have help or back-up brains. If something goes wrong where you can't self-rescue the situation will be fatal.

"Loose team" diving might be more dangerous than unified team diving or solo diving and it is how most of the industry dives. Two or more divers buddy up. They are unfamiliar with each other's gear, training, procedures, and assume they are capable of sharing gas or rescuing a buddy. You have a false sense of security that way and are still subject to peer pressure and possibly endangered by actions of teammates. But, they also may be able to render the help you need and possibly save you.

I started diving solo at age 15 and never got into trouble alone. When I taught solo diving, I tried to get the student to first take an intro to tech class where they would learn precision team diving to appreciate it before going solo. My most recent close call was with a UTD instructor friend in a cave. We had a scooter problem and ended up getting sucked into a siphon 2800 feet back during our return. While working on it, we referenced the guideline quite a bit. Only thing was the line went quickly from our line to another line at some point. We didn't know we were on the wrong line until we tried going home. The scooter I was using was borrowed because my buddy really wanted to scooter that day. I hadn't used that model in a while and a simple switch issue almost became our undoing. Had I been alone, I would have given myself more time to reacquaint myself with the scooter before taking it into a cave.

I agree, but if people are pressuring you to go outside your comfort zone, they're not being helpful and safe, and you are given a wrong sense of security, etc. Dive with someone else preferably!! I'm not saying you can't solo dive, you just shouldn't .

1 solo diving is dangerous and not to be taken lightly
2 even experienced divers like you, no matter how much experience you have, you don't have gills and sometimes people don't appreciate that. It could happen to anyone.

At the end of the day, theres a buddy system for a reason, but that doesn't mean you should dive with an untrained, unaware, fish chaser of a buddy who doesn't know what an octopus is for. You choose your buddy!

 

[snowdog61]

Diving in and of itself is dangerous. You mitigate or at least try and control those hazards through your training and equipment so that it can be done safely. I will solo typically for only 1 reason - spearfishing on drift dives when my regular partner can not go. On those rare occasions, I will try and stay 'buddied' with those on the charter but separation seems to invariably happen. Knowing this, I plan for solo and if (when) it happens, it isn't a concern for them or me. It is not something to take lightly and I'll only do it when I feel the conditions are conducive to doing it safely. Solo diving is certainly an added risk - entanglement or a medical issue being the most concern. Multiple cutting tools located around you help address the 1st but even with a buddy, the 2nd may not be survivable. You certainly have way better odds though with a buddy there to assist you (assuming you actually have a buddy that stays with you). I certainly prefer buddy diving as it is for me, more enjoyable to share the experience but again, that is with my buddy. Finding that 'right' buddy is the challenge

 

[TMHeimer]

Eire, You don't get to choose your buddy if you are a single on a charter boat. And that's probably where a lot of the danger occurs. If you aren't comfortable with your assigned buddy you can talk to him/her then take a chance, figuring you are truly solo diving. Or, you can sit on the boat and swallow your $100 fee.
I would imagine a fair % of those "single" divers are new divers. I was in that situation. So you may have a new diver buddied with a bad one.
Yes, I know you can pay to buddy with a DM, if one is available.