Switching gasses at depth?

[rstofer]

Well - I really don't care for golf...but if I were to take up golfing, I'd want a buddy along as backup.

When that beverage cart comes around, if I find I've run out of money, I want to be able to use some of my buddies money - cause I wouldn't dream of playing golf without beer !

I have a credit card and I'm not afraid to use it! I'll buy my own beer. Actually, I don't play golf and I don't drink much anymore. Too many brain grenades in my youth...

The thing about dive buddies isn't that they can't be helpful in an emergency, it's that you can't be sure they haven't already bolted. Or maybe they're on the other side of the reef or just not paying attention. Maybe they have their own problems. A prudent diver might want to think about self-rescue instead of blindly relying on a buddy.

If I had a Spare Air (and, really guys, I don't), I'm not sure I would waste the air chasing my buddy. I think I would try for the surface. Maybe I could get far enough to do a CESA. It's not likely to work.

It's a shame the agencies all teach "your buddy <this>", "your buddy <that>". They should be teaching "you...".

Richard

 

[tgsmith]

They do teach "you."

-You should find a good buddy.
-You should know your buddy.
-You should be familiar with your buddy.
-You should be next to your buddy, not just in the same ocean.
-If you're buddy decides to take off and YOU don't notice it, then YOU are obviously in the wrong in addition to him/her. From his/her perspective, YOU took off instead. YOU should have followed him if YOU were paying attention and are such a dependable buddy in the first place. Loyalty goes both ways, ya know?

That's what I learned in my OW course in Key Largo, at least.

 

[rstofer]

I think given the limited time you could possibly be breathing the thing, it doesn't really matter how rich the mix is. You're on the way up anyway. Betcha you could make a pure oxygen spare air ascent starting at 100 feet and not run into toxicity issues.

But are you SURE of this? I think you're right but I'm not SURE you're right and I'm not a big risk taker. If 1.4 ATA ppO2 is the number, then that's the number. I do realize, however, that 2.0 ATA ppO2 was the number when I took my NAUI training back in '88. Then there is the issue of exertion level and how it affects susceptibility to CNS toxicity.

The good news with the Spare Air is that it doesn't have enough nitrogen to matter. See? A good feature of Spare Air!

But why not fill that pony bottle (NOT Spare Air) with 28% and have your computer set for a gas switch? You're never going to need it anyway.

Richard

 

[rstofer]

They do teach "you."

-You should find a good buddy.
-You should know your buddy.
-You should be familiar with your buddy.
-You should be next to your buddy, not just in the same ocean.
-If you're buddy decides to take off and YOU don't notice it, then YOU are obviously in the wrong in addition to him/her. From his/her perspective, YOU took off instead. YOU should have followed him if YOU were paying attention and are such a dependable buddy in the first place. Loyalty goes both ways, ya know?

That's what I learned in my OW course in Key Largo, at least.

Your choice! It's not in my nature to trust people. Maybe it is a matter of life experiences.

I'll do what I can for my dive buddy and do my best to be a good dive buddy but I'm not going to count on reciprocity. It's not in my nature.

Richard

 

[Reg Braithwaite]

anybody who believes their buddy is any part of a backup plan needs to give up diving and take up golf.

Not sure whether this should be cross-posted to solo divers or DIR. Why not both? Question: do you rig an Octo? And of so, why?

 

[Blackwood]

But are you SURE of this?

Of course not, that's why I said "Betcha."

And it working on one day doesn't guarantee that it will work the next.

But obviously someone isn't going to fill a spare air with Oxygen. Again, just making a point: If you're forced to go to a Spare Air, tox is a secondary concern.

 

[rstofer]

Not sure whether this should be cross-posted to solo divers or DIR. Why not both? Question: do you rig an Octo? And of so, why?

Of course I rig an octo. I want to be able to help my dive buddy if the occasion arises. The octo thing may change as I start spending more time with double hose regulators. We'll see. No big problem, I was trained on buddy breathing. I just need to get up to speed on the DH skills.

And, yes, I expect my buddy to have an octo as well. But my train of thought as I move through the water (and life in general) is about how can I rescue myself? Am I about to get in a bad situation? What am I doing that can hurt me? I will, at a lower priority level, ponder the same questions about what my buddy is doing.

Sure, I expect a buddy to be close at hand. In fact, I prefer within arm's reach and parallel. I want to be able to glance left or right and SEE them. Right there... No more than 3 feet away. But it doesn't always work out that way. Particularly in the kelp.

How often do you check behind you for a buddy trailing? It better be every 10 seconds or so! That's a lot of turning around but 10 seconds is a long way back if there's an issue. It's a lot farther if you haven't checked for 30 seconds! Turning around in the kelp presents its own problems.

Then there is the matter of photographers. Worst case is when both divers are taking photos. At best, this is a very loose buddy arrangement. Both divers better be capable of self-rescue.

I don't think the buddy diving thing is as trivial as it is made out to be. It needs a lot more thought than "pick a good buddy", "know your buddy", etc.

Richard

 

[Blackwood]

How often do you check behind you for a buddy trailing? It better be every 10 seconds or so! That's a lot of turning around but 10 seconds is a long way back if there's an issue. It's a lot farther if you haven't checked for 30 seconds! Turning around in the kelp presents its own problems.

There are better ways to look being you than turning around. Get horizontal or in a slightly feet-up position, tuck your chin to your chest, you'll see behind you. It's like standing straight up and looking at your feet, just rotated into swimming position.

 

[Dtaine]

Of course I rig an octo. I want to be able to help my dive buddy if the occasion arises. The octo thing may change as I start spending more time with double hose regulators. We'll see. No big problem, I was trained on buddy breathing. I just need to get up to speed on the DH skills.

And, yes, I expect my buddy to have an octo as well. But my train of thought as I move through the water (and life in general) is about how can I rescue myself? Am I about to get in a bad situation? What am I doing that can hurt me? I will, at a lower priority level, ponder the same questions about what my buddy is doing.

Sure, I expect a buddy to be close at hand. In fact, I prefer within arm's reach and parallel. I want to be able to glance left or right and SEE them. Right there... No more than 3 feet away. But it doesn't always work out that way. Particularly in the kelp.

How often do you check behind you for a buddy trailing? It better be every 10 seconds or so! That's a lot of turning around but 10 seconds is a long way back if there's an issue. It's a lot farther if you haven't checked for 30 seconds! Turning around in the kelp presents its own problems.

Then there is the matter of photographers. Worst case is when both divers are taking photos. At best, this is a very loose buddy arrangement. Both divers better be capable of self-rescue.

I don't think the buddy diving thing is as trivial as it is made out to be. It needs a lot more thought than "pick a good buddy", "know your buddy", etc.

Richard

For the most part I'm inclined to agree - the vast majority of buddies (yea, yea, so I haven't had that many compared to most of you) I've had have taken the "same day, same dive, same ocean" mindset and I've been stuck dealing with the problems that creates.

On the other hand, there are a few people who I dive with and would consider good, solid buddies, and I'd actually refer to our dive group as a team while talking about those dives. These are the people who I would trust to be competent in an emergency, who agree on a dive plan and stick with it, and who have good communication above and below the water. On dives with them I'm perfectly willing to leave the pony tank (I've got a 40cf) at home.

 

[Sonic04GT]

So you guys really think the 3.0cf (50 breaths at surface) Spare Air is absolutely useless at depths shallower than 100ft and to just trust your buddy solely? Call me a rookie and maybe I don't know what I'm talking about but when I dive I like to relax and move freely, not pull along a 40cf pony tank. Sure it's pretty much weightless and can be mounted to your primary tank but do you have to buy another 1st/2nd stage for it also don't you? Sounds like it could get pretty expensive.

Got it for like $190 shipped from ScubaToys and I could probably still return it for a full refund at the cost of shipping it back.