Two “almost” close calls

[Charlie99]

MikeFerrara once bubbled...
Not that they dived effectively as a team but what's wrong with a team of three?

There's nothing inherently wrong with a team of three, it just takes a bit more effort to have 3 who are truly buddies. I misinterpreted Stone's post and assumed there was already significant loss of buddy contact going on. In that sort of situation, a team of 3 just increases the difficulties.


Since I often fly to warm water dive spots by myself, and sometimes end up as the odd man on the boat (no snide comments please), I'm often in a 3 man buddy team. So my comments on 3 man teams being more challenging than 2 person teams is based on personal experience.

3 buddies, with each keeping contact and aware of the other 2 works well. One person leading with a 2 person buddy team following works well. A 2 person buddy team shepherding around the reef a dependent buddy, such as a photographer or a new diver, works well.

One of a 2 person buddy team leading, with the 3rd diver "somewhere in the vicinity" and neither of the other buddies aware of him doesn't work out as well, and the 3rd is effectively solo.

Charlie

 

[Stone]

On both days, we had two shooters and an observer. This provided better buddy contact than two "buddies" concentrating on their separate fish.