weight, rolling a little, inflating again, feeling too buoyant, deflating… Then, yes, it seemed I’d figured it out and I could see my ‘buddy’ about 20 feet (6m) ahead of everyone, his camera squarely aimed at a Wobbegong shark. I couldn’t recall that he’d looked up even once since we got to the bottom, which was too bad for me because just about then everything went sideways. It was just 10 minutes into the dive, at 60 feet (18m) when for reasons unknown I began to turn upside down and ascend. My immediate response was to


reach behind and pull on the dump valve cord at the bottom of the BCD, but nothing happened. I tugged harder while struggling to right myself but was getting nowhere with either effort. The valve mechanism was jammed shut and my ascent rate was accelerating as the trapped air expanded. I watched our dive guide look up at me, arms flailing, but she didn’t swim to my aid. The last thing I remember seeing as I hit warp speed was my dive buddy’s flashing strobe. On the surface I was able to


right myself but I was exhausted, uncoordinated and unable to remember to fully inflate my BCD. I was a bit disoriented though vaguely aware that I’d surfaced too quickly and could be in serious trouble. Inexperienced and alone, I


was scared and becoming more frightened as I drifted closer to the rocks and the pounding breakers. I waved to the boat but they couldn’t see me from their mooring at the diver rendezvous point. In Australia it’s not compulsory in some states for divers to carry safety sausages. I do now, wherever I am! Remembering the golden rule I waited a few minutes expecting my buddy or dive guide to arrive, but they didn’t. By then I was panicking, and half


submerged. I began swallowing large mouthfuls of water. I began to pray. I’m guessing


non-believers would have, too. It was my partner’s voice that replied, telling me to relax, to just relax, which gave me hope, even courage. I quickly decided he was right and that my chances with the rocks were preferable to drowning. So I maneuvered on my back, tried to relax and hoped the boat would see me before I hit the shore. Inside of 20 minutes I was


shivering, disoriented and semi conscious. My fingers were numb, my co-ordination and senses were


dulled and my head was spinning. I do remember strong hands grabbing me and hauling me up onto the boat and my legs being too weak to hold me. The crew was slow and clumsy administering oxygen – it was the first time for the two of them – and there was some disagreement on procedure. Finally, I inhaled deeply. My head wouldn’t clear though and my fingers continued to tingle. Gazing about everything was a blur and I had no idea if my buddy was on board or still in the water. Someone took my hand, ensured me all was okay and that a radio call had been made to shore. Before long a waiting ambulance sped me to the hospital with symptoms of mild decompression sickness. Four hours later I was declared


okay, with no residual injury, and except for feeling extremely tired for days afterward I was back on my feet. The only challenge I faced when the hospital discharged me was riding across town with nothing on but a hospital gown and my wetsuit in hand. I was lucky but the incident raised


many questions in my mind about the dive buddy system and how seriously, or not, it is taken by some divers who don’t see diving for the team sport it is. My dive buddy from that unpleasant day was long gone by the time I returned to the dive shop. The dive guide who didn’t assist


me said her decision had been to surface the group early and notify the boat. Uneasy with this response, I asked seasoned PADI dive instructor Ben McKenna, also from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, whether it would be acceptable for a guide to leave an experienced group to aid me in my predicament? “Yes, most definitely,” he said. “Instructors take safety very seriously and we watch all our inexperienced divers very closely, especially if they’re in trouble… it’s why we’re there!” But decisions made are individual, each situation different and dive operator discretion is a factor too. The owner and manager of the


The author in a


location similar to the one described


dive shop resisted accountability. It all came down to the malfunctioning BCD, a post-mortem on which revealed that the bottom dump valve release had indeed jammed shut. This made me feel better about my diving skills, and the apology and the refund from the company was appreciated, but I am left with my concern for a failed buddy system. Are we responsible when casually


agreeing to dive with strangers? According to the PADI Diver Manual (1984 Edition) and the Scuba Diving Handbook 2007, every dive buddy is required to ‘Keep track of the other buddy staying together for the entire dive – maintaining a separation that can be closed up within only a couple of seconds, and if separation does occur, searching to re-establish contact with the buddy for one minute, and, if that fails, safely returning to the surface to re- establish contact in this way.’ If some experienced divers have


become complacent with this rule, what is the best way to handle the situation? What is the obligation of each person involved? Solo diving is an option, maybe a sound one for the experienced diver. Whatever is to be done must happen before the dive. Full disclosure is essential. Should training agencies place


Buddy diving. There’s a clue in the name itself


more focus on the buddy system in basic courses? Maybe create a specialty course? Would this reinforce importance and combat buddy complacency? Should dive boat crews be more diligent pairing divers, taking into account the objectives that each diver/customer has for the dive ahead? The questions remain


unanswered. Perhaps there is no simple solution except adherence to the buddy system, while understanding that the flip side - looking out only for number one - is an accident waiting to happen.


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