Checking buddies pressure?

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greg98072

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Messages
18
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Location
Woodinville WA
# of dives
25 - 49
Went on a shore dive with a local shop yesterday. Did not know any of the divers. During pre-dive the Divemaster said turn around pressure would be 1700psi and the goal was to end the dive with 700psi. My instabuddy had an AL80 and I was using a LP95. I figured 1500 would be ok for me. During the dive the Divemaster would check everyone’s air periodically and we would respond with hand signals to indicate our remaining pressure. We had already turned and headed back towards shore when my buddy came up and showed me her gauge, it read 500psi. We both then swam up to the Divemaster and indicated we were going to the surface.

What really bothered me the most was the 300 yard surface swim. I hate surface swims!

This dive was no deeper than 40ft and we were at about 30ft when this occurred so I do not believe we where in any danger. After the dive it was discovered that she had given us the pressure as 1500 when she had really meant 1000.

Later I started thinking about what if the depth was 100ft and her gauge was a little off and she only had 300psi (7.8cu ft). She should have enough gas for both of us IMO. When she showed me her gauge I had 1500psi (53cu ft) and a slung pony (19 cu ft).

From now on I will always insist on seeing my buddies gauge. I have two questions:


1. Do you look at your buddies gauge?

2. Do you ask instabuddies in a nice way if they are air hogs?

Greg
 
In the UK where you always dive in a pair or very very rarely a 3 then check buddies gauge.

Abroad where its more group herding/follow the leader its a nightmare if guiding to have everyone check everyone elses gauge.
 
greg98072:
1. Do you look at your buddies gauge?
Not my regular buddy, but with new buddies I'm stealthy and they don't usually see me do it. :cool:

If they're running low, I'll point to my gauge then theirs and let them "discover" they're running low. :cool:

greg98072:
2. Do you ask instabuddies in a nice way if they are air hogs?
No.

I was a hoover once and my buddies never harassed me for taking them on a 1/2 hour dive when they would have liked an hour. Now that I can easily get an hour on a dive, I "pay it forward" whenever possible.

Terry
 
It depends on who I'm diving with, i don't bother with my regular buddies, chances are I know how much air they have left without asking but I do it all the time with new buddies/new divers. It annoys the hell out of them but it has averted many an out of air situation. People need to learn (and remember) how to signal air properly, it amazes me how, despite going over signaling proceedure before the dive, people still do it incorrectly.
 
Web Monkey:
If they're running low, I'll point to my gauge then theirs and let them "discover" they're running low. :cool:

I've had buddies where this just didn't work. I'd see that they were low on air so I ask them how much they have and they'll respond somethign along the lines of half tank+ despite being at 500psi or so, it bothers me.
I actually dove with one guy, who upon seeing he had 500 began to descend, it makes ya wonder.
 
When diving with a new buddy ALWAYS at least a couple of times.
Gives me a feel about their air consumption, then I don't have to ask if they are a "heavy breather". I tell them in advance that we will be checking our air supplies (PS- let's me know on surface if their gauge is in English or metric units), and we settle on how we will pass on info to each other.
I try to always be conscious of my air supply and check it fairly frequently (Very frequently if over 100 fsw).
 
greg98072:
1. Do you look at your buddies gauge?
I don't make it a point to do so. I will admit that at times I have been remiss in discussing pressure signals pre-dive and have had some bizarre things flashed at me and then I took a look for myself.

I do make it a point to have established turn pressures (cylinder dependent) and state flat out that I don't intend to be watching their gauge.

There have been a few times when buddies were apparently slowly consuming air beyond my wildest dreams. Then I will ask and the result in usually a direct return to the exit location while keeping the depth minimized.


greg98072:
2. Do you ask instabuddies in a nice way if they are air hogs?

Greg

No until they demonstrate otherwise I assume that they are. First dives are always conservative.

On that shore dive (baring the dive shop "enforcer") I would have put her on my alternate to conserve her back gas and made a smooth steady dive to the exit point. When I was down to 500 and assuming we're now in a very comfortably shallow depth We'd each take our primaries and continue together for at least another 200 PSI if needed. Below 300 PSI for the sake of gauge resolution and accuracy it would be time to surface and finish the distance on top. That air below 500 PSI is not forbidden fruit, you just want to save it for special deserts, that's why you held it in reserve in the first place.
 
greg98072:
....
We had already turned and headed back towards shore when my buddy came up and showed me her gauge, it read 500psi. We both then swam up to the Divemaster and indicated we were going to the surface.

What really bothered me the most was the 300 yard surface swim. I hate surface swims!

........ When she showed me her gauge I had 1500psi (53cu ft) and a slung pony (19 cu ft).
Why didn't you just continue heading towards shore while sharing air?

In this case, since you still had plenty of air you could have continued in while sharing air (at 15' or so) until you approached your rock bottom.

Too many divers seem to treat sharing air as a last gasp emergency measure.
 
greg98072:
1. Do you look at your buddies gauge?

2. Do you ask instabuddies in a nice way if they are air hogs?
1) Only if there is some confustion about pressure.

What I've found works pretty well is to note pressures at the beginning of the dive, and then around 2000psi (out of an 3000psi AL80). That gives me enough info to know how our air consumptions compare.

2.) I will ask a diver if they know their typical SAC. If the answer is a blank look, I assume around 0.75cfm.
 
spectrum:
On that shore dive (baring the dive shop "enforcer") I would have put her on my alternate to conserve her back gas and made a smooth steady dive to the exit point. When I was down to 500 and assuming we're now in a very comfortably shallow depth We'd each take our primaries and continue together for at least another 200 PSI if needed. Below 300 PSI for the sake of gauge resolution and accuracy it would be time to surface and finish the distance on top. That air below 500 PSI is not forbidden fruit, you just want to save it for special deserts, that's why you held it in reserve in the first place.

I thought of doing that but did want to upset the divemasters as I was a guest. My thought was to give her my pony and swim at around 10ft to shore. Did I mention I hate surface swims!

Greg
 
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