Three man buddy teams

[gypsyjim]

As a more occasional diver, often a single paired on board the dive boat, I find that some are good team players, and some just can't follow even simple safety rules. I've had two man teams that were simply accidents in motion, and I been assigned to three man units that worked. Getting the communication established early and just saying no to the team if it doesn't feel cohesive helps for me. If the team doesn't feel like a team above the water, it probably won't be one in the water.

 

[OE2X]

How does the soup stay together when exposed to the salt water enviroment? Was I asleep during the soupocline lesson in oceanography?

I don't know if you were asleep, but it sounds like you need a refresher course. This is generally served between the 4th and 5th courses and is good for refreshing ones palette.

 

[OE2X]

As a more occasional diver, often a single paired on board the dive boat, I find that some are good team players, and some just can't follow even simple safety rules. I've had two man teams that were simply accidents in motion, and I been assigned to three man units that worked. Getting the communication established early and just saying no to the team if it doesn't feel cohesive helps for me. If the team doesn't feel like a team above the water, it probably won't be one in the water.

Gypsyjim - thanks for getting this thread back on topic. Welcome to the board!

You make an excellent point about communication. It starts above water with the dive plan and if the team is able to communicate well there then it can be generally surmized that the communication will work well u/w.

 

[dlndavid]

OK, may I chime in. On a recent dive trip to Cabo I was paired with a diver, that once UW, I felt he didn't care one way or the other about the buddy system. He was on his own. It was a deep dive for me, a little over 100 ft. While doing the dive I noticed two teamed up partners, that were practicing very good, attentive buddy skills. When we got back on the boat, and lunch during our SI, I praised the two "good buddies" for how attentive they were to each other, hoping this might inspire my "buddy".
Well, on the second dive, my "buddy", was lost in space, going his own way, never looking behind to check on me. So I got close to the other two "good dive buddies", and they knew I was looking for support, and gave it. I was having trouble with too fast of an ascent, because I was leaning the wrong way for my dump valve and had to hold on to one, and he quickly signaled my problem with body english. I was able to regain control and hang with my new dive buddies for the duration of the dive.
So that's my story and I'm sticking to it. One dive buddy may not be worth a rat's you know what, and three dive buddies may help each other, me in this case.

 

[limeyx]

As has been said already - that's not a team.

The plan was based on a 3 person team, right? How can 2 follow the original plan if one member abandoned the team?

Who left who? Seems to me the one who abandoned the rest of the team was the bad buddy....

I would have.... and have. Either the diver attempts to change their attitude, or needs to find someone else to dive with.

Yup. I have had the fortune of only diving with people I know and trust so far (but at some point that's going to end). If a buddy (or part of a team) decides it's somehow "OK" to disappear off when we get down there, then I am thumbing the dive and not diving with them again.

 

[limeyx]

That is why my spoon is bungeed right under my chin!

on a 7 foot length of bungee I presume, in case your buddy gets an OOS emergency

 

[limeyx]

I was going to suggest that we go with a green curry in the 20' thermos (yes on the Kafir lime leaves but without the shrimp in deference to our U/W friends) and something a little heartier for the 10' thermos.

I dunno, IMO curry and diving don't really mix (well, unless you have a dump-valve on the wetsuit I guess Sorry for the kinda gross humor.

 

[novadiver]

I hear all the drysuit manufacturers are now warning about the use of split pea soup because of the risk of out of control ascent, I think it has something to do with the high fiber content.

 

[OE2X]

on a 7 foot length of bungee I presume, in case your buddy gets an OOS emergency

No he carries a backup in his left pocket.

 

[OE2X]

I hear all the drysuit manufacturers are now warning about the use of split pea soup because of the risk of out of control ascent, I think it has something to do with the high fiber content.

I thought split pea was acceptable for the 10' stop. Any deeper and you run the risk of an out of control ascent...