Team diving

[TSandM]

It seems as though there are a lot of people who don't think it's possible to dive as a team. Every question that involves "self-sufficiency versus team diving" degenerates into one side claiming it's possible to dive as a team and count on your teammates, and the other side saying that's delusional.

So I'm interested in stories about team failures, whether it's diver separation or a failure of a teammate to perform as expected. Note that "teammate" does NOT mean instabuddy, but someone committed to the concept of team diving. And I didn't put this in the DIR forum, because I'd like to think there are other people who dive as teams.

In my admittedly limited experience, I've had a couple of buddy separation events. They've been on descent in very poor visibility (less than ten feet, sometimes less than five). They've all been quickly solved by everybody going back up and regrouping, and I suspect they were all due to my poor state of skills at the time.

Once the dive has been established, the only time I've lost a buddy is when it was someone not known to me who has taken off on their own, and I've mostly caught those people before they're gone.

In the couple of inconveniences I've had underwater, my teammate has always performed as expected, but none of these has been life-threatening.

Any stories of team failure to share?

 

[H2Andy]

when Scuba Jenny, another diver (i am so sorry, her name escapes me) and I dove the Santa Fe river during the clean up, the current was going nicely and the large number of divers going through made the visibility a bit dicey

we tried our best to remain together, but we did separate.

in one occassion, i looked for the missing diver with Jenny for about a minute, and then I ascended. the other diver had ascended too, and we reunited.

a short while later, i lost sight of both Jenny and the other diver, and ascended.

they had both ascended and we reunited

at that point, the dive was pretty much over for us, as it was getting too hard to stay together, so we just swam on the surface to the pick up point (not too far away)

 

[cerich]

For me the ideal team is made up of very self sufficent divers with experience who choose to dive in a team for its obvious advantages.
However it takes hundreds of dives with your team, having dealt with problems before you can completly depend on how a team mate will act/react in a CF.

 

[String]

Team diving involves delegating the safety of your life to another human being. In a perfect world humans would be 100% reliable. In the real world however they arent.

Sorry but i go for self sufficiency over random luck any time.

 

[JeffG]

In my admittedly limited experience, I've had a couple of buddy separation events. They've been on descent in very poor visibility (less than ten feet, sometimes less than five). They've all been quickly solved by everybody going back up and regrouping, and I suspect they were all due to my poor state of skills at the time.

Try scootering in low vis. Great way to break up the team. The DIR answer would be not to use the scooters in those conditions, but its just too much fun.

 

[JeffG]

Team diving involves delegating the safety of your life to another human being.

No it doesn't. Each individual can exist on his/her own.

 

[Diver Dennis]

So I'm interested in stories about team failures, whether it's diver separation or a failure of a teammate to perform as expected. Note that "teammate" does NOT mean instabuddy, but someone committed to the concept of team diving. And I didn't put this in the DIR forum, because I'd like to think there are other people who dive as teams.

How much do recreational divers know about the "concept of team diving"? I am just a recreational diver and I don't know all the ins and outs of that concept. I do know about it but I think it takes training to do it properly.

EDIT: I should add that I took Advanced Nitrox and Deco but I know there is much more for me to learn about team diving.

 

[Adobo]

Team diving involves delegating the safety of your life to another human being. In a perfect world humans would be 100% reliable. In the real world however they arent.

Sorry but i go for self sufficiency over random luck any time.

That's great but I think the lady wanted to know about stories of team failures...

 

[JeffG]

I do know about it but I think it takes training to do it properly.

Training? Maybe, but a chunk of it is just team awareness. Some of it is very subtle. The difference in swimming over to look at something vs telling the teammate your intentions before swimming over. (ie Hey you...come over and look at this thingy)

 

[Diver Dennis]

OK. I see what you mean, being a good buddy. I was thinking more about pre-dive checks, dive planning and extensive procedure practices. The "concept of team diving" threw me off.