Why do you Lie?

[Blackwood]

I'm sure it's pride.

Conventional wisdom is that the better you are, the less gas you use. Or vice versa. Either way.
Alternately, it can be embarrassing to own up to a mistake (like miscommunicating your gas).

 

[Doubler]

I look at my SPG then show it to my buddy and point at her SPG, she then shows me her SPG. I have had the same buddy for 25 years so I already know what she has remaining through years of experience but verification is the only way to be sure. If I had an insta-buddy this is the procedure we would use or they are diving with someone else. I would have no problem reaching over and checking their SPG.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Nowadays, with my regular dive buddies, ordinarily we don't communicate gas pressure on our dives. We do, however, know what everyone is starting with (psi, tank size, and gas type) before the dive commences.
We're all on the same page in terms of turn-pressure, and we all feel the same way about buddy diving.
We rely on each other to check our own gauges.

I will say that we've earned this trust over a couple of hundred dives together.
I would never dive this way with a stranger.

 

[Jax]

To the OP: YEAH!

That is why I insist that I get an air pressure back, an OK is not acceptable and I will not stop until either A: give me your pressure or B: I come, grab your gauge and look for myself. Mine is OK is NOT an acceptable responce.

Herman, presure doesn't work, either. My insta-buddy ALWAYS had a 100psi more than I . . . I got suspicious. I called the dive when I had 900. Hanging on the safety stop, he had 300.

Really??!??!?! Is your pride THAT much more important than your life?!?!?!?!?

Then DON'T buddy with gals that are less than 5'8 and 180 lbs!

 

[Jax]

I would try to give your buddy the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps he was a bit narced. Perhaps the needle on his SPG was temporarily stuck. Maybe he really did blow through a significant portion of his air in a few minutes at greater depth. I don't know because I wasn't there. This is one of the reasons that I prefer showing gauges rather than using hand signals to flash remaining pressure. There's no ambiguity when you actually see the gauge.

Bubble, my friend, for once I disagree.

I WISH it were like that, but the truth is that (in my limited experience) some guys would put us BOTH in danger because their silly little pride can't stand it that this little gal uses less gas than him.

 

[Spazzy]

Solarstorm,

I agree with everything Bubbletrubble has typed.

I avoid divers if I don't understand their approach or know them. If I can't do that I choose wisely and reject potential buddies I don't feel right about. I talk (and listen) beforehand about expectations (not as suavely as Bubbletrubble) and just look at their guage to check our gas. It might not be cool but it let's me monitor my redundant supply.

One another note I have noticed that some divers' SAC increases very markedly with work (usually men and unfit divers). With this effect amplified by cold and/or depth its not uncommon to see two divers with similar air consumption at the start of a dive use radically different amounts of gas later in the dive.

 

[scubadada]

Communicate how you feel about gas management in the pre-dive planning.

With insta-buddies, I will always state very explicitly that I am carrying his emergency reserve gas. I then ask how often he would like me to show him my SPG. I'll mention that he's more than welcome to glance at my SPG more frequently during the dive. To this end, I show him where I clip it off and have the SPG facing outward. Then, I explicitly state that he is carrying my emergency reserve gas and I'd like to see his SPG about every 5 minutes. We also discuss turnaround pressure or what's a reasonable amount of remaining gas so that we can ascend comfortably from depth (including contingencies for one diver experiencing complete loss of his air). We're basically reviewing rock bottom for various depths without using the term "rock bottom."

I will then explicitly state that it doesn't matter who's gas supply determines turnaround/ascent. We're a team. We look out for each other. That relationship doesn't end until we're back on-board the boat.

I would try to give your buddy the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps he was a bit narced. Perhaps the needle on his SPG was temporarily stuck. Maybe he really did blow through a significant portion of his air in a few minutes at greater depth. I don't know because I wasn't there. This is one of the reasons that I prefer showing gauges rather than using hand signals to flash remaining pressure. There's no ambiguity when you actually see the gauge.

I can only guess that the insta-buddy didn't want to let you see his SPG after the dive because the remaining gas was extremely low and/or he was ashamed to admit that his gas consumption rate was higher than yours. If I thought this was something we could address, I'd share a story that would try to convey the message that different people have different gas consumption rates. No big deal. If I thought this wasn't something that we could talk about, then I wouldn't feel comfortable diving with the guy anymore.

You're a bit too intense for me, it's probably just me.

Best, Craig

 

[scubadada]

Solarstorm,

I agree with everything Bubbletrubble has typed.

I avoid divers if I don't understand their approach or know them. If I can't do that I choose wisely and reject potential buddies I don't feel right about. I talk (and listen) beforehand about expectations (not as suavely as Bubbletrubble) and just look at their guage to check our gas. It might not be cool but it let's me monitor my redundant supply.

One another note I have noticed that some divers' SAC increases very markedly with work (usually men and unfit divers). With this effect amplified by cold and/or depth its not uncommon to see two divers with similar air consumption at the start of a dive use radically different amounts of gas later in the dive.

For me it's more often inexperinced and unfit women, go figure. I have too few dives in very cold water with women to draw any conclusions, I almost always dive with men under those conditions.

Best, Craig

 

[SolarStorm]

I am just annoyed at people who dont understand the that they are carrying my emergency supply. Usually I am pretty good a predive discussion with a buddy. My tip off should have been the "talk" about how much diving and things he had done. We did agree that we would check at descent and maybe 10ish min in and first to 1/2 tank.

I am fairly certain that he was embarrassed that he was running out air sooner than this "unexperienced" (by my own admission) diver.

Personally, I am used to hitting reserve first as my normal partner is a 17 year old female athlete that doesnt use air (at least that is the way it seems) Thats why when he said 2200 at my 1/2 tank it seemed normal to me.

In the future I will probably work more along the line of "I will show you mine, you show me yours".

 

[scubadada]

Bubble, my friend, for once I disagree.

I WISH it were like that, but the truth is that (in my limited experience) some guys would put us BOTH in danger because their silly little pride can't stand it that this little gal uses less gas than him.

Any little gal that uses less air than I do has my ultimate respect, Wilhelmina does.

Best, Craig