Would you dive with someone who wouldn't share air if you were OOA?

[mempilot]

I think it comes down to a matter of attitude.

I would ask myself, "Why does this person not want to share air?"

Maybe they are used to diving solo, and therefore, only carry enough gas for themself in a something like a 60cf tank. Maybe they do not know me, and therefore, they do not know my skill or demeanor in an emergency situation. This may cause them to view me as a potential threat to their person in an OOA situation.

That being said, then I would ask myself, "Why does this person then want to dive with me?" Are we being forced to buddy up on a recreational cattle boat? Forced pairings really serve no purpose other than to CYA the boat and operation.

Now, if the person has a limitation as to why they would not share air with me, but they have a good attitude about being a dive buddy, then sure, I would dive with them. Like DSix36, I am preparred to dive solo every dive anyway.

 

[String]

Not wanting to share air is usually a sign of poor training, skills or lack of faith in their own skill.

And yes everyone should be equipped to dive solo - ie to be able to get themselves out of any situation without having to rely on a potentially unreliable third party.

 

[D_B]

I call it diving like a Boy Scout .. Be Prepared

 

[Rick Murchison]

Sure, no big deal to me!
I am prepared to dive solo at all times.
I do not use a buddy as a crutch.
I have my own redundant air supply.

It isn't about air. It's about basic decency. The fellow who won't share air is the fellow who leaves the scene of an accident or turns his back on a mugging in progress. They're not quite human.
I'll put some effort into shining the light of Christian kindness into their dismal dark existence... but I still ain't going to dive with 'em until they've become at least part way human.
Rick

 

[Scott M]

Keep in mind this is the internet and people often say things on here they would never say or do in real life. Most of the time when someone on a forum says things in absolutes it is for effect and to make a point. A lot of it is nothing more than posturing and hot air. Not sharing air for whatever reason in an emergency situation is a lot easier to say here on line then watching someone drown no matter what they say and I would bet they would share air right down to their last breath regardless of what is said on here.

I do my best to plan the dive and do everything in my power to dive the plan but things happen and if I was to run out for whatever reason and be denied by someone who is sitting there with air................

 

[Teamcasa]

It isn't about air. It's about basic decency….

… people often say things on here they would never say or do in real life. …. Not sharing air for whatever reason in an emergency situation is a lot easier to say here on line then watching someone.

Rick and Scott are dead on with these posts.
I seriously doubt that even the most cynical and bombastic could allow a fellow human to suffer and drown, on the if-come-maybe they might run low on air themselves.

 

[Curly]

Dive with such a person? NFW

 

[Blackwood]

I think he was basically saying that in an OOA situation, he will remain in control and decide to give air or not. That no one will TAKE air from him and that he has no obligation to give air. In this way, he stays safe. This is similar to rescue situations where you have to judge whether your actions will save a person or put 2 people in danger thereby having to split the resources of remaining rescuers.

I'd like to hope that's what he was saying. However, he consistently claimed that sharing gas is inherently dangerous. He further labeled a well qualified diver 'dangerous' for maintaining a reserve sufficient for sharing (which makes absolutely zero sense - it's like saying it's dangerous to hike with an extra water bottle in case your buddy's springs a leak).

I can't get on board.