Due Diligence

[wingman]

So Saturday was heading out of Devils on scooters (my new 18 with a venom and LIfe battery) with a buddy and on passing the dog leg (used to be coat hanger) noticed a diver with a scooter and messing with a stage bottle with a dim back up light deployed and a primary that was not on....we were high and fast but stopped and turned and I did an OK light circle to the diver...he responded with an OK on his dim backup and I thought, ok he's fine and continued to exit...on the way to the maple leaf I had second thoughts and thought I should have offered a handheld primary I have as a backup....we exited anyway and at the surface met the diver who did have a primary failure. So what is the protocol here? Should I have done some more offering to help? Should he have responded with something other than an OK back or did we interact just as we should have? I keep thinking I should have stayed and offered more assistance. Bill

Actually this was Sunday...losing track of time...oh so good....

[jj1987]

If he says okay and he chose to solo dive imo you did your part.

[victorzamora]

It wouldn't have hurt to have offered him the light, but if he signaled "OK" then he's okay....at least mostly.

[rickthompson]

Had same thing happen to me except I had the primary failure. Someone followed me out. I had two more backups in my pocket and another couple hours on my scrubber to get myself from maple leaf back out on goldline. You can never be too safe but I felt like it was completely unnecessary for him to follow me after I signaled him that I was ok....just my two sense.

[Jack Hammer]

Couldn't have hurt any to turn on your back up primary and try to hand it off. I've done that for my buddy who gladly accepted it when he had gone on his much dimmer back up, even after he had signaled he was OK with it. I think seeing what you are offering is brighter makes it easier to accept. It's a judgment call after that balancing your conscience against him signaling no assistance is required. I don't think you were in the wrong.

[mwenner]

So I guess what I'm getting here is, there's no right or wrong (when there's an ok flashed), but there's probably a better or worse?
Hindsight for sure. Many factors, and sometimes it's that split minute decision. Scooters are no fun on low light, so I'd factor for more light, to anyone needing it. Heck, I handed my primary off to Chrissy Richards one day, surveying new passage, and I know that probably breaks all the rules. I had pushed the cave before, had 3 lights on my helmet, and she'd never been there. I carry strong backups, and want everyone there comfortable whenever. Make the decision you can.

[tj]

Thanks for sharing your incident. More of us now, after reading this, might assess the situation sooner, and think of a better response, ie: the hindsight solutions mentioned already.

Also... I think we all reply too soon to an OK with an OK even though we really aren't OK... its too automatic a response... so for those folks with "I GOT SOMETHING BROKE" and someone asks me for an OK, to maybe point out the problem, and then, maybe still, do an OK.

[MarkR]

I think its a natural reaction for most of us guys to refuse help. A few months back I noticed an older gentleman had tipped over his Honda Goldwing and seemed to be having trouble getting it stood up. I pulled over to offer help, and the guy waved me off, even though he clearly was having trouble. Ego I guess...

I am probably as guilty as the next guy. This is a very good topic. We should be better conditioned to accept help with it is warranted.

BTW, I have never been tempted to go solo diving. I have also never seen any comments on additional precautions for said practice. Maybe the 2nd primary light would be a good idea. (beyond the standard 3 lights)

[twaldo]

Thanks for sharing your incident. More of us now, after reading this, might assess the situation sooner, and think of a better response, ie: the hindsight solutions mentioned already.

Also... I think we all reply too soon to an OK with an OK even though we really aren't OK... its too automatic a response... so for those folks with "I GOT SOMETHING BROKE" and someone asks me for an OK, to maybe point out the problem, and then, maybe still, do an OK.

being a relative newb.... its almost an automatic response to "OK" back ...... that cursed muscle memory!!!

[mdax]

It's an interesting situation, especially when in a high stress event it may not be the best move to accept an ok if other factors do not seem ok.
Good food for thought.