Does anyone still practice buddy breathing?

Does anyone actually still practice buddy breathing? Does it still have a
use?

i.e I learnt it in the pool many years ago, and considering if I should try
it out during a training dive (stoney)? or if it is a skill no longer
required (with a pony or octo)

"Clie" wrote

> Does anyone actually still practice buddy breathing? Does it still have a
> use?
>
> i.e I learnt it in the pool many years ago, and considering if I should
try
> it out during a training dive (stoney)? or if it is a skill no longer
> required (with a pony or octo)

There are no required skills in diving, only skills that may help ensure you
complete your dive without injury or death. Your need to breathe hasn't
changed and neither has the use for buddy breathing. What has changed is
the likelyhood that you'll need to buddy breathe. On the other hand, if you
are out of gas for any reason and your buddy's alternate does not function,
no matter what the reason, I think you might really like to be able to buddy
breathe.

As for practicing it, well, opinions differ. Personally, I don't see that
it takes a lot of practice. If you can remove your own regulator, replace
it and clear it, then you can buddy breathe. The real trick is to maintain
your composure instead of panicing. In my opinion, the more options you
have for getting out of a situation, the less likely you are to panic, but
there are no guarantees.

Lee

"Lee Bell" <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:ZLhEb.3497$wL6.2924@newsread1.news.atl.earthl ink.net

> "Clie" wrote
>
> > Does anyone actually still practice buddy breathing? Does it still have a
> > use?
> >

>
> As for practicing it, well, opinions differ. Personally, I don't see that
> it takes a lot of practice. If you can remove your own regulator, replace
> it and clear it, then you can buddy breathe. The real trick is to maintain
> your composure instead of panicing. In my opinion, the more options you
> have for getting out of a situation, the less likely you are to panic, but
> there are no guarantees.
>
> Lee

Here here.....

Nice short to the point answer.

I must admit I agree with Lee.

The main reason IMHO for practicing is to be
able to get in a comfortable position in the water
SHOULD it be required. OTOH with the advent of Octos
etc it shouldn't be required. That said Lee's point about
the more options you have comes out.

I'd rather have a skill and never need it than not
have the knowledge in the first place.

Nice piece of fence straddling there methinks.

HTH

DaveA




--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

"Clie" <Clive@spam.net> wrote in message
news:zq6Eb.34236$5F2.28056@news-binary.blueyonder.co.uk...
> Does anyone actually still practice buddy breathing? Does it still have a
> use?
>
> i.e I learnt it in the pool many years ago, and considering if I should
try
> it out during a training dive (stoney)? or if it is a skill no longer
> required (with a pony or octo)
>

Practise away, just not in stoney.... you're asking for trouble doing that
drill in fresh water at wintertime.

/Z

Clive wrote:
> Does anyone actually still practice buddy breathing? Does it still have a
> use?
>
> i.e I learnt it in the pool many years ago, and considering if I should try
> it out during a training dive (stoney)? or if it is a skill no longer
> required (with a pony or octo)

Oh God, here we go again...

Al.

Clie.

Its a good skill to practise on every dive along with free ascents from 20m
and adjusting buoyancy underwater by blowing into the crinckly hose on the
BC.

Tony



"Clie" <Clive@spam.net> wrote in message
news:zq6Eb.34236$5F2.28056@news-binary.blueyonder.co.uk...
> Does anyone actually still practice buddy breathing? Does it still have a
> use?
>
> i.e I learnt it in the pool many years ago, and considering if I should
try
> it out during a training dive (stoney)? or if it is a skill no longer
> required (with a pony or octo)
>
>

Zak wrote:
> "Clie" <Clive@spam.net> wrote in message
> news:zq6Eb.34236$5F2.28056@news-binary.blueyonder.co.uk...
>
>>Does anyone actually still practice buddy breathing? Does it still have a
>>use?
>>
>>i.e I learnt it in the pool many years ago, and considering if I should
>
> try
>
>>it out during a training dive (stoney)? or if it is a skill no longer
>>required (with a pony or octo)
>>
>
>
> Practise away, just not in stoney.... you're asking for trouble doing that
> drill in fresh water at wintertime.


.... or perhaps practice buddy-breathing from a free-flowing regulator
first. (For added fun, you can practice this while you and you buddy are
being dragged through the water by three guys pulling on a rope, a-la
ice diving).

> > Practise away, just not in stoney.... you're asking for trouble doing
that
> > drill in fresh water at wintertime.

I'm not a cold water diver, but this sounds a bit odd to me. You mean that
you can't recover, clear and breathe from a regulator in the winter in
Stoney? That is, after all, all that's required for buddy breathing.

Lee

> > > Practise away, just not in stoney.... you're asking for trouble doing
> that
> > > drill in fresh water at wintertime.
>
> I'm not a cold water diver, but this sounds a bit odd to me. You mean
that
> you can't recover, clear and breathe from a regulator in the winter in
> Stoney? That is, after all, all that's required for buddy breathing.

I think freeflow was the problem highlighted, and while it is a risk its not
worth losing your air practicing in Stoney when you could just as easily do
it in the pool, but if it happened during a real situation you could share
the freeflowing reg OK just have to make a quicker ascent then you might
like.

David

> > > Practise away, just not in stoney.... you're asking for trouble doing
> that
> > > drill in fresh water at wintertime.
>
> I'm not a cold water diver, but this sounds a bit odd to me. You mean
that
> you can't recover, clear and breathe from a regulator in the winter in
> Stoney? That is, after all, all that's required for buddy breathing.
>
> Lee

Its not that straight forward when its freeflowing.

S.C.