Hello from the Philippines and a lost buddy question

[BigJackPH]

Hi, Big Jack here, I just joined, based in the beautiful Philippines. Started diving a year ago, have logged 96 dives and am Advanced Certified and I getting into underwater photography.

Just found ScubaBoard, looks great, I have a question after an incident last week and I want to learn from it.

In summary, I was diving with my "old" instructor, two other Divemasters and a colleague, it was just a weekend group fun dive, I want to stress this was not a course or training. The Instructor was leading the Dive. In the briefing we are going to do a negative entry and drift with the reef on our left side. The Instructor actually deflated and to make sure all the air was out of my BCD, my Buddy was the Instructor

We all did our back rolls at the same time, I went to descent but couldn't get down, i thought at first I had lost a weight pocket, checked it was fine, (note I also had a Camera with me in one hand) then managed to pull the air purge and i still had a lot of air, released and started to descend, unfortunately my buddies had almost disappeared in the strong current and we only had like 8M of Viz (prior dive we had 20M) by the time I had reached 10M they were out of sight. I followed as best i could searching for 1 minute, even put my light on, then decided to ascend as in a standard lost buddy procedure (which btw we didn't discuss - Mistake 1) given my bottom time was less than 2mins and at 10M i decided not to do a safety stop as the current was ripping and I didn't know how far I was away from the boat. I surfaced and was already 200M from the boat and being swept away quickly. Inflated my BCD and sounded my Dive Alert Whistle and put up my SMB , in short finally the boat heard my Whistle and came and got me by this time I was a good 500M away!!

So what's the question, well none of my buddies and these are an Instructor, 2 divemasters and one advanced surfaced to look for me? They continued the Dive for about 30mins (until one got low on Air fighting the current) What should have be the procedure, should they have also aborted and looked for me, it is scary when you drift away "alone" . Later I asked, why didn't you abort and look for me, " well we thought you were OK, saw you but couldn't get back to you. Then 5mins or so later we heard a boat engine start so thought they would pick you up" anyway we have a recall from the boat that they bang a tank in the water in an emergency.

Sure I made a mistakes, I should have personally checked the air was out of my BCD, I should have asked about lost buddy procedure, should maybe have better realized they current was strong and left the camera so i had free on the dump valve, I should have maybe better known the bearing for the drift. But what should they have done? I think they should have aborted, or at least 2 should have done a search, they didn't know if I had an equipment problem i.e. a Regulator, BCD, tank valve...Welcome your views so I can learn from mistakes

Cheers and oh btw if anyone wants to know about diving in the Philippines i can try and answer your questions

 

[KeithG]

Seems like you really did not have a buddy. Thinking you did was the real mistake?

"Group dives" are very common. They also seem to screw up the concept of the buddy system since no one really commits to having a buddy. Instead of one, they have a whole pile of buddy's. I claim this approach is a lazy complacent cop-out. In reality, as you discovered, no one has a buddy. It really is a cluster of solo divers.

In the future if you really want to dive with a buddy (your call), then make sure that your "buddy" knows this is a buddy dive and not a group of solo divers. As a buddy pair you can dive with a bunch of other people. But be clear this IS a buddy dive and not a group dive.

Here is another thread to read...
Why don't "club trip divers" use buddy teams?

 

[TMHeimer]

Welcome BigJack, Yeah, they should have searched for you. Though I admit I was maybe guilty of same. In the N. Gulf of Mex. my experienced buddy descended straight down instead of following the line down on an angle into the ripping current (couldn't hold the line as it was connected to a 5 pound weight on the bottom the capt. used to mark the wreck). Since he never descended behind me, I continued down, looked around 5 mins. in lousy viz at 80+feet then ascended. I figured the boat got him, or would get him if I just did a quick bounce dive. Anyway, think I should've surfaced immediately to make sure he was on the surface.
In your situation--of not discussing procedures, even among basically all professionals--it illustrates how this is all too frequently the case. And I at times plead guilty here as well. Other than a brief chat about plans, gas, etc. and making sure of how we release each other's weights, my BWRAF has been usually "You good to go? OK, me too". I also don't think I've EVER done or seen a "proper" buddy check in all my dives. You know, BWRAF, etc. Well, in the OW course yes.

 

[BigJackPH]

Seems like you really did not have a buddy. Thinking you did was the real mistake?

"Group dives" are very common. They also seem to screw up the concept of the buddy system since no one really commits to having a buddy. Instead of one, they have a whole pile of buddy's. I claim this approach is a lazy complacent cop-out. In reality, as you discovered, no one has a buddy. It really is a cluster of solo divers.

In the future if you really want to dive with a buddy (your call), then make sure that your "buddy" knows this is a buddy dive and not a group of solo divers. As a buddy pair you can dive with a bunch of other people. But be clear this IS a buddy dive and not a group dive.

Here is another thread to read...
Why don't "club trip divers" use buddy teams?

Thanks thats very good insight, previous day we were clear on buddies, then we had an extra person, good learning

 

[TMHeimer]

I agree. Never gave thought to "group" diving as I haven't done it.

 

[Peter69_56]

If I were you I would have been very disappointed with my supposed buddy. I have done 35m dives, got to the bottom of the line to realise I am on my own on the sand, look up the line but cannot see anyone. Go all the way back up and find that my buddy is in the boat with an ear block. No prob. He is full of apologies, but I am cool with it and glad he is safe. Wait for another diver to be ready so he stays on the boat and the next pair dive with me. Safety first. He couldn't come down or alert me so I go up. You did the right thing. They however did not. They would not be welcome on my boat again.

Rule 1 is to have a discussion on how the dive will be conducted.

I have a new diver going out on Wed, ok we talk about the site what to expect, lost diver rules, do we stick as a total team or are in pairs and a loose team of say 6, 100 BAR rule (let me know), low air rule (we all go up, but if your low air is critical go up immediately regardless and dont just swan along hoping someone will notice and do something (it should not get to that but plan for worst contingency), everyone carries a DSMB and spool if ascending in any sort of current and in particular if the boat is not anchored you WILL shoot a DSMB while ascending, and finally is everyone happy and have any issues they wish to discuss.

I carry spare air for people just in case and had the need to use it once when someone new didnt let me know they were low until they were very low. My rule there is to put them on spare air and keep their low air for emergency use for BCD or if they are separated from the spare air.

 

[FinnMom]

I agree with all said above. Just wanted to add that to allow a group dive but make things much easier, our club taught me to handle group dives this way:

A group is always a collection of 2-person buddy teams. 3 is also OK if there is an odd number of divers, but then preferably a threesome that are used to diving as a threesome, or two experienced buddies with 1 inexperienced diver).
Buddies stick together, period. Everyone can try to stay with the group but everyone knows there is actually only one specific person (in a threesome, 2) they must stay with, be aware of, and with whom moves need to be communicated and agreed. Buddy groups are free to change their plans at any time and with no notice to others, so the whole group is not bothered if one buddy team disappears or stops following the original plan. No one needs to try to watch the whole group. A divemaster on a liveaboard guided dive probably tries to watch us all, but even his life is easier because if something happens, no single diver is going to vanish with a problem because the buddies will stay together.

It's challenge enough to enjoy your surroundings while staying well aware of one buddy and your general situation. Diving as a flock is a headache and it just doesn't work.

 

[TMHeimer]

FinnMom, That's the way I would do it. Only way that makes sense.

Peter69_56, You've got safety covered in multiple ways. But I am curious as to how you got all the way down to 35m without noticing you're alone. I know I mentioned that I did that to 80' in my first post--I was aware that my buddy hadn't descended but a few feet before getting blown away by the current.

 

[Peter69_56]

FinnMom, That's the way I would do it. Only way that makes sense.

Peter69_56, You've got safety covered in multiple ways. But I am curious as to how you got all the way down to 35m without noticing you're alone. I know I mentioned that I did that to 80' in my first post--I was aware that my buddy hadn't descended but a few feet before getting blown away by the current.

Oh we had an understanding as we were going down a line. He said he might take a little time, meet you on the sand. After getting there I realised he wasn't coming so back up for me. I could actually see about 15m so saw he was behind me when I was at about 20m

 

[TMHeimer]

Makes sense.