I feel a bit guilty....would you?

[drbill]

I've been in this situation a few times and have never felt guilty about having a buddy ascend solo. However, I only do this if we are in shallow water (say, s/he has just completed her/his safety stop and I plan on continuing the dive solo.

No need for guilt.

 

[piikki]

Not to make you feel bad but this was not only about you and Raoul. There were also two other divers who now had to face a new arrangements. I agree with Bob that your gut tells you the truth.

If a choice situation goes a bit haywire underwater I think it's better to go the way you believe is right rather than fold under pressure against your will because you might ignore several (other) things that later bite you in the butt. (Like a fact that just maybe your buddies aren't comfortable in threesome even though they accept you because they now feel socially uncomfortable about this confrontation too).

 

[jonnythan]

FWIW, I would only let my buddy ascend solo if he was very experienced and absolutely insisted.

 

[Kim]

That said, if you were uncomfortable diving as a 3, you should have gone with him anyway.

No that wasn't the point - I knew the pair I buddied with were great and we had no problem forming a team that went on to enjoy a very nice dive. Actually I personally really enjoy groups of three - there are certain advantages. I'm also sure they had no problems with it either - we'd all been on a quite small boat for two days already and were getting to know each other very well.

This was simply about doing something that didn't feel quite right - not for me. Although we had a great dive something in me was very glad to see Raoul back on the boat afterwards and know that my misgivings were unfounded. I would have a lot of trouble with myself if I came back after such an event and they weren't. We all know anything can happen anytime, so there's no point pretending it won't. Suffice to say I've already decided for myself that this will never happen again. I like Bob's suggestion to go back to 20 or even 15 ft and see them home. After that what I do is my own decision, but at least I'll know that I took the full responsibility for what I was trained to do and didn't cut any corners that MIGHT have got someone hurt...or worse.

However....also as Bob said -
That's just me....

There's a Dutch expression: "Samen uit, samen huis" - "Go out together, come home together."

 

[PerroneFord]

Kim,

I hear ya. I've done solo ascents before, though only in pretty controlled scenarios. I'd be somewhat nervous about it in open seas, especially with boat traffic, or entanglement potential.

But personally I would not let someone surface alone period. That's just me. Time under the water seems to be more important to others than it is to me. I could care less about aborting a dive for any reason. Water's not going anywhere.

Again, not to make you feel guilty, just my personal thoughts. Glad it all worked out for you.

 

[Cacia]

70 ft, under the boat, an Instructor.... I think you did the right thing by offering.

Sometimes changing the plan makes the most sense and your "comfort zone" is

expanding a bit...just my opinion. It will make you a stronger diver. I have followed

newer divers to where I can "see them off" but then you would have been alone

and he has way more experience than you, right? I try to avoid the bouncing bit,

especially on multiple days, mutiple dives. Your physiology trumps your conscious.

 

[Markdone]

Please don't torture yourself with second guesses. The good news is nothing happened, and I think I would have done the same in your fins.

I've done this myself (ascended solo) without consequences when I had a situation that caused me to thumb the dive but was not concerned about my own well-being. Maybe I should have been, but I think the DM mentality is kinda like a teenager - I'm invincible etc.

Retrospect tells me this should have been briefed - on my recreational dives, we frequently say "if anyone comes up, we all do..." or "buddies will always stay together, regardless...." but we all know every dive is different.

Reading through the 2003 DAN fatalities/injuries data, I was struck by how many things went sour AFTER getting to the surface, but most of that was diver related, not equipment.

Another reason for a slate.

 

[Kim]

Here's a tip if you are in the situation again, when they tell you to stay down and you don't feel comfortable with that order just signal "sinus squeeze, ascend." Sometimes you have to go all the way to the surface to get the doggone things to clear and sometimes they won't clear at all so you have to abort the dive
Ber :lilbunny:

I'll remember this one too! My Mum used to call these "white lies"!

 

[Kim]

Another reason for a slate.

We had slates but didn't need to use them. Everyone was perfectly clear at all times what was going on - we had no communication problems.

 

[Firefyter]

You did the right thing. His octo was working, what's the big deal? He was in absolutely no danger.

I'm in total agreement with Walter.....