Is tethering dangerous?

[String]

Quite possible to signal to a buddy by tapping them in those situations.

 

[haha49]

you can use a reel and hook one end too your buddy..

 

[String]

Why? Why would ANYONE want to be physically clipped to someone on any dive? If anything goes wrong, you're screwed and going with them.

Yes use a reel but just give them the end of it while the other has the reel. Don't clip it off.

 

[DennisW]

I have used a buddy line in low vis situations. Venice Beach, going out and back on a shore dive at Pepper Park in Ft. Pierce, etc. Never had a problem, would do it anytime. The buddy line is 6 to 8 ft long with a loop for your wrist, never had an entaglement. It also works great as a jon line for hanging on an anchor or bouy line when at your safety stops.

 

[erparamedic]

I've never been tethered to my buddy. I do, however, hold hands with my buddy if the vis is bad (<3 feet). Rod and I have dove many times in vis of 2 ft or less.... not much to see... but it can be a nice challenge.

 

[muddiver]

The NAUI basic course and I think PADI as well, use to teach having a buddy line with some sort of handels on the ends. It works ok for vis. that is down to three or four feet. For visability less than that I would highly suggest that you go to the U.S. Navy proceedure of being tetherd to the surface with a tender topside who can communicate with you either by line pull signals or get a Buddy Phone system.

With all the good underwater communications systems that can be purchased today, there is no reason to dive in limited vis. with out communication capabilities.

Never, never tie your self to another diver unless they are incapacitated, they have a secure air source like a full face mask and you are effecting a rescue.

 

[String]

Why would anyone want to go surface tether just for low vis? What you describe would eliminate 90% of diving in lots of places.

 

[Stoo]

IMHO to be "attached" to someone else is bad practise. I will concede that using a handheld line or possibly even a loose loop might have applications, but it needs to be a line that can be released in case of entanglement.

To be clear, I am talking about buddy-buddy line, not surface tendering. Many years ago, I spent a couple of seasons diving commercially in absolute zero visability, and in that case, a line made sense. In the sport world, tether lines are always used for ice diving of course...

 

[muddiver]

Why would anyone want to go surface tether just for low vis? What you describe would eliminate 90% of diving in lots of places.

It helps the Police SCUBy-doos find your body.

We spend a lot of time tethered to a surface tender but not between each other. Some of it is tied in while other times it is just holding the loop.

If two divers are hard tethered together and one gets into trouble you now have two divers in trouble. If conditions are that bad recreational divers don&#8217;t need to be diving.

Gary D.

 

[CJ Waid]

Tethers don't get in the way too bad at all, pesonally I think they are a little overkill most of the time, but if you feel you need a tether, then by all means tether, I wouldn't tether to my dive buddy though, too much risk of snagging, etc.

I was taught to have dry dive buddies, tenders up top, holding the other end of the rope, give certain PULL signals to communicate with them.

Like in the picture below, we did ONE TUG means are you OK, ONE TUG back means, I am OK. Two Tugs was hold on stay where you are or I am staying still for a second, and 3 tugs was get me the heck out of here.

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I don't know what he was trying to tug on, but I kind of enjoyed it.

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