How serious a screw-up was this?

[DevonDiver]

It isn't necessarily unspoken pressure. I have experienced an OWSI loudly mocking me on a boat: "Same reg I used last dive? Yup! Same BC I used last dive? Yup! Good to go!"

And yet the same dive 'professional' would teach students to do buddy checks in their OW course?

I've encountered simular 'professionals' also. In my mind, it just illustrates their inexperience. They've yet to encounter a problem, or had to rescue a diver who had a problem, so they operate within a naive state of blissful ignorance...yet to be shattered by reality. It's the perfect example of complacency leading to unsafe diving.

There's no excuse for unprofessionalism though - and an OWSI should be a positive role-model and support the doctrines/procedures that they teach for their agency. It's such a shame that there is no agency driven QA system outside of teaching actual courses...

[kazbanz]

Kinda on the same subject. I have a minor disability with my left arm. It made removal/replacement of my Bc in/under water a bit of a chore during my OW course. Not as easy as "normal"
Mine is a WI BC
Discussing this on the first dive of my AAW it was decided that I would buddy check my instabuddy/instructor.check my gear on the bottom of the boat. Inflate my BC then roll off the boat with fins and mask.The DM then just lowered my gear over the side. I'd then get into my gear in the water to speed up that specific skill.
Would the instructors/dm's here have an issue with that practice if someone asked pre dive?

[fjpatrum]

It isn't necessarily unspoken pressure. I have experienced an OWSI loudly mocking me on a boat: "Same reg I used last dive? Yup! Same BC I used last dive? Yup! Good to go!" Peter had to get noisily in the face of an instructor/guide who complained, "At this rate, we're going to be doing a NIGHT DIVE . . ." because we were doing an efficient and quick buddy check -- which no one else on the boat was doing, or had done.

I think I would have just thumbed the dive or found a different buddy at that point. I've been lucky, so far, in my diving but had several very close calls in climbing buddy checks. I had a friend nearly drop off a 300 foot climb because he hadn't done a buddy check of his harness. I grabbed him at the last second, while the "buddy" was getting ready to belay, and his harness literally came open by my grabbing it. If he had weighted his rope he would have died. I am religious about buddy checks now, even on "group" dives I find someone and say "I'm with you here's my gear, how do you work yours" at the very least. It's not a thorough, formal, buddy check every time, but at least it's a cursory once over that I know everything is working and how to work it and so does my buddy.

[fnfalman]

This is why I don't believe in having somebody handling my gears. My gear = my responsibility = my own screw-ups. It's one thing that I were to kill myself because of my own stupidity or carelessness. It's another to have me killed by other's carelessness and stupidity.

[DevonDiver]

This is why I don't believe in having somebody handling my gears. My gear = my responsibility = my own screw-ups. It's one thing that I were to kill myself because of my own stupidity or carelessness. It's another to have me killed by other's carelessness and stupidity.

I also don't like anyone else involved in my pre-dive routine of setting up and checking my kit. Nonetheless, a proper buddy check confirms that everything is set up properly and working.... so nobody else's errors, carelessness or stupidity are ever going to kill me.

[Garrobo]

Sounds like his "buddy" needs and ***kicking. All in fun, of course.

[windapp]

My only real question is - what happened to the buddy check?

Couldn't agree more. I don't know if buddy check procedures vary but here is what would have happened if you had done the one I was taught.

B - BCD - Infate and deflate BCD -- Not OK, but assume there was enough air in the hose to cover up the tank being off so ... OK
W -Weights - Check that weights aren't entangling, and the belt is right hand release - OK
R - Releases -- One..Two...Three ....Four --Please turn 90%. Check the tank release by tugging on the backplate --OK
A - Air -- Check that the air is on -- OOPS -- please turn your gauge away -- Turn it on --OK. Turn back, check gauge with both buddies breathing --OK Return Octo.
F - Final Check -- Scan from head to toe and look for specialized items - OK

If you had done a proper buddy check, this wouldn't really even count as an error, and you probably would have forgotten it happened before the end of the dive. In my opinion, the only screw up here was not doing the buddy check. My instructor who has 40 years and thousands of dives experience put his tank strap on a little bit off-level, and the tank came lose. I caught it in the buddy check. It wasn't truly an error because we did the buddy check and caught it. Imagine what would have happened if his tank had come loose at 100 ft with only me, the student, to help? It could have been disasterous, if not fatal. Make a promise to yourself that you will never skip this again.

[dbulmer]

Kinda on the same subject. I have a minor disability with my left arm. It made removal/replacement of my Bc in/under water a bit of a chore during my OW course. Not as easy as "normal"
Mine is a WI BC
Discussing this on the first dive of my AAW it was decided that I would buddy check my instabuddy/instructor.check my gear on the bottom of the boat. Inflate my BC then roll off the boat with fins and mask.The DM then just lowered my gear over the side. I'd then get into my gear in the water to speed up that specific skill.
Would the instructors/dm's here have an issue with that practice if someone asked pre dive?

I'm neither an instructor or DM but what you are asking about does not sound unreasonable to me provided sea conditions allow. As your buddy we'd be having a discussion about the dive and any concerns either of us might have would be discussed openly. What I would insist on is no rushing to get in the water and a discussion about how we would get back on the boat and any assistance you might need (from me or crew).

If the sea was choppy then I'd be more likely to stay on the boat because I suspect it might get uncomfy getting back on the boat (and that would apply to both of us and would not be because of you I hasten to add).

[shake-and-bake]

Couldn't agree more. I don't know if buddy check procedures vary but here is what would have happened if you had done the one I was taught.

B - BCD - Infate and deflate BCD -- Not OK, but assume there was enough air in the hose to cover up the tank being off so ... OK
W -Weights - Check that weights aren't entangling, and the belt is right hand release - OK
R - Releases -- One..Two...Three ....Four --Please turn 90%. Check the tank release by tugging on the backplate --OK
A - Air -- Check that the air is on -- OOPS -- please turn your gauge away -- Turn it on --OK. Turn back, check gauge with both buddies breathing --OK Return Octo.
F - Final Check -- Scan from head to toe and look for specialized items - OK

If you had done a proper buddy check, this wouldn't really even count as an error, and you probably would have forgotten it happened before the end of the dive. In my opinion, the only screw up here was not doing the buddy check. My instructor who has 40 years and thousands of dives experience put his tank strap on a little bit off-level, and the tank came lose. I caught it in the buddy check. It wasn't truly an error because we did the buddy check and caught it. Imagine what would have happened if his tank had come loose at 100 ft with only me, the student, to help? It could have been disasterous, if not fatal. Make a promise to yourself that you will never skip this again.

Thank you for your concern, but if you re-read my original post you will see that this didn't happen to me. I observed it happen to another buddy pair on my boat. I was fine.

[windapp]

Please replace "you" with "they", providing you did the full buddy check.