Lost buddy prevention

From the scale of 1-5, how stupid and/or dangerous would this be?


  • Total voters
    80

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Maybe I'm a little dense, but before I start reading the posts---
Are we voting on how stupid or dangerous buddy separation is or how stupid or dangerous lost buddy prevention is?
I assume the former.

Basicly it's whether they should tie themselves togather to prevent buddy separation.


Edit:
Beat by the OP,
 
I don't even think that much. Many shops rent lights too.

In my neck of the ocean, and I understand yours as well, lights are a necessity for diving during the day. Even if you are solo diving.

Yep! Even when working on skills earlier this spring at the local quarry, viz was so bad buddy and I made sure to have lights on just to tell where each of us was.
 
My perspective, most of which was raised by others.

Designate a leader. You can switch off during the dive, but there must be absolutely no question about who is leading and who is following at all times during the dive.

Relative positioning is critical, In general a side by side positioning is best, especially with low vis. The leader can be a few feet ahead, but it is so much easier, if he doesn't have to constantly be looking back. It is also essential that the two buddies are at the same depth.

With regard to relative position, you MUST STAY in the same relative position. This is where a lot of separations start. If your buddy is on your left, make sure he stays there. If you two want to change relative positions, say on the way back, no problem, but make it clear and work slowly when you re-position and then confirm frequently that the new relative position has been established and is being maintained.

When you are the leader, you need to communicate changes in trajectory or path. If you are following a linear structure, then keep following it and if you decide to go over it or turn away from it, then the leader should signal the change in course, do it slowly and immediately confirm that the follower is still following. This is super important. Don't do ANYTHING unusual or unexpected without communicating and confirming that the altered course/objective has been accepted and understood by the follower.

If/when you get separated, agree to both return to the last place you saw each other. Same as you do when you are shopping at the mall. If both buddies are moving slowly and are attentive, this should be a distance of 15 or 30 feet max and a time of 60 seconds.

Using lights is a big help in many situations.

Agree on what happens if you don't find you buddy in specified time.

If you follow these ideas and the vis is like 5-10 feet and there are no terrible surges or currents, and both people are motivated to maintain the team, you should have infrequent and short separations. A good buddy team will learn to do most all of this instinctively.

If you both are nervous about buddy separation, then maintain a VERY close shoulder to shoulder position. It is no big deal if you bump shoulders once in a while or kick your buddy's fin. This is much less objectionable and burdensome than having both divers have one hand fully occupied by holding a rope. As you have heard, clipping off to each other is unwise.

As you get better at it, your shoulder to shoulder positioning can widen somewhat, but the concepts of leader/follower, not changing relative positions without notification and not changing course without acknowledgement, will continue to be essential.
 
Not a very practical idea but certainly not dangerous( except to the coral eg staghorn)..
 
I don't think it's particularly dangerous--unless in a special situation. Like tons of fishing line all over the place,etc.
As someone said, both should have a cutting tool. And of course some use it in near zero viz.
In such situations I'd just skip the dive.
Agree that tying yourselves together comes with hassles-- unexpected jerks, etc.
I wouldn't do it.
My idea is side by side with one slightly ahead of the other so that literal pain in the neck for the leader doesn't happen. Then check every ____ seconds that your buddy is there. I have OCD on doing that and hate when someone is more casual about it. That's one reason I like solo diving. I dive with my brother once yearly (before Covid, he's in the U.S.). We enter from shore together then say good by.
 
Basicly it's whether they should tie themselves togather to prevent buddy separation.


Edit:
Beat by the OP,
Maybe use bungee cord at that? :poke:
 
I voted "2."

In scuba, especially as a new diver, you want to keep that number close to 5, and eliminate all unnecessary sources of danger. I'd even suggest caution around any "4"s, and ensure you have training or practice, before attempting any 4s (or higher) in the wild. A "2" in this case, means it's something that could easily go wrong, or very wrong.

You don't want a hard attachment to two divers, if it can be avoided at any cost. It could become tangled on the environment, or one buddy doing something dangerous (like surfacing quickly) would put the other buddy under risk. Air-share is probably the only time you should be "attached" to your dive-buddy.

However, there might be some options to help reduce separation risks:
  • Handheld line (on both ends), or one which detaches under enough force. The line should be relatively short, likely no longer than your visibility. You still need to be careful to not get tangled in the line. I'd recommend also having a sheathed cutting tool, like scissors or a knife if you do this.
  • Tank lights - Murky water might affect how far you can see the light, but a flashing light attached to your regulators near the top of your tank might help with visibility of each other.
  • Brightly-colored equipment - You can glue brightly colored fabric to your wetsuit, BCD, or fins. Sure, black scuba gear is cool, but nearly all scuba gear is black. I once saw a scuba-instructor wearing a wetsuit that was neon-green, with white fins. I've started using a bright color on some of my equipment as well, which has lots of bonuses. It's more visible and helps my buddy spot me, and distinguish me from other divers. It also helps me distinguish and spot my own equipment (fins, harness, bcd, wetsuit, equipment-bags, tools, etc) among other diver's equipment, since most of my equipment has that specific color as an accent. I'd say pick a color and stick with it (unless you really want to look like a rainbow).
  • Moving Slower - No need to rush, so long as there's no major current. A more relaxing dive reduces likelihood of losing eachother, lengthens the dive, reduces air consumption, reduces cramps, and more.
  • Pick a side - Choose who is always on the left, and the other always on the right. That way you (usually) only have to look to one side to spot your budy.
  • Move in a straight-line - If both partners are going in a straight line, it's hard to lose each-other. When changing directions, pause and communicate a direction change, get acknowledgement, then proceed in the new direction. Also try to notify your buddy if you need to stop (or speed up) for any reason.
  • Have a plan - That is a plan what to do if separated.
  • Tank Bangers & Noise Makers - Most divers aren't a fan of these, myself included. If you have one, make sure you and your buddy agree to only use it for lost-buddy. You'll have a hard time determining direction, but it could at least alert the buddy to look for you a little sooner than they might have otherwise.
I mentioned a line which auto-detaches. Look up "cord lock." They're generally inexpensive small plastic items used to make lanyards. If you have a length of cord (like paracord, string, etc) which fits a cord-lock, you do something like this (below). You'll want a few extra inches of cord sticking out the cord-lock, so a slight tug doesn't just auto-detach every time. Though I'd suggest the "lanyard" going around your wrist, not a d-ring, so you can feel when your buddy gives you a tug.

20210615_011326 - Copy.jpg
 
I use a small round mirror bungeed to the back of my hand. I just raise my hand and move it around until I can see my buddy or their bubbles. Works pretty well not 100% but it does reduce the amount of turning and looking.

Then there is tank tapping with a rock, it will at least tell you if you're close, if you can hear each you but can't see each other you can have a signal to surface and regroup.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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