CAPTAIN SINBAD
Contributor
After my last dive I am convinced that the buddy system exists only on paper and in reality everyone just "solo-dives" without realizing it. I did a few experiments with an insta-buddy and they did not go too well.
In order for buddy system to save lives in an emergency, buddies have to be virtually glued to each other at all times. In my observation this rarely happens and the normal distance that divers keep is dangerous in case of a regulator malfunction. If buddies are not moving in water (staying static) and one experiences a malfunction then it may not be as risky but in the scenario where two buddies are swimming in any given direction and one experiences a malfunction, he/she will have to chase a buddy who is swimming away from them. In that case a distance of 5 feet between buddies becomes a 10 feet swim and a distance of 10 feet becomes a distance of 20 feet swim until you finally catch up to the buddy who has no idea you are out of air and chasing him.
During my last dive I did this experiment of holding my breath and chasing my buddy to simulate out of air emergency without informing my insta-buddy. Firstly this guy was a bad buddy to begin with. He always wanted to be a good 20 feet away at all times. This is not uncommon with insta-buddies. The moment you jump in, a buddy means "someone somewhere in the water." While he was swimming in all directions, I would hold my breath and try to catch up to him. It was an eye opening experience how unreliable this buddy system is when you throw in real emergencies and real human beings.
Why dont buddies stay together? Is it because diver training is no longer stressing staying together as much as it did when I did my OW? Or is it because after logging a hundred dives people feel confident to violate one of the most fundamental rules of the buddy system? While we can debate what causes divers to become "solo-divers" after a splash, one thing that has proven to be certain in my case is that I have been diving solo most of the time without realizing it. My experience may be different than most since I dive with a DSLR camera and my buddies may not have the patience to stick with me while I take my shots. Yet even without my DSLR camera, my experience is that there rarely is any such thing as a buddy the way PADI manual defines it.
Given this reality, I am thinking why not train divers specially at AOW to dive with an alternative air source? It could be doubles or a slung pony bottle. After that you can buddy up with the insta-buddy so that in case you experience a malfunction in those fleeting moments when the buddy is within reach you can go for his octo but for 95% of the dive when you buddy is out of reach, you have something to breath from.
Is this a realistic concern or should we all just shut up and dive?
In order for buddy system to save lives in an emergency, buddies have to be virtually glued to each other at all times. In my observation this rarely happens and the normal distance that divers keep is dangerous in case of a regulator malfunction. If buddies are not moving in water (staying static) and one experiences a malfunction then it may not be as risky but in the scenario where two buddies are swimming in any given direction and one experiences a malfunction, he/she will have to chase a buddy who is swimming away from them. In that case a distance of 5 feet between buddies becomes a 10 feet swim and a distance of 10 feet becomes a distance of 20 feet swim until you finally catch up to the buddy who has no idea you are out of air and chasing him.
During my last dive I did this experiment of holding my breath and chasing my buddy to simulate out of air emergency without informing my insta-buddy. Firstly this guy was a bad buddy to begin with. He always wanted to be a good 20 feet away at all times. This is not uncommon with insta-buddies. The moment you jump in, a buddy means "someone somewhere in the water." While he was swimming in all directions, I would hold my breath and try to catch up to him. It was an eye opening experience how unreliable this buddy system is when you throw in real emergencies and real human beings.
Why dont buddies stay together? Is it because diver training is no longer stressing staying together as much as it did when I did my OW? Or is it because after logging a hundred dives people feel confident to violate one of the most fundamental rules of the buddy system? While we can debate what causes divers to become "solo-divers" after a splash, one thing that has proven to be certain in my case is that I have been diving solo most of the time without realizing it. My experience may be different than most since I dive with a DSLR camera and my buddies may not have the patience to stick with me while I take my shots. Yet even without my DSLR camera, my experience is that there rarely is any such thing as a buddy the way PADI manual defines it.
Given this reality, I am thinking why not train divers specially at AOW to dive with an alternative air source? It could be doubles or a slung pony bottle. After that you can buddy up with the insta-buddy so that in case you experience a malfunction in those fleeting moments when the buddy is within reach you can go for his octo but for 95% of the dive when you buddy is out of reach, you have something to breath from.
Is this a realistic concern or should we all just shut up and dive?