Self - sufficient diving.

[Hobby]

There has of late,as I'm sure the more observant of us will have noticed,been quite an interest in this subject.Now while I don't profess to be an expert on this or anything in particular I have in the past(largely due to something my old man started in the early 80's)done quite a bit of digging into the buddy system,it's application,its pros and cons and most interestingly for me where it came from and why it's such a cornerstone of recreational diver training.I "presented" this with some other stuff about 12mths ago to a mixed group of divers(mainly PADI trained)of varying experience and it went down really well.I just thought it might be of interest to breifly recount it here.All the research I did is available,much of it via the net and I'll give some links.Right,recreational training for divers instills the buddy system from the onset of training.As we progress through our diving career we (usually if with the agencies)remain in this mode and rarely question it.Leaving aside BSAC for a moment,much of recreational diver training today is US based via PADI,NAUI etc.Amongst the 1st people to draw up training progs.for rec.divers was - the YMCA.Now the YMCA recruited lifeguard experts to assist in the training programme,this is circa 1954.At that time US lifeguarding was pushing a "never swim alone"programme for obvious reasons.The programme was built into the diving training and that was the start,the other US agencies did virtually identical progs.(Even the USN brought NAUI in to advise on Scuba use!).BSAC went their own way and it was more of a natural progression,you were taught with someone in the water with you and it just seemed common sense to continue as such-yes?Now,just to make a point,NOWHERE is it recorded/stated that the buddy system came into rec.diving as being a proven safer system,it just happened to be that way.I'm not saying it is'nt safe ,just that it started out as an unknown but accepted factor.Right,parallel to this,military and commercial divers had always generally worked alone.Even if there were others in the water with them the emphasis was on the diver themselves.There was and is always an out of water,but dressed "standby diver" on hand.Now the CDG,the oldest diving club in the world,generally taught themselves.These guys were pushing caves in standard gear at times(brass hats)as early as the 30's.Given the nature of what they do,they generally dive solo.or,in a self sufficient mode.(There are CDG people here,Scoff for eg.who can correct any points,apologies for any mistakes made).Many US people(or those trained in US agencies/philosophy state that cave diving sytems used throughout the world originated in the US,this is'nt exactly true.It works on the principle that only US teams play in their "World Series".The US cave divers developed their skills in different conditions and probably with scuba as a starting point.They were primarily divers(mainly rec divers),not cavers trying to push a flooded system as in the UK,and trained as such.From cave practices grew technical diving,again commercial/military had long been using mixed gases etc.and much of the cave and later tech divers took much from these arenas as they were more demanding etc.Now,I am in no way knocking anybody here,let it be said.Can you see where different influences have shaped different systems,DIR advocates strongly diving with a buddy(not buddy-diving!)and that is fine,records will no doubt prove that DIR trained divers(not the half way wannabes)and indeed tech.diving as a whole has a much better safety record than rec.diving.Yes I realise there are many more rec.divers,but even compararitvely speaking they are much safer,especially given the conditions.So are CDG,so are commercial and military,etc..All this can't merely be down to just the buddy system of course but the more "concrete thinkers" amongst the buddy system supporters should take note.So where does it leave us,all the safer systems discussed above have one thing in common,whether they advocate solo diving or not.They all, without exception,advocate self sufficient diving,solo or otherwise.If you are trained to be so and are safe with your buddy of the same abilities this is possibly a very safe system.So is the Police diver who goes into a black hole alone.Are either wrong? No.If you see someone kitting up to do a dive alone,just consider that because your instructor says he is,he might not be a suicide candidate,but trained/dived/survived/learnt somewhere we'll never get and do things we'll never do.If they are like that then ask,not with an attitude but with genuine interest,we may learn something."Buddy diving" is fine when training,how else are we supposed to learn? "Diving with a buddy" is different and is what most of us I feel should be aiming not the former.Agencies should strive to make divers able to do the latter safely for both sakes.I apologise for the long thread but it's an important issue I feel,please do correct any factual errors there or ask questions as this is still  quite a basic account all said and done,the rest is merely my opinion although I have tried to remain unbiased.Here's acouple of links for anyone not yet bored. http://www.saudidiving.com/solo-diving.htm.  There's acouple of excellent articles by Halstead and Gerzner also at the bottom of this article.Also  http://divenewzealand.com/issue67/solo.html

[Lou]

Wow, long one Hobby…..I’ll add my thoughts

The problem with using data based on comparitive accident rates is that the groups you are comparing are not equivalent in all other ways.  Amongst “recreational” divers who dive the buddy system you have a range from complete novices, to very experienced divers.  The may dive once a year, or several times a week.  Their kits may be configured with some self-sufficiency in mind, or they may not.  
The more technical divers are, on the whole, drawn from divers who already have experience and therefore the experience profile of the group is likely to be higher.  However, the dives they do are also likely to be more difficult.  Cave divers fall across a completely different range from cavers who dive, to divers who cave, and the risks and skills are quite specific and hence they train to cope with these special circumstances.
To try and use statistic to back one way or the other is a huge challenge when faced with no base-line other than these groups all breath underwater!
What feels right to me though is that ultimately you have to be able to rely on yourself.  Whether this means limiting your diving to that which you can surface from safely in an OOA or carrying redundancy, and varying that by depth & bottom time, depends on the individual and their personal ambitions and reasons for diving.  It is a slightly different argument to buddy diving.  
I believe a buddy goes much, much further than someone to carry an octopus.  A buddy is there for you when you feel uncomfortable, narked, or plain scared.  They can cut you out of entanglements that you may struggle with.  They can see problems begin to occur before you have any idea (bubble checks etc).  A buddy is anpother pair of eyes on a dive to spot trouble, or things of interest.  They are your sanity check.  Most of all they are your best friend in those moments under water and over those pints above it.  Really they are another, valuable and equally important, way of mitigating the risk.  You can do a lot of things yourself, but there are few of those that two of you couldn’t do better.

[Hobby]

Quite Lou yes.I was merely pointing out some of the history and also looking at some of the points people seem to get mixed up with,hence the "buddy diving" and "diving with a buddy"analogy.Accident statistics in the UK at least are far from realistic.The BSAC ones are by their very nature not very indicative of the true state of affairs.They rely on reports filed by DO's etc,who have incidents reported to them post dive.Most of less serious incidents do not get peported at all steps of the ladder,that's human nature.Other reports MAY come via the Police,EMS or in the worst cases the coroner.Many people such as hyperbaric centres compile data but in reality only the HSE has access to the overall picture that is nearest to the truth.It is not the actual HSE figures I based my comments on, but actually worked off the level of concern shall we say that has risen in the last few years in this area.When I was at Fort William a few years ago,there was talk of impending HSE involvement in rec.diving circles due to appaling incident rates the Govt.had.I can only say that the following involment that we see today supported this argument.There are others,Bren for one,Mark(Waterfairy) who are aware of how these incidents rates have come to my attention.It was made as a passing comment in my orig.post but yes it's an important point.All one can do is look at the picture generally,with a "change" or as some would argue a drop in standards over the last few years,there are many factors re.incident rates.It is however enough for another(not unworthy) v.long thread!Maybe we can do that one next eh?It does tie in well with the above and was part of the orig.lecture/presentation and would probably have gone some way to supporting it.Thanks for your time in reading it though Lou,that after all is what it's all about!Hope it was of interest.Hobby.

[Lou]

Sorry if I got a bit hooked up on incidents, but the genreal gist in response to "self-sufficient diving" is that I consider self-sufficient to be a different argument to solo vs buddy.

Your potted history was interesting, it is strange how things get embedded in a structure and therefore are seen as irrefutable for no other reason than they are there!  

[andy2tanx]

Nice one Hobby.  Well put and good reasoning.

You at the show this weekend?

[MATTBIN]

Hobby,
you are an asset as always.
Lou, quite agree, self sufficient is a very good idea. I quite like the idea of solo diving though in a very non-threatening environment, but where is a major problem. I agree with you (and Hobby) that the Buddy is there for some back-up e.g. line entanglement as you mentioned etc. but not a reason to be slack in your own kit/attitude etc.
Again the statistics can be very mis-leading, look at som e of the reasons US rec. divers are dying (some where the diver is massively fat or totally unfit) and the figures get distorted to show rec. divers are at huge risk, some are, but by the law of averages the safer ones must be very safe so as to average out the figures.
Dive safe see you Saturday peeps?
Matt

[Mr T.]

Hey Mat,

Any reason you can't make it on the Sunday instead of the Saturday?? We'd all like to see ya and get a YD team photie at the various stands for the 'Gallery Page' on YD.....that and have a sherry or five.....OK, so I had ulterior motives, so sue me ;)

Hope you can change your day mate.

[MATTBIN]

I would like to have done the Sunday, but we (son & I ) also do Archery and its on a Sunday. Shame cos the wife is really happy about me swiping the car Sat & Sun. I'll see what I can do, except I do Know some of the other 'softies' are doing the Sat.
Matt

[Lou]

I hope you are not referring to me, Mr Binnie!

"Southern softies do the Saturday" - sounds like a good title for something.

I *have* to do the Saturday to make sure all the lady's sizes are available for my new drysuit - (have i told anyone I am getting a new drysuit?  Yes?  Are you sure?  Can I tell you again?....come back!!)

Wanna meet up for some cake and lashings of ginger beer, Matt?

[MATTBIN]

Lou
sounds good mail me at matt.binnie@amec.com as I dont know if the YD mail thingy is working OK.