How long do YOU look for a lost buddy.

[MXGratefulDiver]

I thought I would bring up this thorny subject to get feedback from others.
BACKGROUND FROM A RECENT DIVE
We had been to 26m on the first dive, on arrival at the site for a second dive we were told we were anchored on a shelf in 18m with a drop off to 34 on one side. I agreed with my European buddy to stick to a max. of 20m, on dropping in he went straight to 25! I signalled to ascend, he acknowledged and began to follow me, when I looked again he was descending again and disappeared behind kelp. I swam about at 20 to 23 but didn't see him. After a couple of minutes I ascended, did a safety stop and on surfacing saw him 100m away already back on the boat.

When I got there he accused me of abandoning him and wanted to re-start the dive. When both I and the skipper told him the dive was over he started to throw his gear and had to be cautioned by the skipper aboout damaging the hire gear and his boat.


How long do YOU look for a lost buddy and if someone has reputedly plenty of experience how much "mothering" should you give to your buddy?

Regardless of experience, I'm going to follow whatever agreed-upon protocol we discussed prior to the dive.

You DID discuss this prior to the dive ... right?

If not, then there's a standardized protocol that is taught at the OW level that should be followed ... search for one minute, then ascend.

Why?

Well, consider this ... what if your buddy has already surfaced ahead of you ... as apparently happened on your dive? Will continuing to search for him at depth accomplish anything? All it does, really, is cause anxiety for the diver who surfaces first, and increases the potential for you to create a problem for yourself at a time when you're diving alone.

Given the specifics of the dive as you described them, your buddy and you made a plan. He decided not to stick to the plan. That caused buddy separation. I wouldn't be spending a lot of time looking for my buddy under those circumstances. I'd be ending the dive, and spending my time looking for a different buddy for the next one ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Hatul]

I also now make of point of discussing beforehand the lost-buddy protocol, which is to look around for one minute and then surface. It can be a big problem on deep dives so you have to make every effort to stay close. But once one diver signals to ascend or not go any deeper this needs to be followed without question.

 

[TSandM]

I think Bob nailed it. I was taught the "one minute and surface" rule, and would generally discuss it and follow it. In this case, where the buddy deliberately broke the maximum depth parameter of a fully discussed dive plan, AND persisted in that behavior after being signaled and acknowledging the signal, I wouldn't look long at all (if at all). I would have surfaced and ended the dive, and requested another buddy.

On the other hand, I have looked a little longer than one minute, when I knew the person I was diving with would not have separated voluntarily and was highly likely to be somewhere in my immediate vicinity -- and I found him, too.

 

[Saxatilis]

Unfortunately it was situations like this one that contributed to me deciding to take my solo cert. I do agree with the one minute(ish) and surface rule. However, I try to avoid that situation altogether. I would rather dive solo than even try to dive with someone I suspect of being irresponsible. If I did have a buddy problem like the one you had, I would use Wetnotes to explain/remind my buddy of the plan while underwater. You cant speak underwater but you sure as H can write!

Be my dive buddy! I never do that

 

[xdjio]

Today I got involuntarily separated from my buddy - we both discussed it pre-dive and agreed: 2 minutes max, then surface. That's what we planned for, and that's what we ended up doing.

 

[mmcdanie]

For my regular buddy and I it's always 1 min searching then surface.

 

[DevonDiver]

Bob nailed the critical point - if you don't agree parameters and contingencies before-hand, then you cannot expect your 'buddy' to follow them.

How long do I look for a missing buddy.... for exactly the time we've agreed in the pre-dive planning/briefing... after which I do a safe ascent and raise the alarm. My buddy knows that I'll do this... so he/she is less inclined to get separated in the first place - nobody likes to be the cause of an 'emergency'.

There was another question on the board, just like this, last year. It prompted me to write this article: How to Dive with 'Insta-Buddies' - Scuba Tech Philippines

 

[Jax]

I thought I would bring up this thorny subject to get feedback from others.
BACKGROUND FROM A RECENT DIVE
We had been to 26m on the first dive, on arrival at the site for a second dive we were told we were anchored on a shelf in 18m with a drop off to 34 on one side. I agreed with my European buddy to stick to a max. of 20m, on dropping in he went straight to 25! I signalled to ascend, he acknowledged and began to follow me, when I looked again he was descending again and disappeared behind kelp.

I agree with Jim Lapenta. As soon as he broke the dive plan, ack'd your signal, then broke it again, you had no buddy.

 

[TMHeimer]

Similar to what TS&M said. Depends on the buddy--how experienced he is and how well you know him. Other things like maybe depth, viz, current may come into it. Usually I try to follow the minute rule, but 2-4 minutes at the outside.

 

[Kingpatzer]

Similar to what TS&M said. Depends on the buddy--how experienced he is and how well you know him. Other things like maybe depth, viz, current may come into it. Usually I try to follow the minute rule, but 2-4 minutes at the outside.

I have two ways to answer this depending on how snarky I'm feeling.

1) till I find them. Where I am while looking will depend on the dive plan discussed prior to the dive.

2) I won't. If you're an incompetent insta-buddy who gets separated when diving the plan we agreed upon then you're the DM's problem not mine.

Neither one is entirely true.

Ultimately though, the second is closer to the truth for all the times it has counted. Buddy skills are something I focus a lot on in my courses, starting with the ver first moment a student assembles gear where I am asking them how much air their buddy has. Getting separated is a sign of either a lack of attentiveness to your surroundings (in most cases) or a dive that is too advanced for your skill set, and in either case should be a big red flag. In no case do I have patience for bad buddy skills when I am not getting paid to teach them.