When diving do you...

[Fishkiller]

Ok let me preface this by saying I need to go diving. You can handle anything once you complete a dive.

oking:

Do you dive alone? (Note I did not ask if you dive solo.)

Is there a difference? Yes and No, semantics some might add, but as a whole everyone dives alone. This has been something that has taken up my time as of late and thought I should express it. When I was first certified I noticed a diver being alone, and none questioned it. Because that is the way it is and has been done. Who was this diver, my instructor three other students no DM and who was my instructor’s buddy? When talking with a MI I asked, “When you dive with a class do you dive alone?” it was agreed that when an instructor is with a class they are alone, with the added responsibility to make sure the student isn’t.

There is lots of talk about diving in buddy teams and when done perfect theses work quite well, how many of you can say that you have a perfect buddy? Even less can honestly say they are a perfect buddy. Diver A, who has been a Master diver for 3 years, his dive buddy Diver B, a Rescue diver for 2 years, they have dove together for over 500 dives. This dive when the two reached to bottom about 75 feet they separated to their normal diving distance and began to look around. As they swim through a slight overhang diver B brushes the side knocking off a unstable rock and causing the rock to fall hitting the himself in the head removing his mask, regulator and drawing a large amount of blood. Diver A just kept on his way. When Diver A turned to look for his buddy where was he at? Wasn’t at his normal spot…

I found it interesting that during my training last year I was told that when you get separated from your buddy look around for a minute then surface. How often does the following buddy get lost? For that matter what do you rely on your buddy for? For a situation that you are unable to handle without assitance. But lets face it if we were all perfect buddies, we couldn’t enjoy diving, what would you be under the water for,
It sure wouldn’t be to see the sights.

Ask yourself this when diving with your buddy who enjoys it more? To be a perfect buddy your eyes and thoughts would be glued on your partner at arms distance ready in an instance to assist with what ever was required. Then again are you a good buddy?

 

[Scottri]

Up here in the Pacific Northwest diving alone is a fact of life. When the vis is 5' it's easy to lose your buddy so you had better learn to be comfortable alone in the water. I often dive alone but only if my buddy is someone that I don't feel I need to worry about. If I'm diving with a newbie I make sure they are ams lenght away or less at all times. I like both styles of diving for different reasons. I do dive solo at times as well. I prefer to be in the water with a buddy since they would know where I was and how long to expect me to be down even if they are not with me the entire time. I've never had a problem. I do make sure we have a lost buddy plan before each dive in case we do get seperated.


Scott

 

[Fishkiller]

Originally posted by Scottri
Up here in the Pacific Northwest diving alone is a fact of life. When the vis is 5' it's easy to lose your buddy so you had better learn to be comfortable alone in the water.

my questions for you about that would be this: Did you learn your diving in low viz? what incidents were brought to you attention to cause you to evolve your diving plans?

I prefer to be in the water with a buddy since they would know where I was and how long to expect me to be down even if they are not with me the entire time.

can't that be done with a note by the phone at home?

 

[Zept]

Originally posted by Fishkiller
To be a perfect buddy your eyes and thoughts would be glued on your partner at arms distance...

I'm far from perfect. I don't ever expect to be perfect, but hopefully I'm improving.

My eyes and thoughts are not glued to my buddy, but we are usually an arm's length apart. Keeping track of each other is very little effort when we're side by side... I just turn my head a bit, and there she is.

I don't really understand why people people find staying together such a burden. We dive together, we show each other stuff, we chat about the dive afterwards. For me, diving is a social thing (I work alone, from home), and I'm not looking for solitude when I hit the water. I enjoy the companionship, the shared experience.

The buddy system isn't all bad, in other words .

Z

 

[Scottri]

Fishkiller,

Sure I could let someone know before I leave for a dive trip but they wouldn't be on-site and know when I went down and where. What if I had to alter my plans when I got to the dive site?

Yes, I did learn in low vis conditions and the fact is most of the diving here is low vis by most standards. Usual vis is anywhere from 6' to 60' but standard is about 15 to 25'. I do a lot of spearfishing and food gathering and sometimes when swimming after a fish or chasing a crab I will get seperated from my buddy or he can't keep up. It's all part of my spearfishing experience. Like I said, when diving with newbies I stay with them period but when diving with a competent buddy we get seperated from time to time and have to become pretty self sufficient. I agree that it's not hard to stay with a buddy but it all depends on the dive plan, conditions and the objective.


Scott

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by Fishkiller

There is lots of talk about diving in buddy teams and when done perfect theses work quite well, how many of you can say that you have a perfect buddy? Even less can honestly say they are a perfect buddy.

To be a perfect buddy your eyes and thoughts would be glued on your partner at arms distance ready in an instance to assist with what ever was required. Then again are you a good buddy?

Up here in the Pacific Northwest diving with my buddy is a fact of life... It is what we do... and the occasional bad viz doesn't keep us from staying in constant communication.

Sure... I can honestly say that I have a pefect buddy and he would say the same about me.

And no... we are not glued to each other... we maintain constant passive communication through our light beams. Our beams cross regularly and I know where he is and he knows right where I am even though we don't actually see each other. Occasionally we will make eye contact and often we will actively signal one another with the lights... but no glue... none.

This does not burden either of us. The HID light beams are the key.

And I whole heartedly agree with Zept that buddy diving adds to the joy! (my paraphrase)

 

[Arduous]

Sometimes finding a good dive buddy is not easy. Or finding one who can dive on the same days as you. When it comes to diving alone or not diving at all, then I’m going diving alone. I consider this self sufficient diving. Relying on myself and taking responsibility for myself. I very much enjoy my solo diving. There is a certain peace in it and the relief of the burden of being a responsible buddy. As much as I enjoy my solo dives, I do however enjoy diving with others. As others have stated above, diving is a social activity and is probably best shared with others. To have a partner by your side at depth to explore with you and to talk about the dive during the surface intervals is a big part of the fun of the spot. All this being said, if I had the best dive buddy in the world, I would still want to do my solo dives from time to time.

……………Arduous……………..

 

[Uncle Pug]

Well I've gotta confess.... today I came close to falling off the wagon...

Now my perfect buddy and I are going diving this weekend but today I was going to go diving with a couple of not so perfect buddies...

Beautiful sunny (rare) day here in western Washington with calm conditions....

Then I get two separate phoney calls.... grrrrrrr!

So I must admit that I was tempted to exchange the single in the back of the truck for a set of doubles and go anyway....

But.... I had principles to uphold!
And a three acre lawn to mow.

 

[Fishkiller]

Uncle Pug

Sure... I can honestly say that I have a pefect buddy and he would say the same about me.

Now my perfect buddy and I are going diving this weekend but today I was going to go diving with a couple of not so perfect buddies...

are you freely admitting that you are selfish towards you and your buddy? do you not take the time and effort required to help the not so perfect become so?

Scottri

Like I said, when diving with newbies I stay with them period but when diving with a competent buddy we get seperated from time to time and have to become pretty self sufficient.

What things do you require from a stranger before you consider them competent?

Arduous

Sometimes finding a good dive buddy is not easy.

Low vis aside when and if you every got into trouble how fast will your or your buddy be there to provide assistance?

during the pre dive have you decided the fate of your buddy before you get into the water?

 

[Uncle Pug]

are you freely admitting that you are selfish towards you and your buddy? do you not take the time and effort required to help the not so perfect become so?

No Fishy... how in the world did you twist that out of what I said.... never mind I don't want to know....

Here let me translate for you:
Some buddies are less perfect than others....
And mowing lawn isn't diving ;-0