Solo divers' obligations to other divers

[dumpsterDiver]

I think it is an interesting question. As someone else said, a responsible solo diver should always have at his disposal 2 (two) independent sources of gas, each of which is sufficient to get them to the surface alone.

I think it is reasonable to ASSUME that for recreational no-deco diving, that if a person picked a pony bottle that was large enough to get themselves to the surface AND to do a good safety stop, then it is reasonable to assume that this is pretty close to enough gas to get a panicked diver to the surface WITHOUT any stops. Obviously this is a generality (and might not apply to an idiot who uses a 6 cu-ft bottle in 120 feet).

Rather than a moral obligation to the other diver, people should look at it from the perspective of their own personal safety. If there is a possibility that another diver mugs you for your air, it is quite likley that you (especially if you are a female or small) may be unable to "decline". So if there is any possiblity that another diver might need (demand) your assistance, it is in your own best interest to plan to keep enough air in the main tank as a reserve to get them to the surface. I follow this idea with my own diving.

If I know I am absolutely alone, then I will run my main tank down much further than if I know I am diving solo with somebody who may or may not stay with me during the dive.

I'm repeating myself, but my instructor taught us that the most dangerous thing in the sea is "a buddy".

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I'm repeating myself, but my instructor taught us that the most dangerous thing in the sea is "a buddy".

On the other hand, when I was taking my instructor training, one of my CD's told me that the most dangerous thing in the sea was an OW student. He advised me to "Always behave as though you are in the water with a bunch of people who are actively trying to kill you."

I'm not sure I'd go quite that far ... but OW students can do some amazingly unpredictable things sometimes ... :shocked2:

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Dr Wu]

A solo diver is under no obligation to plan their dive or equip themselves for anyone but themselves.

As far as lending assistance goes I would doubt I would refuse to help someone in need as long as it did not compromise my safety.

But I probably would not blow off any significant deco or make an unsafe ascent.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

On the other hand, when I was taking my instructor training, one of my CD's told me that the most dangerous thing in the sea was an OW student. He advised me to "Always behave as though you are in the water with a bunch of people who are actively trying to kill you."

I'm not sure I'd go quite that far ... but OW students can do some amazingly unpredictable things sometimes ... :shocked2:

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I stopped teaching when I saw too many students that seemed intent on killing themselves. I got a knife, I really wasn't that worried about my own safety..

 

[kanonfodr]

Since every time I have gone solo there has always been other divers in the area, I have always planned my gas in such a way that I could make a safe ascent to the surface while sharing gas. Generally I plan this gas out of my backgas but I would have no reservations about switching to my redundant gas source since A) I put the cheap stuff in it, and dive within that gas's limits, as well as B) bring a large enough source of redundant gas to preclude reservations about switching to it (in my case, a 40 cu ft Aluminum tank that is stage-rigged).

I personally don't feel a need to short-change myself or another with spare gas since I have a variety of tanks available to me (AL80s, an AL40, a HP120, and doubled HP100s) so I plan my tanks accordingly. For most dives I pursue 75-100 cu ft is plenty of gas, but if I need more I bring more. Of course right now my breathing gases are either Air or Nitrox 32, neither of which I deem costly when compared to Trimix so if I don't feel like heaving the doubles then I will bring my HP120 (which is about the right enough gas to hit the NDLs on Nitrox 32 and still reserve plenty of Rock Bottom in the 80-100ft range).

IMO, solo diving is an integrity check. You need to fully plan your dive, including gas needed, then dive your plan. And I thus plan for ascending from the deepest part of the dive while sharing gas with someone so I reserve that gas for that scenario, whether it happens or not. Gas is cheap, considering what divers spend on training, gear, dive trips, etc. Why not bring enough to share with someone else, especially when the possibilities of that occuring rise due to the presence of other divers in the vicinity?

Peace,
Greg

 

[FritzCat66]

As far as air sharing goes, of course it makes more difference towards the end of the dive - when folks are likely to be lower on gas - than the beginning.

I tend to be around other divers more at the beginning of the dive, at least on a typical Florida drift reef, because of course we all leave the boat at once. But then I hang back and let the crowd move on down, that way some of the reef life comes back out after they've passed and I can concentrate on photos or simply enjoying the reef without the others around.

However, it isn't uncommon for some of the east coast boats to put the hunters & spearos in first on the same or a parallel ledge, then move on down and drop the rec divers. So more than once I have found myself at the end of the dive surrounded by hunters! Maybe they're not finding much quarry and have been rushing down the reef, or maybe they hopped over from a parallel ledge, but in any case I'm often surprised to see them and they seem rather surprised to see me. :amazed:

My guess is, if an air-sharing scenario happened to me, it would be on one of those occasions. Luckily lots of hunters seem to be carrying ponies these days. Then again, some of them seem to use the pony kind of like the old-timers used a J-valve: that is, dive until the primary cylinder is drained, then switch to pony and ascend. :doh:

 

[TSandM]

You know, you who say that you feel no obligation and would not share if you had concerns about the adequacy of the gas . . . Have you thought about how you would feel if the person you pushed away were to die? Death is an amazingly final thing -- there is no appeal from it. I suspect I would put myself at considerable personal risk to avoid feeling even partially responsible for the death of someone else.

 

[Sas]

You know, you who say that you feel no obligation and would not share if you had concerns about the adequacy of the gas . . . Have you thought about how you would feel if the person you pushed away were to die? Death is an amazingly final thing -- there is no appeal from it. I suspect I would put myself at considerable personal risk to avoid feeling even partially responsible for the death of someone else.

I would feel awful. But then feeling awful is better than being dead, especially when it would involve two fatalities rather than just one.

 

[TMHeimer]

Interesting reading. I agree with most, especially TS&M and NWGrateful. Morally, the answer is obvious. You plan only for yourself and help someone else always (unless it's to be fatal to yourself). Legally is a whole other kettle of worms. This has been discussed a lot regarding other scenarios (DM's prof. liability if not working, buddys' legal obligations to each other, etc. No real clear answers as each case is different.

 

[TSandM]

I would feel awful. But then feeling awful is better than being dead, especially when it would involve two fatalities rather than just one.

That's why, were I to do some solo dives, I would carry enough reserve gas to be able to donate to someone else. Reserve gas for me, at my consumption rate, would be enough to allow someone else to contemplate his mortality