When did you learn Buddy Breathing

[AfterDark]

I learned during the 12 week basic course I took in 1968. Basic wasn't one of the choices.

 

[DennisS]

YMCA did not have an "Open Water" course in 1972. The course Entitled "Open Water" was first introduced by PADI in 1978 or 1979. It was their entry level course which reduced the amount of training that was required in the pool and increased the number of open water scuba training dives from 2 to 4.

I just looked at my YMCA card and it says Open Water Diver. It's a replacement card. It doesn't have a replacement date, just an issue date of 9/72. I got the replacement some time in the 90's

 

[miketsp]

No-agency mentor 1970
CMAS 1* (=OW) 2002 when I finally certified through an agency.

 

[TonyW388]

It was in the book but it was never practiced in my ow course. However, I am only ow water certified too. If that makes a difference.

My buddy and I do practice this drill. We took it upon ourselves to learn to buddy breath. I figure if the "Crap" hits the fan then we can always buddy breath if any of the redundant sources fail.

I would rather have practiced it and not use it, than it being the other way around.

 

[DCBC]

I learned buddy breathing while taking a diver training program with NAUI in 1964 (I was 11 years old). I've included it into every initial diver training program that I've taught over the past 38 years. It will remain a compulsory skill and will be required for diver certification.

 

[scubadada]

1970, LA County Underwater Unit, Basic Scuba Diving

Good diving, Craig

 

[ianr33]

First did it in OW around 16 years ago (PADI)

More recently used it to share a deco tank (practice) IMHO every diver should be capable of doing this, even if they never actually have to.

 

[Rick Inman]

NASDS OW 1971.

My Dad and I certified together and dived together through my teen years, and he pulled an OOA BB exercise on almost every dive. He wanted to know his son could handle emergencies safely. Today, CPS would probably have me taken away from him.

I see almost no reason to teach it, except to mention that it's possible. The vast majority of divers today have some kind of alternate air source.

Any skill that has the diver taking the reg out of their mouth is a good one, IMHO. I see so many divers who do the "Air Share" in BOW, and then never again. And if/when their buddy needs air, they are suddenly trying to remember what to do. Taking the thing out of your mouth that is delivering life-giving air is not the natural thing to do, your instincts fight against it, and unless you have regular practice at doing it, it won't be second nature.

There is a confidence building factor in buddy breathing successfully. It makes handing off a secondary (or primary with a back-up) reg seem like a piece of cake.

I'm not saying everyone should do it. Just that it does have positive benefits.

Once, we were doing a skills dive and I calmly went up to a young lady and signaled OOG. She took the reg from her mouth, froze for a second, her eyes widened as her instincts screamed at here not to have the reg out of her mouth, shoved it back in and waved me away. If it had been real, I would have died.

She hadn't had the reg out of her mouth underwater since BOW class.

Buddy breathing is fun, reinforces a positive emergence memory of having the reg out of your mouth, and builds confidence. I can't imagine how, but it just might come in handy some day.

 

[Walter]

For all of you that chimed in that you learned it in OW, I'd love to know when you took OW and through what agency.

1983 through YMCA. I teach it in every OW class (previously YMCA now SEI), in fact my students exchange gear while buddy breathing toward the end of the class. It's an easy skill to learn and, if practiced, it a safe easy way to deal with an OOA situation.

there is no sense in performing, let alone learning, Buddy Breathing!

It's a much better choice than ESA.

Disclaimer: All discussion of value, by me or anyone else, is opinion.

 

[Zieg]

I learned in 1973 in the Padi Scuba diver course.