50% of the time. Why Me?

[Pugsly55]

Maybe I am just inexperienced enough to still be idealistic. I am anal retentive about keeping track of my own gas, and I guess I feel I don't need anyone holding my hand in that respect while diving. I always do have my buddy and me signal when 1500 psi (roughly half tank) is reached, and am comfortable going from there. But, as proof by your stories, these guys that don't manage well or at all are out there.
I did have something similar happen to me in Coz that happened to you in Tacoma. But, I "let" the guy go (there was no stopping him) up by himself and did my deep and safety stops. I was not getting bent because of his stupidity.

Well... I once went out on a charter here in Tacoma as a single diver and got paired up with a "buddy of circumstance". We talked about the plan, turn pressure, etc (though not in enough detail, using hindsight). During the dive, every time I signaled for pressure, I got OK back. I didn't get too annoyed about it until he signals to me in about 70 fsw that he's at 600 PSI!. I don't like to come up fast from depth but we were gonna be doing just th
http://www.scubaboard.com/images/icons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img] I was still a pretty new diver at that point and didn't feel like I had the experience to be telling anyone how they should be diving, but I can assure you that I looked at his pressure gauge at every opportunity on the second dive that day.

I was talking to someone recently about this sort of thing, and his suggestions to me really made me rethink my "buddy attitude". In my story above, I was put in harm's way as a result of that guy's poor gas management. In the future if this occurs, I'll talk about it with the person afterwards (not in a mean way, but in a mentoring way as Snowbear mentioned earlier in this thread). If the person seems willing to adjust, cool. If not, I'm sitting the next dive out. Talking about all this sort of stuff isn't me telling others how to do things, it's really about taking MY safety and well-being into account. I know I've got things to learn and work on in my diving; I'm certainly not a know-it-all nor do I like telling others what to do. I do want to be safe, and by being a better buddy I can do a lot towards being safer in my diving.

Jimmie

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

There's nothing anal retentive about answering your buddy if he (or she) wants to know how much gas you have ... it's simple good habit, especially if you're diving with someone who doesn't know you all that well (nor you them).

I learned this once on a night dive to 128 fsw ... when I was diving with a fellow I didn't (at the time) know all that well. He had nearly 900 logged dives, so I figured he knew how to manage his gas. At about 90 fsw, and 9 minutes into deco, he suddenly signaled me he had 600 psi and took off like a bat outta hell upslope. Not a fun situation.

The second lesson I learned that night was never follow an outta control diver past a required stop ... I'm lucky it didn't cost me a trip to the chamber.

The third lesson ... which was his to learn, and I about beat it into him ... was NEVER swim away from your dive buddy when you're in that situation ... :11:

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Web Monkey]

I'm not sure how you could stop a "runaway buddy" anyway.

A filled BC is good for anwhere from 30 to 90 pounds of lift depending on model and size, and there's no way you're going to be able to stop him, unless you can grab him and pull the dump valve, which might not be healthy for you if he's really panicing.

I think I'd let him go too.

Terry

I did have something similar happen to me in Coz that happened to you in Tacoma. But, I "let" the guy go (there was no stopping him) up by himself and did my deep and safety stops. I was not getting bent because of his stupidity.

 

[Rick Inman]

I once made 2 dives of around 55mins with Uncle Pug, each on a separate AL80, both which I drained. He used only ONE tank (steel something) for BOTH dives. It didn't bother me at all that he kept glancing over at my SPG, because it was MY SPG that determined dive time.
Last Tuesday night, a group of 6 of us dived with a guy who, on a dive averaging 50', blows through his 85 in 20mins. We kinda of like to keep an eye on his air to determine turn around time.
If there is something wrong with this, I sure don't know what it is.
For those of you who are DIR, what is the rule on monitoring your buddies air?

 

[DandyDon]

I see, tank mounted pony...

Seems like it would make more sense to sling it so you could hand it off.

Is this the way you carry your's, Rachel, or - do you carry one?

I can certainly see the logic of a Pony that could be handed off in better situations, but - as I bought mine because of boat-pick jerks, I have no interest in handing it off to someone who has already failed me as buddy. I bought it so I would have air even if something went wrong, therefore I will have air. I will still take care of a buddy in need, but not at the risk of him dropping my Pony & reg while on a safety stop.

I'm not sure how you could stop a "runaway buddy" anyway.

A filled BC is good for anwhere from 30 to 90 pounds of lift depending on model and size, and there's no way you're going to be able to stop him, unless you can grab him and pull the dump valve, which might not be healthy for you if he's really panicing.

I think I'd let him go too.

Terry

I will take some extra risks to help someone who is screwing up, but if he's already 10 feet above me and rapidly going up, I'm not chasing much faster than I would normally go up.

 

[Jeddah Aquanaut]

When I head down with someone on an aluminum 80, I have 140+ cubic feet of air on my back. I often surface with nearly 2000 psi in my primary and my pony untouched.


As well you should surface with your pony bottle untouched---unless you needed it for an emergency. Scuba tanks are not like male genetalia: Bigger is not always better. I almost always dive with a LP Steel 80, 3000PSI, and one of my occasional buddies uses 3300PSI tanks, but we always turn around when he gets to the half-way point (air wise), and I always come out with a good 500 pounds more at the end. If I'm going out with my HP 10L tank, then I dive with someone similarly equipped. Some people, instead of using bigger tanks, might practice reducing air consumption. Just a thought.
:diver:

 

[simbrooks]

Scuba tanks are not like male genetalia: Bigger is not always better.

Its not the size of your tanks that matters, its how you use it - and how quickly you and/or your buddy can suck that tank down.

So far i have tried a few tanks out and although i was thinking of larger steel tanks, unless my buddy were simliarly equipped, i dont see the point in bothering, if they are in AL80's, then assuming i know them (which was kind of the case in the original post) and how well they breath that tank down will tell me if i or my buddy will most likely call the dive at our turn - hence i am probably buying some 80's for now.

 

[dtcooney]

Lots to Learn here and real good advice I've never had a bad buddy or, I hope, never been a bad buddy but there's lots to learn here about being a good buddy. :06:

 

[DandyDon]

Lots to Learn here and real good advice I've never had a bad buddy or, I hope, never been a bad buddy but there's lots to learn here about being a good buddy. :06:

And that, Sir, is a very good way to take all this! Thanks for bringing that up!!