Possible Lessons from Peacock

[Spectre]

In my cave class we practiced lost buddy searches and talked about seperations. I was taught that if I was seperated and felt the need to head for the door alone to put a note on the line. So...if we're ever diving together and some how get seperated and you don't see one of my wet notes on the line, gas permitting, please take a few minutes to look for me.

How do you perform the lost buddy task? I only ask because my training was:

1) Mark exit direction with a line arrow
2) spin 360' looking for buddy
3) spin 360' with light covered
4) deploy spool and search
5) when search is exausted and you are leaving, stow spool but leave arrow [arrow with no spool says you left].

Your buddy can then speed up their exit if they happen across the arrow [and know which direction you went on the line].

I'm assuming since you're going to leave wetnotes, that you don't place an arrow when you begin your search? or do you remove the arrow?

 

[mavjax]

How do you perform the lost buddy task? I only ask because my training was:

1) Mark exit direction with a line arrow
2) spin 360' looking for buddy
3) spin 360' with light covered
4) deploy spool and search
5) when search is exausted and you are leaving, stow spool but leave arrow [arrow with no spool says you left].

Your buddy can then speed up their exit if they happen across the arrow [and know which direction you went on the line].

I'm assuming since you're going to leave wetnotes, that you don't place an arrow when you begin your search? or do you remove the arrow?

That's what I was trained with except that you need to add a step
3a) Check air supply, which SHOULD be ok, make sure you have enough gas to seach and exit safely.

 

[MikeFerrara]

How do you perform the lost buddy task? I only ask because my training was:

1) Mark exit direction with a line arrow
2) spin 360' looking for buddy
3) spin 360' with light covered
4) deploy spool and search
5) when search is exausted and you are leaving, stow spool but leave arrow [arrow with no spool says you left].

Your buddy can then speed up their exit if they happen across the arrow [and know which direction you went on the line].

I'm assuming since you're going to leave wetnotes, that you don't place an arrow when you begin your search? or do you remove the arrow?[/QUOTE]


I was taught the same.

I do install an arrow with the spool line attached to it to search off the line. In a case where the line was lost a spool should already be deployed and an arrow placed on the line when found. In that case, I'd leave the spool. The first case being going off the line to search for or retrieve a buddy and the second being a lost line search.

I didn't mean to suggest a wet note as an alternative procedure but rather an addition that could allow you to convey more info if needed. The concern I have here is that there are arrows all over the place. If the searching team doesn't take the time to read what's on the arrow I could see them swimming right by it.

 

[Scuba_Steve]

I was also taught 1, 2, 3, 3a, 4, 5

Were any of you also taught to leave a back-up light, turned "on" clipped to the line, beside the wet-notes as well?

(Again, with the hope that "buddy" may see it, giving him one extra chance).

 

[MikeFerrara]

Were any of you also taught to leave a back-up light, turned "on" clipped to the line, beside the wet-notes as well?

(Again, with the hope that "buddy" may see it, giving him one extra chance).

No my lights stay with me.

 

[Scuba_Steve]

So is this called CDS option 5a, or Instructor XXXXX Option 3b?

Either way, it would have had to be some nasty already, for some time, for it to get to that point.

Not to get off too far, but I'd be interested if anyone else had heard of this "option". Pro or Con.

Thanks Gents.

 

[mavjax]

I have not seen anything written about leaving a light behind. I would be very worried about cascading problems.... i.e. I leave a light behind, the battery dies on my primary and then my one remaining backup floods..... now I may have a significant problem. I believe that each diver needs to keep everything they need to make it out of the cave.

 

[Bobby]

So is this called CDS option 5a, or Instructor XXXXX Option 3b?

Either way, it would have had to be some nasty already, for some time, for it to get to that point.

Not to get off too far, but I'd be interested if anyone else had heard of this "option". Pro or Con.

Thanks Gents.

I think this is the best discussion from this topic so far. IMO I think that leaving the note with the line marker is a flag to the team when they reach it that you have exited and they now can stop thinking behind them and pay more attention ahead. As stated earlier the team may miss the arrow or not recognize that it is from the team member, the wet note is a flag. I would not leave a light or other article that might be needed for my exit. I had not thought of the wet note and I have actually been on a dive that it would have helped. Just my thoughts but I would like to hear any thoughts on how it might not be a good plan. At this time I plan on adding it to my pre-dive when diving with a buddy.

Bobby

 

[lamont]

I have not seen anything written about leaving a light behind. I would be very worried about cascading problems.... i.e. I leave a light behind, the battery dies on my primary and then my one remaining backup floods..... now I may have a significant problem. I believe that each diver needs to keep everything they need to make it out of the cave.

What about carrying a strobe to attatch to the line in that situation?

 

[GDI]

From what I have read of Scuba Steves idea of leaving a light, Mikes Wet notes and Spectra's Line Arrow we can see that there is a difference in the ways things get done and taught just on a lost buddy drill.


I would not be a proponent of leaving any equipment behind especially a light or reel - line arrows, non-directionals markers and wetnotes I see as OK, whatever is used needs to be discussed as a team SOP. The leaving of a line Arrow or a non-directional marker is what I teach, your line arrows and non-directionals need to be marked for identification. keep in mind that if you are doing a lost buddy drill your buddy should be doing one as well. I believe that of all the redundancy we carry as equipment that a second safety reel should be carried perhaps in the from of a finger spool and that a second cutting device be carried as well. In fact the NACD and TDI require the second cutting device as a new standard. This is the result of Accident Analysis looking at past occurances. The NACD Journal has started to have articles of the basic skills and their conduct in each quarterly issue. This is an attempt to standardize these basic skills. Hopefully one day we can all be talking the same language.