The only real option is for the two divers to get into a customary gas sharing position. The donor places the receiver in the front of him insuring close contact and easy hose management. The donor will place his DPV in the standard rear tow position and the receiver will tow the two of them out as is SOP. The exception to this would be if the receiver was overly shaken and the donor felt it best that he control the exiting navigation. In this case he could tow the receiver, clipping the receiver’s DPV in the tow position behind the receiver.

Naturally they would never abandon a working scooter. Likewise, they would never tow a dead scooter out under these circumstances.

While scootering we are exposed to several real threats that make it truly dangerous to operate two DPVs simultaneously while sharing gas.

• The pace would be extremely difficult to coordinate.
• If for any reason the reg was ripped from the receiver’s mouth it would be almost impossible to retrieve it and return it to them in a reasonable time frame.
• If the long hose were accidentally pulled from the receiver’s mouth it is highly likely that the reg would be sucked into the prop of one of the machines. This of course could be very catastrophic, as then additional gas would be lost from the only remaining resource.
• Navigating restrictive passages would be virtually impossible.
• Simultaneously trying to control buoyancy while traveling at high speed in a high outflow cave in tandem is not realistic.

All of these reasons make sharing gas with both divers scootering unsafe. When compounded with the significant distance and/or depths we are exposed to in the WKPP, the scenario becomes not only unsafe but unrealistic.

As always, proper judgment, practiced skills, and a calm demeanor are all paramount to the success of every emergency resolution. These, like all skills, must be practiced if they are truly to be a viable option in reality.