What would you do in this situation?

[HowardE]

Ok... While I'm not condoning - Losing your buddy in general.

Let's say that Dave signals to the guy "hey - let's follow the group" and the guy signals OK... and then ditches Dave.

The don't lose your buddy rule isn't always an absolute, if the other party isn't willing to cooperate.

 

[waterbearer]

I would have stuck with him and then railed on him back on the boat.

Like some others mentioned...discuss the dive plan beforehand. I have been buddied with some people after just meeting them and I could tell the one was probably not going to follow me even though I'd been on that specific reef before and knew where I was going. Well, lo and behold, he swam off and I had to go get him and the third buddy probably thought we were all nuts. So, in that case, even though I was chosen to be the dive leader it still didn't matter. You just can't win 'em all, ya know?

 

[Damselfish]

From reading - it sounds like the other guy didn't want to have a buddy. He signaled to go ahead, without distress... Why stay with him? You're not obligated, you're not a DM or instructor.

If the other guy was worried about losing a buddy, shouldn't he have surfaced? In standard "lost buddy" protocol?

They probably didn't have a pre-dive "meeting"

You could be right that he didn't want a buddy, but paying for a charter only to sit on the bottom seems pretty odd. The trouble is when something goes pear shaped, and as far as anyone else is concerned you were supposed to have been his buddy. If you were 2 clueful divers that quietly agreed on this before the dive maybe, but that gets back to that pre-dive discussion (or lack thereof.)

They're sure not being fair giving you all bad choices - lousy dive, or leave them and dive alone. They can wave you on, and maybe you're fine with going off alone, but how do they know that?

 

[HowardE]

I would have stuck with him and then railed on him back on the boat.

Again... just to play devil's advocate...

You "rail" the guy - then he laughs at you and says, "I told you to leave me... I don't care what you do...it's your dive"

Are we really supposed to stick with someone who doesn't want to be stuck with us?

 

[waterbearer]

Again... just to play devil's advocate...

You "rail" the guy - then he laughs at you and says, "I told you to leave me... I don't care what you do...it's your dive"

Are we really supposed to stick with someone who doesn't want to be stuck with us?

How about this scenario:
You are the more experienced diver (if that is indeed the case), he does get himself into trouble after you ditched him and then you are looking at a big, fat lawsuit.

I would have stayed with him even if he flipped me off and signed for me to go **** myself.

Him fiddling with his gear would have ticked me off and yes, I would have missed the dive, BUT I would have gained some experience. It's just one dive.

I would have plopped myself butt-down in the sand and stared at him. At some point, I would think that would have gotten disconcerting and maybe he would get the hint.

 

[PerroneFord]

Lawsuit on what grounds? You have no contractural agreement to be this person's caretaker. Nor do you have any implied jurisdiction over this diver. He's a stranger in the same ocean.

 

[HowardE]

How about this scenario:
You are the more experienced diver (if that is indeed the case), he does get himself into trouble after you ditched him and then you are looking at a big, fat lawsuit.

I would have stayed with him even if he flipped me off and signed for me to go **** myself.

Him fiddling with his gear would have ticked me off and yes, I would have missed the dive, BUT I would have gained some experience. It's just one dive.

I would have plopped myself butt-down in the sand and stared at him. At some point, I would think that would have gotten disconcerting and maybe he would get the hint.

I'm not a DM or an instructor... there is no assumed liability. I'm just a guy who paid for a dive trip. I'm not his guide, friend, teacher or anything. He doesn't even know my name. Again... If he doesn't care about me... Should I go out of my way to stick to someone who doesn't what to be stuck to?

Let me say that this has never really happened to me, so I'm merely speaking in hypotheticals...BUT... I seriously want to know if there's any good reason to go over and above the call to stick to a guy that just wants to solo dive (if that's really the case)

 

[scubadobadoo]

Discussion before the dive of any kind would have helped. Dive plan? What's your name? How many dives do you have? Where are you from? How long have you been diving? I always ask these questions unless the new buddy has already given away this info while talking to others while boarding the boat. If I know I am in need of a buddy, I start shopping as soon as I arrive at the dock and try not to rely on the DM to do it for me. I keep my ears open and listen to people talk and see how they play with others. If a new buddy doesn't seem into talking to me before the dive then I look for another buddy or ask the DM or Captain to help me out or I cancel the dive. It sucks sometimes to have to initiate the discussion with a new buddy, but it has to be done.

 

[Damselfish]

Like people always to have actual grounds to sue someone? Maybe they won't win, but it could still be a headache.

 

[ZenDiva]

Let me say that this has never really happened to me, so I'm merely speaking in hypotheticals...BUT... I seriously want to know if there's any good reason to go over and above the call to stick to a guy that just wants to solo dive (if that's really the case)

again I could be a clueless blond newbie to diving...but common sense prevails that if there was a pre dive discussion...this would've been communicated between both parties and then our troubled member would not be troubled w/ leaving his assigned buddy because it was decided pre dive to part ways once below......he would've been w/ the group...enjoying his dive....and the gear head would've been sitting there playing w/ his gear to his hearts content........and this thread would not even exist....

???