I have to admit to not having read the full article.
However I have been a diver for many years, BSAC trained and the first thing I ever learnt was never to dive alone. This was the number one unbreakable rule. I have been on "group" dives without my usual buddy, and in that case you buddy up with someone and stay together.
If there are odd numbers and you are the odd one out then you buddy up with the DiveMaster, and you make sure he knows what he is doing. Never be afraid to speak out that you are not happy with the safety arrangements, but I guess in a foreign country with muliple languages etc it would be difficult to make that case.
Ultimately it is the Dive master who takes responsibility and if she was on a live aboard MV where it might be possible she jumped in alone and no one knew, then the first safety briefing when everone arrived on board should have made this the number one priority that there was no diving alone, or even buddied up, if the Dive master was not informed.
I had a case in Egypt where my dive kit was "meddled with" by some of the employed staff and it was only because of our thorough checks and the buddy system that saved me being down 30m and having a big problem.
In case anyone is wondering what happened to me, one of the staff took a dislike to us and had unscrewed part of my second stage so that you couldnt really notice, and air was leaking out at a steady rate. My dive buddy and I drop down a few metres and then make an all round inspection as standard, and he saw air bubbling out and we returned to surface.................to a big enquiry as to who had tampered with the kit, but of course no one ever owned up.
These things happen, and without a buddy you are an accident waiting to happen.
If anyone on here is thinking about taking up diving then its a great sport but primarily you have to look after yourself, and secondly look after you buddy, and never go out a alone, or even in a pair without notifying someone shore side. I hope this helps someone some day.
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Chinese woman, 23, found dead, alone on dive tour north of Phuket
in Phuket News
Posted
I have to admit to not having read the full article.
However I have been a diver for many years, BSAC trained and the first thing I ever learnt was never to dive alone. This was the number one unbreakable rule. I have been on "group" dives without my usual buddy, and in that case you buddy up with someone and stay together.
If there are odd numbers and you are the odd one out then you buddy up with the DiveMaster, and you make sure he knows what he is doing. Never be afraid to speak out that you are not happy with the safety arrangements, but I guess in a foreign country with muliple languages etc it would be difficult to make that case.
Ultimately it is the Dive master who takes responsibility and if she was on a live aboard MV where it might be possible she jumped in alone and no one knew, then the first safety briefing when everone arrived on board should have made this the number one priority that there was no diving alone, or even buddied up, if the Dive master was not informed.
I had a case in Egypt where my dive kit was "meddled with" by some of the employed staff and it was only because of our thorough checks and the buddy system that saved me being down 30m and having a big problem.
In case anyone is wondering what happened to me, one of the staff took a dislike to us and had unscrewed part of my second stage so that you couldnt really notice, and air was leaking out at a steady rate. My dive buddy and I drop down a few metres and then make an all round inspection as standard, and he saw air bubbling out and we returned to surface.................to a big enquiry as to who had tampered with the kit, but of course no one ever owned up.
These things happen, and without a buddy you are an accident waiting to happen.
If anyone on here is thinking about taking up diving then its a great sport but primarily you have to look after yourself, and secondly look after you buddy, and never go out a alone, or even in a pair without notifying someone shore side. I hope this helps someone some day.
Cheers