What kind of buddy do you want to be?

[Teamcasa]

As a diver that shoots video I try to be very - very clear that I am likely to spend 10 minutes hovering over one spot shooting tape. I will be checking on you when the camera is on but not too closely so please stay in my peripheral vision but not so close as to kick up silt. If I lose sight of you I will have to stop shooting and look for you.

Some understand it and agree to the conditions, others agree but once on scene, I have to constantly look for them. Others complain bitterly after the dive even after the pre-dive conversation.

If you buddy up with a Photographer/Videographer be prepared to entertain yourself and for heavens sake, stay in our vision.

 

[SelkieDVM]

The Follower

You and your new buddy discuss a dive plan, decide that you will be leading, and perform a predive check. But you forgot to dicuss where you'll be both be positioned in relation to one another. During the dive, you're frustrated to find that your buddy insists upon following you rather that diving beside you, forcing you to turn around or look through your legs to check on him. At one point, when you turn to check you don't even see him initially, because now he is not only behind you but above you by a few feet.

What do you do ... and why?

 

[letterboy]

the follower:

I would use my hands to signal I would like him next to me, if they don't comply or appear confused write it on my slate for them to read. If they are still not following my request, thumb the dive and discuss on the surface.

 

[MtnPlayVA]

Scenario 4: The Follower

You and your new buddy discuss a dive plan, decide that you will be leading, and perform a predive check. But you forgot to discuss where you'll be both be positioned in relation to one another. During the dive, you're frustrated to find that your buddy insists upon following you rather that diving beside you, forcing you to turn around or look through your legs to check on him. At one point, when you turn to check you don't even see him initially, because now he is not only behind you but above you by a few feet.

What do you do ... and why?

Good one Selkie - this is something I dealt with when my husband first started diving. I held his hand throughout that dive and then we talked about it once we surfaced. He said he was more comfortable being up behind me because he could follow me better and it was easier situationally for him to control his buoyancy. I explained to him how difficult it is for me to keep track of him if he is directly above and behind me. He's pretty good about staying in my peripheral vision now but I still have to grab his hand and make him swim next to me every now and then.

Not sure you'd want to do the hand holding thing with a stranger though

 

[Jim Lapenta]

He's staying behind you for the view. Don't let him BS ya!

 

[SelkieDVM]

whoops, nevermind

 

[MtnPlayVA]

What would you do if you had your pre-dive discussion and you and your buddy agreed on everything....only to find out underwater that he was still putting you into Situation #1 or #2?

While prevention (and making sure you and your buddy have compatible diving styles) is important, some buddies seem to forget the instant their heads go underwater....so what is your course of action in that case?

In scenario 1 I would surface with my buddy and then talk to them when we were back on the boat. If it happened a second time I wouldn't be diving with that person again. Diving should be fun and relaxing.

For scenario 2 it's a little harder. Neither option is a good safe one. I wouldn't enter the wreck but surfacing and leaving the buddy behind isn't safe either. I would wait as long as I safely could and then surface. If they made light of it when we discussed it later, I wouldn't be diving with that person again. Diving is an expensive hobby and I want to enjoy it as much as possible. It shouldn't be something that stresses me out. If my buddy is causing me stress and doesn't want to compromise they won't be my buddy on future dives.

Julie

 

[sea nmf]

The Speed Demon
As a new diver that is buddied with the SD, I would surface with him. After all, it is stressed in OW to stay with your buddy. It goes back to anyone can call a dive at any time for any reason. Sure, I might be annoyed that I missed the cool stuff, but I'm sticking with my training. I was actually in this situation in Bonaire, but I was a seasoned diver. I simply told my buddy that I would not be diving with him anymore. It is possible he was as annoyed with me for being slow and in so being, labeled me a follower.

Trust Me
This is a difficult scenario for a new diver and a seasoned diver. You are trained to stay with your buddy. But if your buddy is doing something you are uncomfortable with, you have a decision to make. I guess I would stay out and wait. I would stay right at the point the buddy entered. If I ran low on air or the buddy did not emerge in a reasonable amount of time, I would ascend by myself and seek help for my buddy. Again, there are some swim throughs here in Hawaii and some caverns with large openings that I feel comfortable with, but defiinitely have an overhead component. I always ask my buddy first if they feel comfortable going in. If they say no, I don't go.

As Lynn pointed out, you try to avoid being in these situations by discussing it first. But sometimes, even if discussed, the plan is thrown out when underwater. It should be considered a learning opportunity.

 

[Kingpatzer]

Scenerio 5: I'm Experienced!

Your insta-buddy has explained to you all about his experience and you're looking forward to diving with him, after all, you've only been certified a few months. You descend and start to swim over the reef. You're "experienced" buddy is kicking up silt, and bumping into coral, he's clearly having serious buoyancy issues. You watch in disbelief as he struggles to stay off the coral. You notice that the effort he's putting into all of this is starting to have an effect, you're pretty sure he's on the verge of panic.

What do you do?

"TRUST ME" -- for this one I stay and watch as best I can until I approaching my turn pressure. If I have a reel, I'll tie off where he entered and send up my bag there. But I'm going top-side at my planned return pressure. Once on the surface, I'll inform the captain or dive master where I left my buddy and I will hope that either he shows up soon, or that someone can find his body for his family.

 

[fnfalman]

Scenario #1 - The Speed Demon

What do you do ... and why?


I've gone through a similiar scenario with an instant buddy who darted from place to place without a thought to where that person was going, air consumption, touching animals and bouncing off the bottom, etc., then ran low on air.

I stuck with that person because I agreed to be that person's buddy FOR THAT DIVE. After the dive was over, I told that person that it looks like our styles of diving don't jive so we should find different buddies. I would not abandon a buddy unless that buddy is killing him/herself and probably take me with him/her if I were to stick around.

Scenario 2.

I had ONE certified dive under my belt and my buddy of 500+ dives decided to penetrate a small sailboat. It was nothing really, a tiny sailboat with nothing inside to trap you and a whole big enough for a freight train to go through. But it was a wreck penetration that we never planned for. He signaled me to follow him and I shook my head. He went in anyway. It scared the piss out of me because if something were to happen to him, I wouldn't know what to do except run for the surface and yell for help. This is the same buddy who kept on diving after we got separated a few times because he "trusted me and knew that I would have been OK". I was fresh out of freakin' OW class Though I liked the guy, we stopped being buddies and I'm sure he was relieved not to have to put up with a newbie.

Later on, another instant buddy that I knew but never dived with before. This guy seemed to be a cautious diver (he had double redundancy for everything), and we're both seasoned enough to have some fun. Off we went and everything was great until he saw a crevice that seemed to have enough room to penetrate and he shined a light through to the otherside, apparently there's a pocket big enough to house a diver. Next thing I knew, he wriggled through the HOLE!!! Didn't even give me a sign or anything, but went right into the rabbit hole. He then had the nerve to signal me through. I said HELL NO!!! We finished the dive and I asked him not to be my buddy again.

There are things that I refuse to participate in and impromtu penetration of overheaded environment without proper planning is one of them.