Festus
Registered
the hairless monkey swam off, and did not reappear for 45 minuets. I quit you win,
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Pre-dive briefs are not done in the water. When I lead a dive a site brief is given even before gear is unpacked. If I have to make "insta-buddies" I remind them to discuss their plans before the dive.
Let me ask you this... did you verify each other's kit before you got into the water? Did you verify the location of their octo? Did you discuss hand signals at all? Did you discuss when you turn your dives?
Try taking charge of your dives instead of being babysat by a divemaster and hoping that everyone is thinking the same thing without discussing it first.
The best buddy is self-reliance. Sorry if you don't have confidence in your skills.
Should I have called the authorities and perhaps wasted their time?
Where was the divemaster at this point?
Personally I would have mounted a search. I'm not sure I would have raised an alarm if I thought he was ok aside from being separated. It would really need to be there to know for sure.
Obviously his not following procedure is a major issue and unacceptable. How did he respond when you gave him a "piece of your mind"?
R..
Did he by any chance join the wrong buddy pair, mistaking identities in low visibility? It's astonishing that someone with 30 dives experience would continue diving by himself for 40 minutes in 1m visibility. It would take a special kind of stupid. Special kind of lucky to survive it, too.