Low visibility buddy tactics

I tried to do a forum search on this but was not finding what I wanted so I'll ask here:

What are some good tactics for keeping safe contact with your buddy in low vis conditions (<5' or so)? On the dive that I did last week the visibility was about 5' and at one point of the dive, I lost sight and contact with my buddy for a couple of seconds. I had to swim quickly to catch up with him, and I don't think he really noticed that I wasn't next to him when we got separated because he just kept on swimming. After that, I spent the rest of the dive in "reaching distance" of my buddy and had to spend a lot of the dive watching him instead of focusing on my surroundings. Because of this, we ended up swimming so close that we were bumping into each other more that I would like. Anyhow, I think I read somewhere here that you could carry a piece of rope and each hold on to it? Is this common? What other tactics are used to keep good buddy contact in low vis?

Don't dive in 5' visibility would be the best solution.

Diving in low viz takes practice.

You can use a 'buddy line', but that can pose dangers of entanglement....it needs practice also.

Staying within 'arms reach' isn't a bad tactic to use....and with experience you and your buddy will soon establish effective procedures for communication and moving underwater without being 'on top of each other'.

Diving conditions like these are a challenge.... but such challenges bring their own rewards....chiefly - satisfaction and increased skill...

Just be sure you also agree/practice/enforce your lost buddy procedures also!

Staying close is probably the best thing to do, and bumping into your buddy (slightly!) ensures without looking that he's still around.

Best thing in my experience, though, is using a strong torch each because that increases the distance where you can still find your buddy.

I too enjoy this quite a bit. It's really satisfying when you find the exit again in these conditions.

Part of the reality of low visibility diving is that the follower needs to watch the leader and resign themselves to going for the ride. Successfully staying together becomes a major objective of the dive. You can make this less restrictive by swimming shoulder to shoulder so you're in nudging reach should you see something cool that you can both stop to enjoy. The fact remains that this needs to be buddy diving at it's best.

The more colorful gear (such as yellow) you each use the more margin you will have. Always have a light with you. I keep one on my right shoulder D ring. If a buddy vanishes I begin to sweep the beam in the estimated direction. Here it's important to both be navigating. After the agreed on duration (usually 1 minute) head to the surface to regroup.

The shoulder to shoulder bumps will happen. If you are both diving in good form with no flapping arms it's a non issue. It does get obnoxious when a diver is snagging my hoses with their hands. Usually you can swim 1/2 a diver length back with enough distance to stay in your own space. A lot of this gets easier as you become familiar with a particular buddy.

Buddy lines are not unheard of. I would not suggest clipping any such line. If the above skills are not enough to let you manage the dive it may be a good day to do something else.

Pete

Staying close is the best strategy, with practice and good buoyancy you will not bump so much, but it is important that you buddy practice as well. I low viz, is better to dive with someone you are used to, that you can easily understand under water.

I would not recommend to use a cable between the 2 divers, specially if there is the slightest possibility of entanglement. Finally, use good lights, if low viz is caused by suspension, light won't help that much for you to see farther, but your buddy will be able to see you and vice versa from a lot farther, as the light beam is still visible after you cannot see the diver anymore. Use light signs (if you search for cave or wreck diving light signs you can take at least the basic ones to help you).

As Devon mentioned, a buddy line is a good tool to use in open water, but entanglement is a risk. Along those same lines, you can also do "contact" diving where one buddy maintains contact at all times and if contact is broken each buddy stops and initiates a local search. Another option is the use of a high intensity light. Although visibility is limited, you can usually see the glow of a a light beyond what you can inherently see. This gives you a little bit of distance as the buddy line would, without the entanglement hazard. The caveat to the light is that even though you can see it at an additional distance, you still want to maintain a close distance in case you need to respond. All of these take practice and a good understanding of what different movements mean to each diver (push, single pull, double pull, rapidly moving light, etc)

We've called the buddy line a leash, and used it. We get pretty limited vis in the bays and jetties. I started using it when an insta-buddy in the club wanted to hang onto my tethered light. I switched to a 6' length of polypro line so I can keep my light. They just hang onto the end of it. It is clipped to my bcd.

I used it recently when my wife was getting started. It seems to be more useful when with a new buddy. My wife and I don't use it anymore. It allowed me to enjoy the dive more. In 3' vis (or less) a buddy can be gone in a second even if you are an attentive buddy.

I know the spots I have used this in and I am comfortable with the entanglement risk. It's a tradeoff.

And yes, I find quite a lot to look at in the low vis to make it worth it.

JohnE:

And yes, I find quite a lot to look at in the low vis to make it worth it.

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The critters do get braver and that is part of the payoff.

Pete

JohnE:

And yes, I find quite a lot to look at in the low vis to make it worth it.

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Sure it does worth, a lot!! With good visibility you see the big picture, in low viz go for the details. For those that like marine life, that small creature in the rock you never stopped to pay close attention, for me as a wreck diver, that detail that was not seen before that sometimes can be the diference in a whole research study on a wreck...