Teamwork

[kensuf]

Last week I ran an Intro to Tech class for four divers that are hoping to branch into technical diving in the near future. Two have visions of deep wreck and ocean diving, two have visions of cave diving, but they all wanted to gain some experience with "Tech Diving Gear" (doubles, sidemount) to lay a solid foundation before moving forward.

When I teach it, a big part of the course is about teamwork. I task load my students by having them do a basic skill circuit while trying to remain neutral and in trim, but I allow the rest of the team to assist. I've seen that by the end of the program the cadre really come together and are very attentive and helpful to one another.

I emphasize teamwork because personally, I am a firm believer that a solid team can accomplish more than a single individual.

I do understand that solo diving is a thing, but that's not the same as diving as a team. I sometimes dive solo and when I do, my mindset is completely different and I am 100% prepared to be self-reliant.

Unfortunately, there are some people that have a "selfish" mindset -- they believe that anytime you're diving with someone, you're two (or three) solo divers that just happen to be together. These people apparently believe it's perfectly acceptable to leave your buddy for any reason, because after all you are solo diving (just that you're together).

I also understand there may be an occasion where it is necessary to leave a buddy; a situation where your buddy is acting unsafe, putting you in jeopardy, and you are unable to correct him, may be an acceptable situation. Hopefully unsafe attitudes can be identified at the surface before a dive, but sometimes people surprise you. Regardless, that's a far cry from what I am talking about.

So I would like to gauge opinions.

When do you think it's appropriate to leave your buddy?

Is it appropriate for you to leave if your buddy has tons of gas but has some failures (primary light, for example)?

Or do you feel that team diving means staying together to help the team?

Do you dive with others but believe it's acceptable to leave them?

Do you let them know this before you ever get in the water?

 

[Manatee Diver]

Are we talking tech diving? Or just regular no deco diving? Because for me the answer is different.

In tech diving I don't think I would leave a buddy unless:
1. They were unconscious/unresponsive and the conditions were such that it would put my life in serious risk to get them out. Or...
2. They didn't acknowledge a turn signal after I know that they saw it.

 

[kensuf]

What about recreational diving? I'm really trying to gauge how pervasive the "selfish" attitude is.

 

[RyanT]

In my view, if you're diving as a team, then you are diving as a team. I have a long history of diving solo and it was something I truly loved. This was before I embarked on formal tech training though. In my tech courses, teamwork was emphasized. I was initially concerned that I might not enjoy diving this way. After doing the training and finding a good buddy, however, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoy diving as a team. I'll probably do some solo dives again at some point, but my preference now is diving a solid team, and that means staying together.

 

[Manatee Diver]

What about recreational diving? I'm really trying to gauge how pervasive the "selfish" attitude is.

For recreational diving it is pretty much the same. Though in rec diving unless I am diving with someone I know I am more likely to just go solo, unless the conditions or laws make that inadvisable. But most of my recreational diving is warm water diving.

 

[Heka]

I can't see many circumstances where i would be willing to leave my buddy or team behind.
If they are breathing and not actively trying to drown me, I'll be there and help as much as i can.
Of course this is easier said than done, but i try to go by this as well as i can.

I've had to test my will just once with this when my new buddy got entangled in lines.
We surfaced together, I had 20bar in a 12L (8,5 cu ft) tank remaining when i rechecked it on surface.
I sure do hope that i don't need to do that mental negotiation again.

 

[-JD-]

My personal mindset as a relative newbie that has had a few "experiences."

Always assume you are a solo diver and be reasonably prepared in mind and equipment to take care of yourself.
- Separation from well intentioned and experienced buddies happens. In the quarry, viz can go from lousy to "ok I can't see what I am holding in my hand" in no time. Lost buddy usually = surface since it is an unconstrained area and searches really require "luck."
- Separation from self-absorbed "buddies" who just swim off happens - Grrrr.


Unless it is mutually agreed upon, you don't leave your buddy except where remaining represents an imminent threat to yourself and you take any possible steps to mitigate risk to your buddy.

That said, I had an instabuddy in Cozumel that was pingponging all over the place with no care for where I was, and I spent my whole first dive of the trip chasing and burning up my air. Second dive, I watched constantly and tried to keep myself within maybe 10 seconds or less at full-throttle kick speed in case an issue arose. Effectively unlimited visibility makes that much more practical.

 

[seeker242]

When do you think it's appropriate to leave your buddy?

Only when it would likely cause 2 people to be injured or killed, instead of only 1. Any other time, not OK at all.

 

[scubadada]

I believe that if you have decided to buddy dive that you are in it for the duration, unless you have specifically made other arrangements.

For drift diving, I almost always have the flag. Divers peel off as they run out of gas or deco and ascend on the flag. They let me know they are leaving. This has been prearranged.

When boat or shore diving, I will sometimes take my buddy/buddies back to the boat or shore and then continue the dive myself. This has also been prearranged.

I largely dive by myself, but can be an infinitely reliable buddy when that is the arrangement.

 

[ofg-1]

I can only answer with a story. Back in the stone age, before line arrows or dorfs, I was diving Devils with a buddy, we jumped onto the hill 400 line (it was a gap then), put in a clothespin, and made our dive, hit turnaround, and headed out. When we got back to the jump, the pin was on the floor, not sure how, one of us could have kicked it or actually missed the line installing it.

My partner thought the out direction was left. I knew it was right.We had a discussion on our slates to the point I had about 1/3 gas left and in those days, we did deco on backgas (air). I finally asked him to go right, and if we did not hit the keyhole in a few minutes, we would turn around. He disagreed, and I swam away from him.

Fortunately, he showed up at deco about 15 minutes later. After the dive, he told me he swam until he thought he should have hit the cornflakes, and then turned around.

That is how you have to decide to leave your partner.