Scuba buddy for a freediver

[ptoot]

It's not always easy to find a freedive buddy; is it ok to have an equipped scuba diver as a safety buddy and what approach would me the most effective?

The place where I train the most has a fixed buoy at -17m, with an edge at -10m where serious thermocline kicks in (11°C vs 24°C at surface). Visibility varies between 4m and 8m. A small lamp is fixed to the mask and visible at the surface when diver is looking up.

First of all: is it ok to have a scuba diver for a buddy?

Second: should he/she

• float at surface, waiting and staying up unless needed (eg time exceeded)
• hang between -5m and -10 from an SMB
• sit on edge, roughly at half training depth -10m (cold)
• wait on the bottom (cold)
• other suggestion?

In all cases I suggest lamp signals are used to announce dive or back safe.

I would choose the Surface Marker Buoy option, allowing scuba diver to descend and ascend between -10 and -5m without problems and escort freediver up at good speed, should the need arise.

Training would not exceed 1h30. Or 50 bar tank pressure for the safety diver.

I would very much like to hear your opinion or experience with this.

 

[trux]

I do not think it is really a good solution. On the other hand if it is the only alternative to diving alone, it is probably better.

Let me tell why I do not think it is good: first of all most accidents at freediving do not happen in depth, but during the surfacing. The scuba diver cannot follow you each time you descend and ascend, so he would either need to be at surface (then you do not really need a scuba diver for that), or waiting at depth for you to sink to him when you black out.

Then the diver cannot really ascend too fast to bring you to surface, both physically and because of decompression. It means if you are BO, the laryngospasm will likely release and you'll inhale water (if he does not prevent it). And inserting his spare regulator into your mouth would probably cause more damage than help.

So yes, the scuba diver is somehow better than nothing, but more or less will only bring you false feeling of safety, while offering it only in a very limited way. Hence in fact it may rather increase the risk of an accident in comparison to diving alone. Which does not mean I encourage diving alone - quite in contrary, I think it is better having the diver with you, you just should consider it as risky situation as diving alone, and not pushing into the discomfort phase.

 

[ptoot]

@Trux: (thank you for your input)

What about the option of the scuba diver snorkeling at surface and only intervening when necessary (agreed time exceeded and freediver hasn't surfaced yet). Scuba diver (with a lamp) should be able to see the freediver from -10m.

I fully agree on not supplying the regulator, :naughty when rescue is needed, safety diver would have to bring him up with mouth closed, chin down.

Still, it's not an ideal situation...

 

[trux]

Personally I think it would be the best choice. In very most cases you will need some kind of support on the surface - the vaste majority of LMC or BO happen upon surfacing, and if someone is present and properly oberving you, simply supporting your head four couple of seconds is all what is needed to resolve the situation. If the diver waits in 10m, or even just at 2m, quite likely he may not see anything suspicious on your ascent, and will not notice you are in troubles on the surface untill you start sinking, which may be already far more critical.

 

[EcchiK]

Just hold tight till my suit arrives. (Mid-August) Then you've got no worries about a dive buddy! (And neither do I ;P)

 

[ptoot]

@Apneaboy: Your scenario may be unlikely, but indeed still possible.
@EcchiK: It's a good thing we get this buddy thing sorted out soon!

thanks you guys for your input.