team diving skills

[tbrown]

Anyway my apologies for the long post, but I thought a "real example" versus a hypothetical one would be more helpful. So getting back to things that I learned from this dive-
1. You can never have too much training. I don't think I waited an hour before I contacted my instructor and enrolled in Resue Diver.
2. No matter how prepared you think you are, it is never enough. No matter how you think you can anticapate a paniced diver you cannot. At the time I was in pretty good shape (bicyled, walked ect.) and my legs still cramped. Sucks to not be 21.
3. Never approach paniced diver without reg in mouth, and BC fully inflated (at least on surface).
4. Check everyones gear, even if they are not your buddy, you never know.
5. Air2 sucks!
6. No matter how strange a scenerio sounds, when it happens in real life it will be much worse.
7. Air2 sucks!

Now, this is where DIR would or would not have helped.
1. Should have packed up stuff and left right after briefing.

Where it might not have helped and or been bad.
Admitedly I should have had my reg in my mouth when I approached. I thought I would have time to but cramp prevented that. I still for the life of me do not know why I took the time to secure my octo, but not my primary. However, if I would have had octo around neck instead of clipped off, I think I would have been in more trouble when he grabbed it, not less. I don't think the long hose would have helped, because this guy closed a 10' gap like lightning. I couldn't have gotten 7' away, I was lucky to get 2'.

Once again, I am not critizing those that use a long hose. It's your rig and if it's what you are comfortable with (and trained in) by all means use it. But I am questioning the thought behind it, and the paniced diver scenerio is commonly used. I really (and I mean this sincerely) wish to hear from others where in a rec, non training dive, a long hose helped. How would you have handled the preceeding dive, aside from much better, but since everyone lived and a relitively newby lived through it, it wasn't all bad. Even if hose only helped by being more comfortable.

ps Air2 sucks