Dive Buddy Incident

[Comp.Air.Junkie]

Looking for some suggestions for how to handle deadbeat dive buddies (there should really be a website). Sorry really long.

I was diving in the gulf a couple of weeks ago and got paired up with this guy (my normal dive buddy, my wife, really didn't want to dive much this vacation). In pre-dive planning for 90 ft. dive I told him that we should head back at such and such time or when the first reaches 1000 psi. (which would probably be me because I'm still working on air consumption) and he agreed. The dive captain also told us that he wanted us to be on the boat with no less than 500 psi. I also told him that before we did our giant stride I wanted to get familiar with his gear and I wanted to show him where to find things on mine. As we were donning gear I hear him go in. It sort of made me mad, but I brushed it off thinking maybe he forgot (I've done it). Everything went well until I reached 1000 psi. I started giving him the up signal (he knew what it meant) and he said O.K. After a couple minutes I gave the up signal again and he said O.K. When he didn't seem concerned again I got up close to show my gauge. He gave me the O.K. signal and we made our slow ascent. About halfway through our ascent I noticed I was getting danerously close to 500 psi. I showed him my gauge again and motioned that I wanted to use his octo at the safety stop (so I wouldn't be on the boat below 500). If I would have looked at his gear before he jumped in I could have told him that his octo was tucked under the shoulder strap. There was still enough out that I could grab and use, but it was rough. Needless to say we got on the boat and I had a little below 500.
I know everyone will ridicule me for this, but I tried to be civil and tell him without getting irate with him that he ran me low (mainly because I still wanted to do the second dive). Anyways I told him the same plan applied to the second dive. We agreed on how much time and I stressed that we would make our way to the anchor line AT 1000 PSI!!! As I approached 1000 again I started to tell him and he acted like it was no big deal again and kept heading for where he was going. I grabbed his fin and gave it a sharp tug and motioned up up up violently. By now I was at 800 and a little panicked. We reached the line and started up and I had to share air again.

I guess the air sharing thing wasn't that much of a necessity, but I was afraid the dive operator wouldn't let me go back out if I came back with less than 500.

When I told him I was dissapointed in him for running me that low after the second dive, he said "you still had plenty". I tried to stress to him that what if he had a problem and we had to share that measly 500.

Questions:

1. What would you have done? Would you have aborted when you realized your buddy wasn't concerned for you and took your chances with a solo ascent (and hope you didn't have any equipment failures) when you hit 1000 psi.?

2. Should I have told the Dive outfit (knowing I wouldn't get my second dive, I know that's selfish)?

3. Should I have made a trio with some other divers?

4. Should I have confronted him and been a real a@@hole to get my point across?


Maybe I'm over-reacting. I am posting this here because the responses could possible help someone else in this situation from being a diving accident with different results.

 

[spectrum]

1. A prime objective is not to jeopardize 2 divers. After firmly communicating your status I'd be heading back alone. Air is a finite resource and that's that.

2. I'm not sure but hope learn from answers from others too. This seems more political than diving related

3. I would if diving as a 3 diver team was an option

4. When, how and to what end. I'd just steer clear and not risk becoming the agitator on the trip. Nothing you would say will make him a better buddy.

I don't think you are over reacting and I think future posters may suggest you under reacted. Up means UP, it's not a debate question or a request. it has a single binary response.

Pete

 

[Geoff_H]

On the first dive, I wouldn't have made the request to share air in your situation to be honest.

500psi is 1/6th of a tank, and since you were halfway up on your ascent you had plenty of air left to finish your ascent and do a nice long safety stop. Try seeing how long you can breath at 5 metres until you run through 500 psi - I imagine most people would comfortably manage 10 minutes and more would manage a lot longer.

Given the stress and hassle of sharing air with an instabuddy and all the attendant risks of that I probably would not have offered my spare regulator to you in that situation either.

For the second dive, I agree your buddy should have made the ascent when you requested.

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

How deep were you at 1000 psi?


Two common traits of new divers (and we have all been there..) is being overanxious with gas consumption, and following the divemaster/buddy no matter where he goes, the latter being far more dangerous.

Concerned about air consumption? Then just thumb the dive. If you buddy isn't coming up with you then wave him good bye and head up yourself. There have been countless incidents where a newbie sticks around at depth waiting for a more experienced diver to head up, only to run low or out of air.

Hard to say if you have overreacted in regard the amount of air remaining (depends on your depth at the time) but: the ‘up’ signal is an order, not a question.

Cheers,
Rohan.

 

[Geoff_H]

He said he planned for a 90 foot dive, so I assume no deeper that that.

Halfway up (45 feet) he was approaching 500 psi.

 

[DiveMaven]

Most of the charters I've been on they talk about being back on the boat with 500psi, but I've never seen it enforced, so the times I've decided to extend my safety stop and come on board with less, I've never worried about it.

As to what I would have done, I would have signaled it was time to go up, waited a few seconds, waved good-bye, and headed to the boat.

 

[ronbeau]

... it has a single binary response.


Pete

Pete a binary response has two possible answers not one. Leave it to an IT guy to pick that out.

 

[XcalakSteve]

I have a couple points to make here. First off if my dive buddy blows off the plan then I am going to blow him off. Up means up. No questions, no argument. Biggest rule in diving is anyone can call the dive at anytime for any or no reason. Up is UP.
Next is the notion that if you are by yourself for any reason, its an automatic emergency and you are in big trouble. Nothing can be farther from the truth. Just the thought of heading up by yourself, put you into a panic. There is absolutley no reason for this. You stated what if I have an equipment failure? The chances of that is so slim its not worth discussing. I did equipment repairs for 10 years in a large dive shop and of the thousands of reg I worked on only 1 would not give any air. When I checked it, it was obvious someone had taken it apart and reassembled it incorrectly. Do not be afraid to blow off someone who is not following the plan or is leading you into something you dont think you can handle. And that includes divemasters as well. You have to look out for yourself first.
Steve

 

[*Floater*]

After a couple minutes I gave the up signal again and he said O.K. When he didn't seem concerned again I got up close to show my gauge.

IMO it's very much not okay for your dive buddy to return an "okay" when you thumb the dive (exception being when someone semi-thumbs the dive, sort of as a question rather than a command sign). If it had been me I would have repeated the thumb up sign a few more times very clearly and authoritatively, and then headed up alone if necessary.

I wouldn't have asked to share air at 45 ft. with 500 psi though. Getting to the boat with 500 psi is just a rule of thumb if nothing goes wrong. In your case something did go wrong (a-hole buddy) so you could have used up that 500 psi reserve.

 

[Bobyjimmie]

I woulda done what most of the others are saying, if he didnt respond by heading to the boat I would have just waved goodbye so he knew you were leaving him and headed for your safety stop. Once aboard the boat again I would have told him goodbye and asked a couple if you could group up with them because you needed a buddy. I cant imagine a pair saying no to adding a third. As for the air sharing, I think that was a little over reaction, but live and learn on that one. Like some said before next time you dive with your normal buddy ask them to make a safety stop on the way down to see how much air you use for future reference. Remember getting anxious and panicced underwater is bad and causes you to consume air faster. Just need to take a deep breath to relax yourself and stay relaxed and in an instance like this make your own decisions, just because the guy may be more experienced doesnt mean hes doing what is right.