Leave or stay with buddy Scenario

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DiveBen

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Location
Orlando, Florida
# of dives
50 - 99
I would like some thoughts concerning the question below, which follows the scenario. I believe that this is not an unlikely scenario. I, myself, am not completely sure which action would be wisest.

Scenario: You and your buddy are diving a wreck. During the dive, you notice the current getting stronger. As you both head towards the anchor line, you realize that you have misjudged the current, and find that you have both missed the anchor line. You know that although it will take much effort, you have enough leg strength and stamina to swim against the current, and reach the anchor line, if you act within a few seconds. However, your buddy is not as strong and fit, and you know that he would not be able to swim against the current to the anchor line. The current has turned rather swift, and you know that you will both be doing some good distance, if you do not get to the anchor line. Neither you or your buddy had considered this exact scenario, and so it was not specifically addressed during pre-dive planning.

Question: Which would be the more appropriate action:
1) You leave your buddy, swim to the anchor line, and up to the boat without a safety stop. You inform the boat captain of the situation, and inform him of the signal devices that your buddy has with him. Because of pre-dive planning for cases of separation, your buddy knows that he should surface without a safety stop, deploy his SMB, and utilize his other signal devices as appropriate.

2) You stay with your buddy, ascend together, without a safety stop. You both deploy your SMBs, utilize your other signal devices as appropriate, and just wait for the boat to hopefully see you, or realize you are both missing, within a reasonable amount of time so that you do not continue to get even further away.

Ben
 
well I will be staying with my buddy, doing a safety stop and then surfacing and deploying all available signaling devices including the epirb I carry on any wreck dive in open sea with possible current, again why was current not part of your predive discussions?

Ill take your scenario in the spirit you intended but on a wreck there are things you can hold onto to pull yourself to the line without swimming. if maybe you and your buddy got lost and vis was bad I can see not finding the line and getting low on air and needing to surface without the line.

Mostly my buddy is my wife, I am going to die with her before I leave my buddy. Others I would give almost the same consideration to, unless I really did not like you or you were being foolish.
 
1) I'll try to get us both to the anchor line, crawling along the wreck/bottom as necessary.

2) If he gets blown off, I go with him.
 
I agree with SailNaked, stay with my buddy, do the safety stop, and deploy my SMB will doing the safety stop. Now if the current was strong and there is a chance that I'd be carried away from the boat I might consider NOT doing the safety stop, but I would discuss this with my buddy prior to entering the water.
 
1) I'll try to get us both to the anchor line, crawling along the wreck/bottom as necessary.

2) If he get's blown off, I go with him.

I'd second these two replies.

You both had planned the dives and hopefully had known about the possibility of current unexpectedly come up. This is not a situation where your buddy purposely put you in danger.
 
As long as there is someone on the boat I'll stay with and do a free ascent. This happened to one of my friends in Cuba, and they didnt leave anyone on the boat. He ditched his buddy, got onboard, and drove the boat 2 miles to pick up his buddy....Saving both thier asses in the process.
 
I think what is catching most of our eyes is the "No safety stop". I personally would stay with my buddy, make the safety stop. you don't want to put another life in jeopardy, everyone should always be thinking what is the safest plan of action, although situations may occur that you have to make a split desicion and hope it all works out for the best.
Dive safe guys.
 
You stay with your buddy, deploy a marker tube, and immediately begin your ascent.

And do the safety stop.
 
They make an underwater epirb? Very cool, anyone got a link?
 
1) I'll try to get us both to the anchor line, crawling along the wreck/bottom as necessary.

2) If he gets blown off, I go with him.

Another agreement with this one.

Besides, it's not like there is any mystery as to which way the current is running at the surface... most operators at wrecks have a darned good idea where to look for any diver that gets blown out.

The chances of you being forever lost at sea are a lot less than the chances of your buddy or yourself getting into trouble 100 feet down.

That's why we carry signaling devices, SMB/Safety Sausages, whistles, mirrors, a long life backup light (to light the SMB's if it gets dark), etc.

People get blown off of wrecks by current, it happens, and it happens a lot... that HAS to be a part of your dive plan if you are diving a wreck that EVER has current on it.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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