'Unknown Buddies' joining in on 30m dives

[GLOC]

I have a query regarding people who join trips promulgated on YD but have no buddy. Whilst this isn't a major issue for a 10-20m dive as you should be able to get up from that depth on your own, doing 30m dives with a small amount (10-15 mins) of deco is potentially an issue.

Whilst I know the answer as it relates to me and my team, I am not sure what everyone else does. I am now in the situation where someone who I do not know has joined a trip I have organised but they are buddyless; the trip involves 4 x 30m dives over 2 days. I have let them know me and my team's stance and that will they not be diving with us.

What is everyone else's view? What about dives to 35-40m or deeper?

[Ding Dang Doo]

Gareth,

If I was going on a 30m dive through YD, I would have made sure I'd been in touch a couple of times with the organiser, talked through my kit set up and let whoever know how many dives I'd completed, when and where (I think this is VERY relevant). If the organiser turned around and said, that's all well and good Pete, but you still 'ain't diving with me, I'd say fair enough. You cannot force someone to buddy up with someone else.

However, if I'd been on a couple of gigs, of varying depths and/or conditions, and got to know a few of the same faces whenthe 30m dive came about and I was buddyless, I'd like to think that I'd be 'welcomed' into the fold...

What do you reckon?

Pete

[Juz]

There are 2 sides to this question:

Side 1 - If I joined a trip diving anywhere down to 50m, I'm happy to drop in solo. In fact I would RATHER drop in solo than with a buddy I did not know.

Side 2 - If I organise a trip and you sign onto the trip, I have booked the boat only, I am not responsible for buddy pairs - you sort it out.

Juz

[warmwaterdiver]

Did you query it when he booked on the trip as a single?

[GLOC]

Originally Posted by Ding Dang Doo

However, if I'd been on a couple of gigs, of varying depths and/or conditions, and got to know a few of the same faces whenthe 30m dive came about and I was buddyless, I'd like to think that I'd be 'welcomed' into the fold...

What do you reckon?

Pete

I agree and would do as you have said. It is the 'unknown' part that is the issue.

[JasonP]

Originally Posted by GLOC

I have a query regarding people who join trips promulgated on YD but have no buddy. Whilst this isn't a major issue for a 10-20m dive as you should be able to get up from that depth on your own, doing 30m dives with a small amount (10-15 mins) of deco is potentially an issue.

Personally I believe that if you can't get up from a 30m dive with 15 mins deco on your own, you shouldn't be doing them. You ought to have planned that level of redundancy.

Jason

[GLOC]

Originally Posted by warmwaterdiver

Did you query it when he booked on the trip as a single?

Admittedly no, but I did send an email last Friday to let him know my stance and that he needed to contact the rest of the guys on the boat to sort something out with the others.

[Simon TW]

Garath how would you feel if after dive 1 you spent the rest of the trip looking for the body of the guy you didn't want to buddy.

It's just a thought, when I dive for me I'm normally solo, that way I don't have the worry of another diver and I would be happy to dive solo on your trips. However not everyone is as daft as me and it may be that you have a diver who is more confident than capeable.

It's a tough call without knowing the Diver or at least their reputation and experience.

[Lou]

As a trip organiser my stance is that is all I do - it is up to those who book on to either find a buddy or choose to dive solo. I would comment if I knew enough about them to believe the diving wasn't suitable for them, or even refuse to take their booking if I knew it wasn't suitable, but beyond that it is down to them.

Most YD trips consist of a few buddy pairs or "teams" and a few who buddy up for the day. I am all for letting single divers along where they take on the buddying themselves, after all, it can otherwise be difficult for those who don't have a regular buddy.

At the end of it all you have to have made the type of diving and the ground rules clear. Then it is their choice.

[Clare Gledhill]

With respect Jason - being able to dive solo and willing to dive solo are different things.

I will not plan to do a 6 metre dive solo - it is irrelevant whether I am able to or not. It's called personal preference

We had a guy come up to us in Breakwater saying that his buddy could not make the dive - could he drop in with us and then go his own way.

I refused for several reasons.

First of all - I did not believe that we should cheat the skipper - why should he be given the impression that a group of four was dropping intogether when there was a clear intention to solo dive.

Second, I consider myself responsible for whomever I go diving with - and will stick with them in the water. I am not saying that any diver is responsible for those who they dive with - if both parties are happy with a same ocean philosophy then fine - but I am not. I never want to be in the position of saying to the skipper 'well I know we went in together but I have no idea where he/she is now'

If I am going to dive with someone as above, matching their profile, their deco and their planning, then I believe that I have the right to choose who I dive with -and, probably more importantly, who I don't.