MichaelMc
Working toward Cenotes
I highly recommend everyone do an unexpected OOA drill. To understand how you and your buddy handle it. Even doing so on a regular basis.
Not the massively staged class version: 'Are you ready for me to go OOA? All set? Ok, here I go. Oh no, I'm OOA!!!"
But the: tell your buddy (and guide, if you have one) "At some point during the dive I will go OOA". Then at some point suddenly decide you are OOA, find your buddy, signal OOA, see how it all unfolds, including a small bit of (deliberate) ascent. Reverse the roles on the next dive.
If it's a guided dive, you should work around when the guide might prefer this to occur. Maybe even ask the guide at some time to point a finger pistol at one of you and 'shoot' you without the other seeing it. That is an even better version than the OOA diver getting themselves all ready for the drill.
If you only get insta-buddies, tell them you're really concerned about that you both have good procedures and you will go OOA. After it is done is when you indicate it was just a drill.
I dive with good divers, it has still been enlightening doing this.
If it does not go well..., adjust.
Not the massively staged class version: 'Are you ready for me to go OOA? All set? Ok, here I go. Oh no, I'm OOA!!!"
But the: tell your buddy (and guide, if you have one) "At some point during the dive I will go OOA". Then at some point suddenly decide you are OOA, find your buddy, signal OOA, see how it all unfolds, including a small bit of (deliberate) ascent. Reverse the roles on the next dive.
If it's a guided dive, you should work around when the guide might prefer this to occur. Maybe even ask the guide at some time to point a finger pistol at one of you and 'shoot' you without the other seeing it. That is an even better version than the OOA diver getting themselves all ready for the drill.
If you only get insta-buddies, tell them you're really concerned about that you both have good procedures and you will go OOA. After it is done is when you indicate it was just a drill.
I dive with good divers, it has still been enlightening doing this.
If it does not go well..., adjust.