Dive Buddy did not surface with me

[Squishy]

Hello,
I am a relatively new diver. I only have about 25 dives, but have my AOW certification. Last year on a dive in Hawaii, I was assigned a buddy who was more experienced. He was a nice guy but I was a little apprehensive when someone asked where they could shore dive and he described a place where you just "walk out on the coral".

Our first dive went well. On our second dive, in about 30 feet of water, we were near the end of the dive. I must have been a little light because I was having trouble staying down. I was nearing the pre-determined air limit and was fighting to stay down, so I tapped him to get his attention and signaled to surface. He returned the signal and I started to ascend. I was watching him and instead of ascending, he descended further and swam away taking pictures.

I surfaced at the back of the dive boat and the crewman immediately asked where my dive buddy was. (I liked that, because if my dive buddy surfaced without me, I would hope someone would ask where I was.)

I told him that I had signaled to surface and he returned the signal, but that he swam off. The crewman seemed a little perturbed with me that I was not with my buddy. I could have mis-read that though. It is possible that he was upset with my dive buddy for swimming off alone. Nothing was said to him by the crew when he surfaced; however. I asked him about it and he said that he knew I was surfacing but he wanted to keep going alone.

So... in my training, I learned that a signal to surface was not a question, it is a statement. Should I have tried to descend and chase him to stay with him?

Thanks for any responses!
-Mike-

 

[tflaris]

First determine if there was a miscommunication with the signals. If not, I would suggest finding a new dive buddy.

Good Luck and the right call.

Tony Flaris

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Scott L]

I surfaced at the back of the dive boat and the crewman immediately asked where my dive buddy was. (I liked that, because if my dive buddy surfaced without me, I would hope someone would ask where I was.)

I told him that I had signaled to surface and he returned the signal, but that he swam off. The crewman seemed a little perturbed with me that I was not with my buddy. I could have mis-read that though. It is possible that he was upset with my dive buddy for swimming off alone. Nothing was said to him by the crew when he surfaced; however. I asked him about it and he said that he knew I was surfacing but he wanted to keep going alone.

It is human nature to fault the newer diver without all the facts. Unfortunaetly, your story is more the norm than the exception around here anyway. In fairness to the other diver it was a very shallow dive...

So... in my training, I learned that a signal to surface was not a question, it is a statement. Should I have tried to descend and chase him to stay with him?

If I had sufficent gas to surface, no, I would not have chased him.

 

[DennisS]

He probably assumed you were telling him you were finishing the dive as a courtesy, so he wouldn't have to look for you. I usually just wave good bye when I'm leaving.

 

[RJP]

So... in my training, I learned that a signal to surface was not a question, it is a statement.

Better communications PRE dive would have helped here. You may have learned something different in your training that your buddy did in his. I always discuss with an insta-buddy what various signals mean, as well as how the end of a dive might go, especially if we determine that there might be a significant difference in gas consumption rates. On a shallow dive like you describe I'd discuss how their "thumb" might well be met with my "bye bye" reply if that was OK with them. And I repeat... if that was OK with them. Would also ensure that this was OK with the boat.

Would only do this if the dive was shallow and my buddy and I were back at the up line at the time.

That said, barring such an agreement I'm with you: A thumb means we are both heading up, especially if met with a thumb in reply. When you say he "returned the signal" did he respond with a "thumb" or with an "OK"?

Should I have tried to descend and chase him to stay with him?

Nope

 

[TSandM]

No, if you were low on gas and light, you should not have chased him, especially if you were sure he had seen and understood your signal.

One of the things that should be discussed before getting in the water is whether you intend to stay together as a buddy team, or separate. Some people do what your buddy did, and stay together only as a convenience. Others of us believe that a team enters the water and the same team exits it -- together. Unfortunately, this is part of the real world education you get as a diver, which is to find out that many people simply jettison many of the things you were taught, including dive plans, buddy checks, and buddy diving. That's why you really have to have a thorough discussion with your proposed buddy, about how they view the dive, what the time, gas or deco limits are going to be, and whether you will ascend together.

 

[Akimbo]

…Last year on a dive in Hawaii, I was assigned a buddy who was more experienced. He was a nice guy but I was a little apprehensive when someone asked where they could shore dive and he described a place where you just "walk out on the coral"…

I don’t understand this comment.

…On our second dive, in about 30 feet of water, we were near the end of the dive…

Were both of you near the end of the dive because you were both running out of air or because of a pre-arranged maximum time?

…I was nearing the pre-determined air limit and was fighting to stay down, so I tapped him to get his attention and signaled to surface. He returned the signal and I started to ascend…

When the signal to go up was returned, was it an acknowledgement, an agreement that you should surface, or perhaps just wanting you to go away — some (not all) photographers can be a little testy when a diver is not in good trim because it stirs up the bottom and scares critters away.

…So... in my training, I learned that a signal to surface was not a question, it is a statement…

Your experience demonstrates the importance of clear and complete dive planning with your buddy, especially when traveling. There is no way either can know what training, experience, or assumptions each operate under. You can get wound-up over who did something wrong, but it will not change being in a situation you are uncomfortable with. Until you know better, assume your assigned buddy is a grumpy SOB that wants to dive solo and eats baby seals.

There are a lot of people who have never, or no longer, follow the conventions that you have been taught. Unless an experienced diver is inclined to mentor, it is often more rewarding to match up with buddy with similar experience and objectives. If you are exploring/sight-seeing, then try not to buddy with a spear fisherman or photographer unless you want to observe them.

…Should I have tried to descend and chase him to stay with him?

IMHO, no. You believe that you clearly communicated with him and chasing him would have put you in a position to exceed your reserve air comfortable level. A lot of people relax precautions in 30' of tropical water that they apply religiously at 200' in the North Atlantic.

 

[Squishy]

That said, barring such an agreement I'm with you: A thumb means we are both heading up, especially if met with a thumb in reply. When you say he "returned the signal" did he respond with a "thumb" or with an "OK"? Nope

Thanks for your comments. He responded with a "Thumbs up". Still, you, and several others, make a great point about having more discussion with the person with whom I am partnered. I probably "assumed" too much.

I don’t understand this comment.

Were both of you near the end of the dive because you were both running out of air or because of a pre-arranged maximum time?

When the signal to go up was returned, was it an acknowledgement, an agreement that you should surface, or perhaps just wanting you to go away — some (not all) photographers can be a little testy when a diver is not in good trim because it stirs up the bottom and scares critters away.

Your experience demonstrates the importance of clear and complete dive planning with your buddy, especially when traveling. There is no way either can know what training, experience, or assumptions each operate under. You can get wound-up over who did something wrong, but it will not change being in a situation you are uncomfortable with. Until you know better, assume your assigned buddy is a grumpy SOB that wants to dive solo and eats baby seals.

There are a lot of people who have never, or no longer, follow the conventions that you have been taught. Unless an experienced diver is inclined to mentor, it is often more rewarding to match up with buddy with similar experience and objectives. If you are exploring/sight-seeing, then try not to buddy with a spear fisherman or photographer unless you want to observe them.

IMHO, no. You believe that you clearly communicated with him and chasing him would have put you in a position to exceed your reserve air comfortable level. A lot of people relax precautions in 30' of tropical water that they apply religiously at 200' in the North Atlantic.

Thanks for your comments too!

The comment about the shore dive was to point out that he seemed a little reckless suggesting that they "walk on" the coral. I did not see any destructive behavior or anything during the dives, though.

We were nearing the end of the dive based on the pattern that the dive master took us and because we were getting low on air. We left the boat, swam a large circle and were approaching the boat again to surface. When I came up, there were already several divers back on board.

He was using a disposable underwater camera, so I don't think he was a serious photographer worried about me ruining his shots. I think he was just comfortable diving alone and just wanted to stay down. I know some people like to dive alone.

So... thanks everyone for the advice. As I said, I am still pretty new at this, and I think the lesson learned is that I need to have more discussion with my insta-buddy pre-dive.

Thanks again!
-Mike-

 

[jskeys]

There seem to be a number of issues here. More discussion may have helped, but then there are those who will ignore what they want to. I would hope the DM on the boat had briefed that if a team goes in together they come out together. If this was the case ur buddy was clearly wrong. Just because the depth is 30 feet or less does not mean problems can not occur, that is why we have buddy teams. A buddy team is suppose to mean more than just 2 people in the same ocean at the same time. It is sad that the old rules that were passed down as rules have been taken as suggestions by some. If you were low on air and had signaled this to ur buddy, his decision was his decision. Hope you found a new buddy next dive.

 

[DandyDon]

I'm shy about pre-dive planning as I hate to risk making a new buddy think I am pushing my ideas off on him, but I do like to clarify...

If we're buddy diving, we descend, swim, and ascent together. Too many accidents happen on the surface.

Or, if we are same-ocean diving, let's just call it what it is - solo diving. I trust my pony bottle more than most buddies.​

If the boat has a tight buddy diving protocol, cool - but I wouldn't dive with him again. I've had this happen many times as I am a air hog, and I have fired many.