"Had a little 'discussion' underwater when i ran low-on-air and the divemaster told me to go up alone (he was my buddy) so he could continue with the rest of the group (finally some one else volunteered to go up with me and do the safety stop, etc)"
The above appeared in a travel post, and implied, to me, that the DM was wrong in refusing to ascend with the low-on-air diver. On the one hand, most divers want a buddy with them. On the other, most divers seem to resent strongly having their bottom time determined by the fellow diver with the most air consumption. I had a similar situation in NZ and the DM sent the low-on-air diver to the surface without a buddy.
So, what would you expect a conscientious DM to do in this situation? I recognize that there are numerous "ifs" that might precede an answer, but wonder if there is a "general rule".
The above appeared in a travel post, and implied, to me, that the DM was wrong in refusing to ascend with the low-on-air diver. On the one hand, most divers want a buddy with them. On the other, most divers seem to resent strongly having their bottom time determined by the fellow diver with the most air consumption. I had a similar situation in NZ and the DM sent the low-on-air diver to the surface without a buddy.
So, what would you expect a conscientious DM to do in this situation? I recognize that there are numerous "ifs" that might precede an answer, but wonder if there is a "general rule".