Reprimanding Insta-buddy

[SlugLife]

The reality is, people try to squeeze out as much dive time as they can. Most of us do. Unfortunately, people are not taught in open water about min gas / rock bottom gas / whatever you want to call it. We all know how simply ascend a little until the next min gas value is hit.

Same. I usually dive in lakes which slope up to a shore-line. I might pick something like 1200psi, to reduce my depth from 90-60ft to 45ft-30ft, and then use whatever air is left. So I may have turn my dive "early" but not immediately head for the surface.

 

[halocline]

An underlying concept of "rule of thirds" is that you have 2x as much gas, as you would need to safely return to the surface.

Not really. It generally works out to that coincidentally, but the principle behind the rule of thirds is that each team member has enough gas to get both himself and his dive partner to the entrance of an overhead dive in the event of total gas loss by one of the divers. This is why you turn the dive when the first diver reaches turn pressure. It's also why you have to account for dissimilar tank volumes and adjust turn pressure accordingly. For solo overhead diving with independent doubles, the rule of thirds ensures that in the event of loss of one of the tanks, the other has sufficient gas to return to the entrance.

The rule of thirds really has no specific place in OW diving, although it's not unreasonable that some people would choose to loosely dive according to it. The entire premise of OW diving is that in an emergency, you can simply ascend to the surface. As such, other gas management concepts are more useful, and commonly used.

 

[agilis]

I do as I please when follow the leader diving off a cattle boat, and let the assigned instabuddy know that I plan on ignoring them and would appreciate the same. If they have any complaints I suggest they put them in writing for my future consideration. Of course, anything involving wreck penetration or similar activity is a totally different situation.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I’m not going to go through this whole thread, but a couple of things are apparent. First, you were/are concerned enough to bring it up here, and so a more thorough discussion with your instabuddy would have been appropriate. Second, it should not be a chewing session, but telling her that she made you very uncomfortable, and explaining why. Then wait for her to reply. Then, discuss the issues raised. Third, do share with your wife. That provides a very good feedback loop for you.

SeaRat

 

[Storker]

Looking for feedback on how others deal with insta buddies that go off plan during the dive

I've dived with seriously less experienced buddies. That's fine, that's one of the reasons I got to where I am today (by diving with and being mentored by more experienced buddies), and I'm more than happy to pay that debt back by mentoring n00bs.

But to me, the plan/pre-dive chat is holy. Whatever that is. But if we agree on something, you don't frikkin' deviate from that without a very, very, very (VERY) good reason. If you just go off without communication, be prepared for some VERY choice words when we're topside. And on a personal note, I just might choose not to buddy up with you on the next dive.

 

[Land_Lubber]

I'm probably that less experienced diver (though I got my card in 1969 before a lot of you were born ;-)

Only wayward experience I remember with an "insta buddy" was when we really didn't have much of a plan and we were inclined to explore different things. And even that worked out ok, we didn't get too separated.

As for correction, I recognize my own inexperience and welcome the information. I've not yet had anyone berate me (although my Advanced Scuba instructor was pretty direct - and very good.) I've never had the same buddy for more than two dives; even given that you probably won't see me again, I say go ahead and tell me if you think I departed from the protocol - or anything else you expected. Might help to start with a non threatening question as one of the other posters suggested.

edit: I mis spoke on one significant point. My very first open water dive (my checkout dive) involved a buddy that wandered off. It did not end well. Incredible that I somehow blocked that out, and to me it reinforces the value of communication.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I don’t know what it is with some dive buddies, actually more than not. I’ve had so many that agree to a plan, we go over the plan, the protocols, what to do if separated, very adamantly insist on staying together, etc.
When we go down everything might be ok for a few minutes and hold together, but then something happens and they scat like someone lit their ass on fire. They have no explanation for it.
I’m starting to believe that they have all good intentions on following the plan but then they get a very sub clinical dose of narcosis that changes their brains and shortens their attention span but not in a way that is noticeable enough to say they were narced. That’s the only way I can explain the cat herding syndrome.