Something sad and serious to consider

I just read THIS POST on another board and it got me to thinking.

It's always hard to hear of anyones death but a diver dying doing what we all love always really hits close to home. We usually hear about the deaths on vacation, inexperienced divers in situations over their exp. levels, etc. We seldom hear about these deaths in local lakes and quarries unless it was someones very close friend, as in this case.

The dive Mr. Meyers died on is not very different from those we do at Twin Lakes, and other locales, every week. We've gotten very lax in our dive plans. As we're floating on the surface, it usually goes something like...
"OK, where to?"
"I don't know, how about we go down the south side to the road and come back?"
"OK, sounds good."
"Who's leading?"

This is pitiful and we all know better. What almost always happens is whoever is 'leading' soon loses everyone else except maybe the diver closest to him/her. Those behind drop off from this so called group effort in the low vis, and may or may not finish the dive according to the loose plan discussed. That's if we're lucky. Those of us who are first back to the dock have no idea where exactly everyone else is, when to expect them back and we've all gotten entirely too negligent in just expecting them to show up soon. Beast and I are just as guilty as everyone else.

How soon is it going to be before one of us is writing a similar condolence post here on SB about one of our dive buds?

Our local diving season is about to start and I think we all need to make some changes. Here's a few that I thought of that Beast and I are going to implement ourselves this year. Please feel free to add your own.

1) Go out in buddy pairs only. These group dives with 3 or more never work out and someone always gets seperated.
2) Go back to our 'schoolin' and do those buddy checks as we were taught to do. I'll bet Beast and I didn't do 1 in 50 buddy checks last year. Just gear up, get in the water and wait on everyone to join us.
3) Improve our buddy skills. Diving single file in Caribbean clear water is one thing but in our local spots, it sucks. We should be side by side so we can easily see each other. The diver in front doesn't have to constantly look behind to see his/her buddy and the diver behind doesn't have to keep his/her eyes nailed to those fins in front lest they lose sight completely in 3ft of vis.
4) Buddy pairs - Plan our dive and dive our plan. Beast has been better at this than most of us in trying to make sure we all had at least a similar plan. But buddy pairs need to plan a distination, turn time or psi, definate lost buddy plans, etc.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Meyers friends and family. I just don't want to ever have to add any of our names to such a post.

Let's be more careful this year, OK?

Dee,

I agree with your sentiments... and it got me to thinking about some stuff that happens on dives... especially the buddy diving part - I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been diving with a buddy who never looks over their shoulder to see if you're still behind them (not talking about you if you read this Tom!).

You might wish to move this post out into the main area of the board... there are cheeksucking thoughts for every diver in this thread.

regards

One of the biggest problems I have in breaking in new dive buddies is getting them to quit playing follow the leader. I hate it when they do that... and if I stop they stop... still a little above and behind me. We talk about it and they do it again the very next dive. With one fellow I turned around and started swimming backwards just to keep and eye on him!

Side by side... but with enough room so you can frog kick with out banging into each other. Usually when I do get them into the side by side position they are waaay to close.

The important thing is light signals... passive communication with a dive light makes buddy diving. It is important to realize what your light beam is saying at all times.... if you are waggeling it around you are not using it right. I make sure that my buddy can see my light beam and the all movements are steady and purposeful. When I want to actively signal with it I make definite (and pre-determined) motions.

Yeah, this one hit pretty close to home again...I was also wondering how the buddy scenario was worked out, but just stopped wondering and offered my condolences and prayers. I hope we can all learn something from this accident..

These are good things to think about. I doubt few of us know where the nearest chamber is to Twin Lakes. its easy to get very sloppy in these local lakes. even one dive shop owner told me "You arent going to get hurt in th Blue Lagoon". Friend of mine told me a number of years ago someone got DCS in the Blue Lagoon one day. They dove all day constant up and down with snorkeling alternating with diving. So they got a hit. Just something to think about.

it always sadden me to see or read this type post , I sit hear wondering the same . what happened to his buddie , and then I think dam I am at time just as fault , this is one area at times we all get pretty relaxed in as we seem to get more dives under out belt , we seem to get complacent with our ways , just remember we all can learn to have fun but follow some simple rules
dive with your buddie not tag team match !!!
keep in contact and relax enjoy your dive !!!

I think one of the most important things is the surface interval and the buddy communication that can still continue there. After one dive you have a much better idea as to how the other diver(s) dive. Do they stay too close to you, do they come up on you from behind into your kicks, or do they swim to fast (me). Everybody will have something that doesn't work with a buddy, but it is hard to change it unless we know what it is.

So, even though you may think you are being a pain in the ass, talk to your buddy during the interval and tell them to stay a little further apart. To stay at your side, or in many of my buddy's case, to slow down!! You would be amazed at how much surface reinforcement can work.

And yes, I realize this isn't a great help for that first dive with a new buddy.

These are all very good reminders. We all need to be more aware of our buddy and what is going on. I frequently dive in a group of three at our local lake. We do not follow single file our leader takes the middle position I flank on the left side and the third diver with our dive flag takes the right side. We maintain arms length from each other in the lowest visibility and there have been a few dives where the visibility was maybe down to one foot or less, in this condition we have linked arms to stay together. Often in our lake as the depth goes from 20-50 feet there is a thermocline and in that area visibility is zero. Once you pass that 50ft visibility improves again, and the water temperature is a bit colder then.

Dive Safe. Dive Well.

you are absolutely bang-on.....many of us have forgotten the fundimentals of diving...BE SAFE!!!!!..we don't do proper buddy checks, dive plans etc......

I am starting my DM training next week and I am extremely happy, I will be forced to use proper diving techniques, including the buddy check and dive planning........It will be a nice reminder and good practice....

with this one! Even though we go out with good intentions it seems we get into a "rush"... Going back to what we were taught and following what has worked for years is something we all can be doing

Thanks for the reminder! It's just a shame that it always seems to come when something tragic has happened.