Telling your dive buddies you may go Out of Air on this dive?
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AZNetEng
Contributor
My buddy (Wife) and I drill OOG and basic skills during each weeks check out dive. Being "vacation" divers I think its prudent. It is always discussed in advance of the dive what we are doing and in what order.
Rly? I make a commitment to my buddy that I won't run my arse out of air. I expect the same from them.
If one person runs out of air then BOTH divers have failed.
A buddy is your redundancy for just about everything: not your re-dumb-dancy. They are my redundant mask, fins, air and BRAIN. That means I'm just as responsible for my buddy not running out of air as he is. He is just as responsible for me not running out of air as I am. IOW, I should know their gas supply just like I know my own. I have two strategies I employ to do this, that combined comprise the Scuba equivalent of "Trust, but verify!" When I consume my first 500 psi, I tap my buddy and ask for their air pressure as well as give them mine. I can then use that data to extrapolate where my buddy is throughout the dive. If they used more than I did, then they become the 'limit'. If I used more, then I am the limit. IOW, if they used 600 when I only used 500, then they probably used 1200 when I used 1000, 1800 when I used 1500 and so one. This automatically adjusts for tank size which is cool. Of course, if by my extrapolation, I feel they have consumed a third (in a cave or deco) or two thirds (rec dive), then we do another pressure check. We might have a bit more dive left or it might be time to turn or call it.
BTW, I'm constantly listening to my buddy when I dive and I'm very quick to pick up on any of their breathing changes. Obviously, if I can't hear them, then we're not close enough. Moreover, I often hear when something is stressing them out, even before they realize it so we can rectify things before they spiral out of control. So, if I see or hear their breathing change, we'll do an earlier pressure check.
Now, as for doing an "S" drill, I'll comply with a request, but I won't initiate it. Instead, I cover which reg they should grab should they require it, then explain how and why I do pressure checks and then do our first one and practice signalling pressure at that time. I mean, if we don't communicate the numbers in the same manner, then why even try? So, we'll cover some hand signals, I'll look them over to be sure they look like a diver and make sure we take two breaths on our regs while looking at our SPGs before we splash.
FWIW, if I know you're consumption already because we dive alot, then don't expect me to do pressure checks until near the end. If I'm guiding you, then I simply sneak peeks at your SPG during the dive. Also, like Frank da Wookster, I prefer diving solo. It's not you. Well, even if it is, I won't come out and say it, so let's just splash and I'll see you on the boat.
nolatom
Contributor
Uh,
What happened to practicing fist-on-chest "low on air" first? That's what I would expect to give, and receive, in real life, before the throat-cut signal.
PS on that note: Do we have a common hand signal for, "this is a drill--this is ONLY a drill"?? I'm unaware of such.
What happened to practicing fist-on-chest "low on air" first? That's what I would expect to give, and receive, in real life, before the throat-cut signal.
PS on that note: Do we have a common hand signal for, "this is a drill--this is ONLY a drill"?? I'm unaware of such.
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YukonJack
Contributor
As a new diver, I am curious: How often do you folks have a true OOA situation occur? It seems like if you are competent and monitor your SPG, you should never really have that happen unless of course there is an equipment failure.
Context. No one runs out of air in the first couple of minutes of a dive. Well, I've had mine turned off by a DM as I splashed, but I simply turned it back on. But really, once you see the throat slash, your response should be automatic and deft.
I've never run out since I started using an SPG. I've been diving since 69, so it's been decades since I last ran out of air on a j-valve. If you're too broke to pay attention, then diving's not the sport for you.
450 dives. Never out of air. Never used my pony. Close a couple times on using the pony but shot an SMB instead.
Did an air share once with a diver who had an equipment issue. Her mouthpiece came off, did not know she could breath it anyway, was her first post cert dive, first ocean dive, and her spare reg was not where she was used to from her certification. Did another air share with a guide who had grabbed a not full tank and underestimated my SAC.
Did an air share once with a diver who had an equipment issue. Her mouthpiece came off, did not know she could breath it anyway, was her first post cert dive, first ocean dive, and her spare reg was not where she was used to from her certification. Did another air share with a guide who had grabbed a not full tank and underestimated my SAC.
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I have never ran out of air. I've helped OOA divers on four occasions (over about 4,000 dives). In two of those cases it was my dive buddy, and she was a very new diver carrying a camera and distracted to the point of not watching her gauge. On one occasion it was a diver who was known to me, but not my dive buddy. On the last occasion it was a complete stranger who just happened to be in vicinity.
Some food for thought ... if you've run out of air, how likely is it that your buddy is so low that they really don't have enough to get you both to the surface safely?
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
A different take....
I brief every student and every regular buddy that I WILL do an OOG with them somewhere during the dive. I also encourage them to do the same to me.
There is deliberately NO difference between a drill and an emergency right up to the point where they signal an ascent and I show "No" and hand their reg back.
In a real situation the first time they realise that it is NOT a drill is when instead of a hand back they get a thumb up.
The reason for this behaviour is that it reduces the adrenaline rush/ heavy breathing/ panic response of the donor. By the time there is any sense that this is a real thing, the receiver has a reg in their mouth and the ascent is about to start.
Train like you fight, fight like you train.
I do inform DM etc beforehand so they aren't surprised by seeing a share happening.
I brief every student and every regular buddy that I WILL do an OOG with them somewhere during the dive. I also encourage them to do the same to me.
There is deliberately NO difference between a drill and an emergency right up to the point where they signal an ascent and I show "No" and hand their reg back.
In a real situation the first time they realise that it is NOT a drill is when instead of a hand back they get a thumb up.
The reason for this behaviour is that it reduces the adrenaline rush/ heavy breathing/ panic response of the donor. By the time there is any sense that this is a real thing, the receiver has a reg in their mouth and the ascent is about to start.
Train like you fight, fight like you train.
I do inform DM etc beforehand so they aren't surprised by seeing a share happening.
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