Buddy breathing

Alternate nostril breathing is a rescue technique in diving, when a diving device fails and must therefore two divers breathe from only one regulator.

Here, both partners play alternately two breaths from the mouthpiece. The diver, who leads the still -functioning air supply, even the mouthpiece leads back and forth while the diver whose air supply has failed, clings with one hand on his partner. In this way, both divers have a hand nor ever free to tare and to use their instruments to.

After stabilization of the situation is started under alternate nostril breathing with the rise. Here are observed in three to five meters deep as with a normal climb to avoid health consequences a moderate ascent rate, any necessary decompression stops and the safety stop.

The climb under alternating breathing places high practical and psychological demands on the participating divers. To the stress situation caused by the failure of the device, used during the whole phase of the alternating breathing the psychological burden of the non-seamless air supply, which can lead to panic one or both divers. In this case, usually followed by an uncontrolled, much faster and therefore perilous ascent.

Even in training situations where the buddy breathing is practiced or tested, often shows up how difficult this situation is to master. To the real emergency is not to rely on these risky rescue technology, today almost exclusively Regulators with octopus are used, which allow the simultaneous breathing of two divers from a dive tank. An even higher level of security but offer two completely separate regulator per Aqualung. This configuration is especially dipped in cold water to continue to have a fully functional system, if a cylinder valve, eg due to icing of the regulator, must be closed.

Since a separate second stage is now standard, the alternate nostril breathing in the beginner levels of some training organizations, including SSI and PADI, also no longer necessarily trained. Much more limited here usually on the methods of breathing from the alternative air supply to the Buddies. However, the alternate nostril breathing can continue to be taught as an optional exercise, but this is often the case only in advanced courses.