So much for the buddy system, RIP
Ever hear of sarcasm?
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So much for the buddy system, RIP
...We were both checking out critters on a large wall and eventually due to New England's lovely viz, became separated at roughly 70 ft. (he turned a corner and was gone, even though I looked for him, shined my lights, etc...).
...
If I were your buddy, I'd be "agitated", too. You (both) agreed on a buddy separation procedure, but you (specifically) didn't follow that procedure. As far as he knew, he was safe on the surface, you were not, and you didn't show up like you had agreed on. If my buddy goes missing like that, I'm getting out of the water to get my phone and call emergency services ASAP. And if I find out that my elevated BP and my unnecessary emergency call are caused by him just not feeling like following the plan and procedures we agreed on, I'd probably be a bit... agitated. Or, rather, quite pi$$ed off.Now, at the beginning of the dive we both said that we should surface if we got separated, the problem is that I was at 70ft and didn't feel comfortable popping up at that depth. I slowly made my way back to the area where we started, made a safety stop at 15 ft, and surfaced. We eventually found each other, but he seemed pretty agitated that I didn't pop up right away. I told him I wasn't comfortable doing that at that depth, and he seemed to think it was ok...
My take on that is that unless specifically discussed and agreed otherwise, we're following what we were taught during OW class: Search for one minute, then surface.poor pre-dive brief, there is a need to better specify separation protocols, and how to reconnect at depth.
In case of a lost buddy, you're not "popping up" to "take a look for his bubbles". You surface according to agreed procedure, and if he doesn't, you get your a$$ ashore ASAP and call for rescue because you have a missing diver situation.My question is- Is it anyway safe to pop up for a minute and take a look for his bubbles at that depth?
If I were your buddy, I'd be "agitated", too. You (both) agreed on a buddy separation procedure, but you (specifically) didn't follow that procedure. As far as he knew, he was safe on the surface, you were not, and you didn't show up like you had agreed on. If my buddy goes missing like that, I'm getting out of the water to get my phone and call emergency services ASAP. And if I find out that my elevated BP and my unnecessary emergency call are caused by him just not feeling like following the plan and procedures we agreed on, I'd probably be a bit... agitated. Or, rather, quite pi$$ed off.
In case of a lost buddy, you're not "popping up" to "take a look for his bubbles". You surface according to agreed procedure, and if he doesn't, you get your a$$ ashore ASAP and call for rescue because you have a missing diver situation.
Ever hear of sarcasm?
You probably can't imagine the bill for that sort of hysterical reaction.