Restarting an aborted dive.

[razorbackdiver]

My second blue water is coming up on June 1^stand I’m sure I’ll be assigned an insta buddy . My first blue water dive was on March31. During this dive, a pair of insta buddies started a dive, got about 20 feet down, and then one of them called the dive. I do not know why the dive was called but apparently the one that called the dive was rather new and it seemed like atouchy issue. Before the next dive, the insta buddy that had not called the dive approached me and my buddy and asked if her buddy aborted the next could she buddy with us. I did not think much about it and said yes.
Now I am new diver and the topic of restarting a aborted dive has never come up when I was around. So, what are my responsibilities to my insta buddy. Am I only required to make sure they get back on boat. Do I have to get back onthe boat with them. If I do get back on the boat, insta buddy is Ok, and divers are still entering the water is it acceptable to ask if I can three buddy dive with them.
Not trying to sound uncaring but these dive trips are not cheap and I do not know the proper protocol.

 

[fjpatrum]

I'd say once on the boat, your buddy is no longer your buddy or responsibility. It might be courteous to make sure they're comfortable and let them know you're considering diving with someone else for the missed dive. I think the logistics of it would be the hardest part as presumably the other buddy team would already be in the water, which would necessitate finding them and getting to them as a "solo" dive. As a new diver I'd be very cautious about doing that in unfamiliar waters.

If there are still teams just starting their dives and they're okay with a third, I don't see any issue at all, personally.

 

[t-mac]

You buddy up for safety, not to be a counselor or companion. Not much else you can do once they are safely back on the boat and okay. You have full tanks. Re-buddy and dive.

---------- Post added May 9th, 2012 at 12:35 PM ----------

I'd say once on the boat, your buddy is no longer your buddy or responsibility. It might be courteous to make sure they're comfortable and let them know you're considering diving with someone else for the missed dive. I think the logistics of it would be the hardest part as presumably the other buddy team would already be in the water, which would necessitate finding them and getting to them as a "solo" dive. As a new diver I'd be very cautious about doing that in unfamiliar waters.

Solo definitely is not recommended and the dive op almost certainly will not allow that. Triples, if needed, are usually okay. Depends on the dive op and the comfort of the other two.

 

[RonFrank]

Start the dive, descend to 20ft, and make sure everyone will continue. If not follow them long enough to watch them exit the water. The hard part is then finding another buddy at that point, likely not going to happen. So where are these dives, how deep, and what is the vis like?

 

[TSandM]

I agree -- you need to follow your buddy to the surface and watch until they are on the boat. Then, if you're good to go and can find another team to join, go diving.

 

[razorbackdiver]

Start the dive, descend to 20ft, and make sure everyone will continue. If not follow them long enough to watch them exit the water. The hard part is then finding another buddy at that point, likely not going to happen. So where are these dives, how deep, and what is the vis like?

My upcoming trip will on a Blackbeard's livabord out of the Bahamas. I've never been there so cannot answer depth and vis questions.

My first trip was to the Flower Gardens off the Texas Coast. Depth was 65 to 85 ft depending on the site we were at. The vis was 100+ ft.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Liveaboard diving is such that you will likely buddy with different divers during the course of the week. As far as the buddy switch goes, I concur with the prior posts. The key to having good dives with a new buddy is to get past the new part as soon as possible and that starts with a conversation before the dive- tell them about you and learn about them: Experience in the water, training level, last dive, any equipment or health issues, etc. Also, talk through the dive and any issues or concerns they (or you ) have. Have a clear idea of communication to be used, so there is no "wondering." Get oriented to each other's gear with a pre-dive safety check. After the first dive, talk through it, and discuss, in a positive way, any issues or concerns either of you had. It's a two way street: each of you may have things to raise. This is a way to speed up the process of moving from insta-buddy to "good buddy." Have a great trip!
DivemasterDennis

 

[shmuggy]

It is always OK to ask to go with someone- on liveaboards it happens a lot because sometimes someone is too tired or not interested in doing 4-5 dives a day. It is also OK to decline to have a buddy added to your buddy pair but I have found that the people that ask to go with us are as good as we are or better. But given the expense of dive travle, I would not be shy about declinging if I knew they were going to have a bad impact on my diving. You should always have a chat with an insta-buddy to see what their skill levels are- often at the end of a boat dive- the people who are out of air go up to the boat and the folks with plenty of air explore under the boat and keep an eye on each other. So you make sure your buddy got on the boat OK and then you re-buddy with someone else- if you want to be "official" about it- you can ask by signalling to them- you do this by putting your two index fingers together and then pointing at him and then you.