Collapse of the "Buddy System"

[Donnah]

It takes two divers to lose a buddy. If yours lost you, it's only because you let him get away or just weren't watching.

Above is not true. I've had several circumstances where I have lost my buddy -- the two latest times were in current, and one of us was delayed in getting off the boat. It does happen.

 

[PfcAJ]

one of us was delayed in getting off the boat. It does happen.

Folks really don't wait for their buddy to be in the water before descending ? Weird.

 

[Steve_C]

Folks really don't wait for their buddy to be in the water before descending ? Weird.

Hot drop into current?

Haven't lost my buddy that way but have lost everybody else including the flag and guide on a drift dive because I waited on a slowly descending buddy with a camera the size of a small sub. Had an SMB so no problem.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

These threads make me so sad.

If you want to know how to have good dive buddies, look into GUE training. In our world, dive buddies are good buddies.

There is no need at all for people to be bad buddies. Dumpster Diver is right; situational awareness and team skills take work, and definitely get better with good training. But the primary requirement for a good buddy is that the person have the desire to BE a good buddy. Find people who WANT to be good buddies, and you can form functional teams.

It doesn't have to be GUE training, but GUE does teach the buddy team system first and formost.
Anybody from any agency can have as strong a buddy team as GUE, all it takes is commitment and losing the "me" attitude.
Both divers have to be commited to the style and one can't all of a sudden dart off to go see something and not let the other know what they are doing. Many divers are impulsive and forget the first rule of buddy diving, the buddy system comes first.
Many people aren't disciplined enough to be good buddies.
If you are going to use the buddy system then that is the number one objective of the dive - to stay together and be each others redundant system. Everything else done during the dive is on top of that first rule and the first rule never gets broken.
Then there are additional buddy skills on top of "never lose your buddy". Those skills seem to have been passed over in recent years or maybe never really taught and confirmed.

 

[Mike]

Hot drop into current?

Haven't lost my buddy that way but have lost everybody else including the flag and guide on a drift dive because I waited on a slowly descending buddy with a camera the size of a small sub. Had an SMB so no problem.

Buddy failure would be losing your buddy on the hot drop in a current

Buddy success would be losing the group but not your buddy with the large camera the size of a small sub

If given an insta buddy I'd want to be proactive in finding out before the dive what is going to happen in the water. If I'm with an insta buddy and we are on a dive with current and the dive briefing talks about needing to descend quickly, "How are your ears? Do you equalize slowly?" would be a great question to ask in the pre-dive planning and getting to know your insta buddy.

 

[flots am]

It takes two divers to lose a buddy. If yours lost you, it's only because you let him get away or just weren't watching.

Above is not true. I've had several circumstances where I have lost my buddy -- the two latest times were in current, and one of us was delayed in getting off the boat. It does happen.

Unless your buddy was teleported by aliens, it still takes two to lose a buddy.

If your buddy was a good buddy, he would have said "wait, I'm not ready yet."

If there's current, and you have good contact and distance, wherever the current goes, you both go.

"Lost buddy" is about on par with "accidentally running out of air". They both have the same cause and the same solution: "pay attention"

flots.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

"Lost buddy" is about on par with "accidentally running out of air". They both have the same cause and the same solution: "pay attention" flots.

Although I understand this position - Running out of air is all on me - my buddy can not help me in that regard - my air does not swim away from me...

I think losing buddies may be easier in the clear water regions - up in the dark waters I think it is much harder to lose someone because in 10 foot viz or less you are less likely to stray very far or you discuss the plan because you know what to expect - go 10 feet and I cant see you.... But clear waters I think give you a false sense of - hey I can see you way over here and boy I think I can swim that 80 feet to get to you with no problems - just signal and I will be right over...

 

[captain]

Someone please give an example of an activity other than diving with the potential for injury or death that utilizes a buddy system, I really can't think of any. Anytime you are alone you have the potential to be injured or have a medical emergency, should everyone have a buddy at all times. Really the buddy system came from the YMCA's swimming program before anyone had conceived of recreational diving. Time for it to disappear and be replaced by training to focus on self sufficiency and self rescue. Once that is achieved all divers will be safer and the bad or instabuddy issue will disappear.

Scuba Diving - New Jersey & Long Island New York - dive Wreck Valley - Gear & Training - Dive Training

 

[Mike]

Someone please give an example of an activity other than diving with the potential for injury or death that utilizes a buddy system, I really can't think of any

The military.

When skiing here in Colorado. There are numerous ways to die solo skiing. Avalanche in back country, no buddy, no life. When tree skiing there is always the risk of being trapped in a snow well around a tree, many people have died from this, no buddy, no life...

Rock climbing, buddy puts you on belay...

 

[Akimbo]

…If you are going to use the buddy system then that is the number one objective of the dive - to stay together and be each others redundant system. Everything else done during the dive is on top of that first rule and the first rule never gets broken...

Well stated. I just don’t see the point of diving for fun if all you do is babysit other divers and hope they can save my butt. You may as well tether yourselves together.

The surface is the most reliable redundant gas system. I have no problem with a blow & go from 120' at 60'/minute, which was the ascent rate most of my life.