No problem Trux, I don't take it personally. You're a wise diver and your opinions are always precious. But please, permit me to be skeptical about the "buddy doctrine". I posted my own idea about this fatality in the old thread:
http://forums.deeperblue.net/spearo-board/67767-news-florida-spearfisher-challenges-grouper-2.htmlI
This is my quote from the september discussion:
"I really hope this tragedy will save our own lives, by helping all of us to remember what we must do or not do when underwater. For example.
-never dive without a knife. You can dive ten thousands times and never need to use it. But your first dive without a knife can be your last one.
-never stretch your breath hold time to the limit when spearfishing on a reef. You could realize that you're tangled or stuck when it's too late for doing anything.
-never insist pulling a grouper out of the hole if you're nearly out of air. Just mark the point, surface, and bide your time before going down again. (SailBlueH2o is probably right: the guy looped the line around his wrist to pull the fish out, and the pulling effort with no air left stoned him dead).
-never rely too much on the fact that you're diving with a buddy. Don't think: "I can risk: if shit happens, he'll come rescue me". Because along a two or three hours outing, even the most caring buddy could drop his attention in some moment, maybe on the fatal moment.
-never spear protected and endangered species. Not only because it's illegal, not only because it's a waste for nature. But also because, how can I say, it's "Taboo", it brings misfortune. As every fisherman and sailor knows, by some mysterious means, the Sea strikes back if you offend Him, willing or unwilling".
Not the holy bible, just a personal spearo's insight.
