low visibility

[fisher2]

how would you guys work the buddy system with 8" of visibility? thats what the visibility is around here it seems idk if it increses at deeper depth with a light but yeah how would i keep track of my buddy?

today i get to teach my future buddy the dive tables

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Under those conditions, I'd use touch contact with hand signals right in front of the other diver's face.

Where I live, 8 inches of vis is bad. I'd abort the dive and try again another day.
If I lived in a location where 8 inches of vis was the norm, I'd end up doing more dive vacations.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

how would you guys work the buddy system with 8" of visibility? thats what the visibility is around here it seems idk if it increses at deeper depth with a light but yeah how would i keep track of my buddy?

today i get to teach my future buddy the dive tables

Techniques for diving in very low vis ...

- Slow down
- Swim side-by-side
- Use dive lights ... not just for illumination, but also to keep better track of each other
- Slow down
- Swim within touching distance of each other
- Look at each other more often
- Oh ... and slow down ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[nolatom]

By 8", do you mean eight feet (hope not 8 inches!). If so, that should be enough to stay in visual contact, but best if you remain side-by-side so you can see each other and not pull apart without realizing it, which can happen if you try to follow one another.

In truly near-zero vis, I have held hands with buddy to make sure we don't get separated.

I also find bright colored fins, suit, whatever, plus flashlight on all the time, help a lot.

 

[lowviz]

All good advice above. I subscribe to a harder and more realistic view of the buddy system for the kind of diving that you describe:

Scuba Diving - New Jersey & Long Island New York - dive Wreck Valley - Gear & Training - Dive Training

Disclaimer: The OP's post may provoke responses, like mine, that are clearly out of scope for "New Divers and Those Considering Diving". However, I feel a responsibility to point out the inherent hazards of such diving.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Eight inches of vis would be water that's pretty "thick" ... here in Puget Sound, summer conditions can sometimes produce visibility so poor that if you stretch out your arm you can't see your fingers ... and some of us will dive in those conditions. But if it gets much worse than that, I'll decide to find something else to do.

Most folks go diving to see stuff, after all ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

All good advice above. I subscribe to a harder and more realistic view of the buddy system for the kind of diving that you describe:

Scuba Diving - New Jersey & Long Island New York - dive Wreck Valley - Gear & Training - Dive Training

Disclaimer: The OP's post may provoke responses, like mine, that are clearly out of scope for "New Divers and Those Considering Diving". However, I feel a responsibility to point out the inherent hazards of such diving.

Uh ... I really don't think promoting solo diving in the New Diver's forum is a very good idea ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[wilderydude83]

Glow stick.

 

[lowviz]

Uh ... I really don't think promoting solo diving in the New Diver's forum is a very good idea ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I wouldn't even consider doing such, not even for most advanced divers.

The point is that two underskilled divers diving together is a common form of solo diving, they just don't know it...

 

[ajduplessis]

Physical contact (hand holding), or a buddy line around 3feet