Responsibility to insta-buddy

[theduckguru]

I am usually a fairly good buddy for my instant buddies. However, I was matched with an older overweight man, with a camera. I asked how many dives he has had. He said hundreds. And he has been diving since before certification was required. I said "great". I spelled out my style of diving, and that I am going to be swimming close to the dive master. I was upfront on if he is not keeping up and chose to take pictures; I will simply be buddying up to the divemaster. I was not going to be a spare-air tank for a photographer.

The first dive went OK. But the second dive did not. Of course, I feel funny about asking my buddy with hundreds of dive what his gauge is reading. Fortunately, the DM checked, and my buddy was low on air. We had to do a mandatory safety stop, and my buddy ran out of air. He had to share the octo with the DM. Based on what I learned later, he had lied about how recently he dove so they will let him on the boat. It took him forever to get his gears on, and get into the water, and his buoyancy control was very much like a beginner. He had problem on the surface, and also below. He broke his camera before the second dive as he struggled to get his gears together - it dropped and flooded during the dive. My guess is that he probably has had less than 30 dives, and probably lied about that to be allowed to dive.

I guess I felt a little guilty about ignoring my buddy. But I felt that I should be more concern for my safety than his. By being near the DM, I would have a much better buddy in case of emergency, and we will not be lost if there was excessive current or poor visibility. I guess, I assumed that he claimed he was more experienced than myself; I should let him do as he pleases. We all had to surface earlier than needed because of my buddy's running out of air. I had over 1000 psi when we surfaced. Honestly, I cannot say if I would have dove any differently in the future. Unless my buddy said he was a novice. But then, if something bad happened to my buddy, I guess I would still feel very guilty.

My question is, how much responsibility should one have for their instabuddy, especially if he or she is a photographer?

Why? Is it scuba taboo to watch both your and your buddy's air supply?

 

[PineNut]

as for your buddy only commit to what you can or will do your safety comes frist

I am leaning more to this one: My safety comes first. Which means - stay close to my source of air. Which is not a photographer. As he will not be paying attention when I am out of air.

In the Yucatan penisula, if you don't stay close to your DM leader, you will get lost in the current. Based on my previous experience, to keep from getting separated from the group (and risk surfacing when the boats are not anchored) - you stay close to the leader.

I know that folks who are not familiar with the no anchor drift diving style in this area, you are not free to dawdle behind. As the boat follows the groups' main cluster of bubbles. Not the straggler who falls behind.

If there was no current, I would not mind being his buddy. I like to poke around, shine my lights in the crevices, etc. But in current, and the drifting dive boat overhead - the safest position is with the group. And that means close to the DM.

 

[theduckguru]

I am usually a fairly good buddy for my instant buddies. However, I was matched with an older overweight man, with a camera. I asked how many dives he has had. He said hundreds. And he has been diving since before certification was required. I said "great". I spelled out my style of diving, and that I am going to be swimming close to the dive master. I was upfront on if he is not keeping up and chose to take pictures; I will simply be buddying up to the divemaster. I was not going to be a spare-air tank for a photographer.

The first dive went OK. But the second dive did not. Of course, I feel funny about asking my buddy with hundreds of dive what his gauge is reading. Fortunately, the DM checked, and my buddy was low on air. We had to do a mandatory safety stop, and my buddy ran out of air. He had to share the octo with the DM. Based on what I learned later, he had lied about how recently he dove so they will let him on the boat. It took him forever to get his gears on, and get into the water, and his buoyancy control was very much like a beginner. He had problem on the surface, and also below. He broke his camera before the second dive as he struggled to get his gears together - it dropped and flooded during the dive. My guess is that he probably has had less than 30 dives, and probably lied about that to be allowed to dive.

I guess I felt a little guilty about ignoring my buddy. But I felt that I should be more concern for my safety than his. By being near the DM, I would have a much better buddy in case of emergency, and we will not be lost if there was excessive current or poor visibility. I guess, I assumed that he claimed he was more experienced than myself; I should let him do as he pleases. We all had to surface earlier than needed because of my buddy's running out of air. I had over 1000 psi when we surfaced. Honestly, I cannot say if I would have dove any differently in the future. Unless my buddy said he was a novice. But then, if something bad happened to my buddy, I guess I would still feel very guilty.

My question is, how much responsibility should one have for their instabuddy, especially if he or she is a photographer?

If you are willing to swim off and leave me because I don't keep up, do I have any responsibility to come looking for you when the party doesn't know where you are?

 

[PineNut]

Thanks for changing the comment. If I were paid as a DM, it is my responsibility to watch over this man.

I paid for my dive, I want to enjoy my dive. Essentially, I wanted to be a solo diver. As other's have said before, take up DM, or solo diving.

The problem is, our dive culture does not allow "solo diving". But, when paired with a photographer, you are a "solo diver". So why should you also serve as his DM, when you are not paid for the service?

The disclaimer I gave him - essentially - you are a solo diver. And so I am. If you want to reciprocate the buddy system, then I will reciprocate. The agreement between two diver's on the surface is the rule that should bind them below. I mean, with the Swain case ending with jail for the man, I can understand the mentality of the photographer. But the diving culture requirement of the buddy system might have landed an innocent man in jail? I mean, 2 experienced divers, one is a photographer. So what I am saying is, essentially, photographers really should be independent, solo divers. You shouldn't even carry the camera until you earned your "solo certificate".

 

[Gombessa]

Yes, you are right - I do have something against photographers...I guess my point is, most buddy pairs seems to work out well, except those with photographers. These folks are very self centered, and do not make good buddies.

Ouch.

 

[Web Monkey]

My question is, how much responsibility should one have for their instabuddy, especially if he or she is a photographer?

Being somebody's "buddy" is like being pregnant. Either you are or you aren't.

If you didn't want to be responsible for this guy, you should have been up front with him and said "no". You can't accept responsibility for someone, then run off with the DM if you're not happy with something.

By being near the DM, I would have a much better buddy in case of emergency . . .

Being "near the DM" doesn't ensure anything at all. I've seen them lose the boat, run divers out of air, lose their "buddy" divers entirely, and in general, do all the things that Bad Buddies do. The DM isn't "your buddy." Unless you hired him, the DM is just carrying the float and looking for cool stuff to point out.

He might save your bacon in an emergency, but then again, he might not even be aware that you're there.

Just to play Devil's Advocate, it's entirely possible that your "insta-buddy" is hundreds of times better qualified to help you have a safe dive than either you or the DM. And if you had been a good buddy and kept an eye on his gas, he wouldn't have run out.

Terry

 

[PineNut]

If you are willing to swim off and leave me because I don't keep up, do I have any responsibility to come looking for you when the party doesn't know where you are?

No, as I am with the main group in the strong current, with the boat traveling just behind our group, with two propellers spinning.

If I fell behind, I am screwed, and it is my fault. Believe me, this happens daily, especially in cozumel. Crazy american divers think they can dawdle all they want. Then they surface, and their dive boats is hundreds of yards away. They board another dive boats, and meet up with the group on shore.

If I fell behind, it is my fault. But I don't want to fall behind babysitting a photographer, then having to surface without a signalling device and risk getting hit by another boat.

What you are talking about is fine when there is no current. The situation is different when there is boat traffic, rapid current, and only one mandated dive group.

 

[Peter Guy]

PN asked

My question is, how much responsibility should one have for their instabuddy, especially if he or she is a photographer?

For what it is worth (and it ain't worth much!), here is my answer:

a. The fact that the buddy may be a photographer is irrelevant to your level of responsibility.

b. What is a buddy? Most (but perhaps not all) agencies define the term and then go on to certify divers who have been taught to "be a good buddy." In general, to "be a good buddy" means to stay within reasonable proximity and maintain reasonable contact so that the "buddy pair" may reasonably rely on each other for assistance if/when needed.

c. IF one agrees to "be a buddy" is there any responsibility at all? Probably for, after all, you have agreed to act in a manner described above. That is your "contract" and the "buddy" may reasonably rely on your agreement.

PN -- in your particular case however, you may well have limited your responsibility by the discussion/agreement wherein you described what you were willing to do and your "buddy" appears to have agreed to the restrictions.

That written, I happen to agree with those who think you both were lousy buddies.

BTW, I've done a fair number of drift dives and guess what, there is no particular need for a qualified diver to have to stay close to the DM -- even in the Yucatan and especially on a drift dive. The really cool thing about drift dives is that EVERYONE is going to the same place and people aren't spreading out all over. And when you are done, you just pop your SMB, slowly ascend and wait until the boat comes to pick you up.

You DID have an SMB ready to deploy, didn't you?

 

[Web Monkey]

Why? Is it scuba taboo to watch both your and your buddy's air supply?

There's no shame in wanting to know your buddy's pressure. I show my computer to my buddy, then point at theirs, and they show it to me. I've done this with students on their first pool dive and guys that had 5000 dives. The students don't think anything of it, and the "frequent fliers" are happy to take a second and know what we both have.

Terry

 

[PineNut]

PN asked
For what it is worth (and it ain't worth much!), here is my answer:


You DID have an SMB ready to deploy, didn't you?

It was in the boat

All right. You are all correct. If I had my d**m SMB, I would have been more likely to be a better buddy. Crazy DM zig zag from one clump to another, so drifting was not really drifting. It was kicking cross current. That is where the guy burned air.

There was no excuse on punishing the photographer and held him to our agreement.

I would be terribly saddened and guilt ridden if he had died or become injured from the OOA situation.

How many people are trained in deploying an SMB at depth? I would dare say none, even after achieving DM or instructor status. I do not think it is an agency requirement at OW, AOW, DM or even higher levels.