Most tired-diver situations are not dramatic. A diver may have underestimated a surface swim, worked harder than expected during the dive, developed a cramp, or simply reached the point where continuing to swim effectively is no longer realistic. If they are alert, communicating normally, breathing adequately, and able to follow instructions, helping them back to the boat or shore is usually a matter of getting them comfortable and moving efficiently.
Make Sure You Are Dealing With a Tired Diver
Stay close enough to communicate and take a few seconds to understand what is actually happening. Ask whether the diver is OK, whether they can breathe comfortably, and what is preventing them from continuing. A diver who is simply exhausted should still be able to answer you clearly and cooperate with what you are asking them to do.
Heavy breathing after exertion is not unusual, but significant or worsening shortness of breath deserves more attention. Sudden difficulty breathing, persistent coughing, wheezing, confusion, unusual chest symptoms, or frothy or blood-tinged sputum can indicate something more serious than fatigue. DAN has specifically identified symptoms like sudden shortness of breath and persistent coughing as possible signs of immersion pulmonary edema and other medical problems that require prompt assistance and evaluation.
A diver who becomes irrational, actively panicked, confused, or unresponsive has moved beyond an ordinary tired-diver tow. You may still need to move them through the water, but the priorities and risks have changed.
Establish Buoyancy Before You Start Moving
The tired diver should be able to stop swimming completely without sinking or having to work to keep their face clear of the water. Add enough gas to the BCD to make them comfortably positive and make sure you are positively buoyant as well. The goal is reliable flotation without making the BCD unnecessarily rigid or uncomfortable.
If the diver is still struggling to remain comfortably afloat after the BCD is inflated, dropping or removing weight may be appropriate depending on the circumstances and your training. That should solve a real buoyancy problem rather than become an automatic step every time someone gets tired.
Tell the diver what you are going to do before you start moving them. Something as simple as, "Relax, lie back, let the BCD hold you up, and I am going to tow you in," gives them a clear idea of what is happening and reduces the chance that they start fighting your positioning.
If I have breathing gas remaining, my regulator stays in my mouth for the entire tow regardless of surface conditions. I see little advantage in giving up a working breathing source while exerting myself, monitoring another diver, and potentially dealing with waves, spray, or an unexpected change in the situation.
Choosing the Tow
I choose the towing position primarily based on how calm and predictable the tired diver appears, how well I need to see where we are going, and how far I expect to travel.
My two primary choices are the tank-valve tow and the push tow. The side or underarm tow still has a place, but I use it less often because it puts the divers close together and generally creates more awkward body positioning and more drag.
The Tank-Valve Tow
If I believe there is any reasonable chance the diver may become frightened, agitated, or grab at me, I prefer the tank-valve tow. I position myself behind the diver's head, take control of the tank valve or the upper portion of the BCD near the cylinder, and tow them while they float face-up.
That position keeps me away from their hands while still putting their face close enough to monitor. I can see whether they are breathing normally, talk to them, and control the orientation of their upper body without being directly in front of them. If their stress level starts to increase, I already have more separation than I would in a side tow.
The disadvantage is that I am moving backward. I have to look over my shoulder regularly to maintain direction, avoid boats, rocks, other divers, and shoreline obstacles, and make sure I am still heading toward the intended exit. Over a longer distance, that becomes noticeably more awkward than swimming normally in the direction of travel.
Use a kick you can maintain. Trying to move two fully equipped divers quickly through the water burns through your legs faster than most people expect.
The Push Tow
If the diver is calm, cooperative, and unlikely to become unpredictable, I prefer the push tow. The tired diver floats on their back while I position myself at their feet, place their fins or lower legs against my shoulders, and swim forward while pushing them ahead of me.
This is the easiest tow for me to navigate over any meaningful distance. I am facing where we are going, I can swim in a much more natural body position, and I do not have to keep twisting around to see what is behind me. Approaching a boat, shoreline, dock, or another diver is also easier because I can continuously see where I am headed.
The tradeoff is reduced control of the diver's upper body. Their face is farther away and I cannot monitor them as continuously as I can during a tank-valve tow. I use the push tow when I am comfortable with the diver's mental state and do not expect them to suddenly panic or start fighting the tow.
Calm water makes the position easier to maintain because the tired diver can stay relaxed on their back without being rolled around or repeatedly taking water across the face. As conditions worsen or the diver becomes harder to control, I am more likely to change positions.
The Side or Underarm Tow
A side or underarm tow keeps you close enough to support the diver around the shoulder, BCD, or upper torso while swimming beside them and keeping their face clear of the water.
Communication is easy from this position, and you can feel changes in the diver's body position immediately. The downside is efficiency. The two divers are close together, equipment can interfere with the kick, and the combined body position usually creates more drag than towing from the valve or pushing from the feet.
If the diver is calm and we have distance to cover, I would rather use the push tow. If I am concerned about their behavior, I would rather have the separation and control of the tank-valve tow.
Change Positions on a Long Tow
Once the tow becomes long enough for your legs to fatigue, change positions. A tank-valve tow and a push tow load your body differently, and switching between them can give tired muscle groups a chance to recover.
If the diver remains calm, I may start with a tank-valve tow while I get a sense of how they are doing and then move to a push tow once I am comfortable with their condition. On a longer tow, I may change back again simply because my legs are getting tired in one position.
Move at a pace you can sustain. I would rather make steady progress for ten minutes than kick hard for three minutes and create a second exhausted diver. If the tired diver can contribute with an easy kick without increasing their fatigue, let them help. Even modest assistance can reduce your workload over distance.
Current and Route Choice
Before committing to a long straight swim, look at where the water is moving and whether another route offers an easier way back. Swimming at an angle is useful when it takes you toward weaker current, protection behind a structure, shallower water, or a more accessible exit. The angle itself does not reduce resistance.
Being able to see continuously where I am going is another reason I prefer the push tow with a calm diver. I can judge whether I am actually gaining ground, whether the current is carrying us sideways, and whether another route would make more sense.
If I am working hard and making almost no progress, I change something. I may alter the route, move toward slower water, switch the towing position, or signal for additional assistance. Continuing to kick harder against a current that is winning is usually just a way to exhaust the rescuer.
Waves, Chop, and the Exit
A tank-valve tow gives me better control when chop or waves are moving the tired diver around. A push tow becomes less attractive when the diver cannot stay settled on their back or is repeatedly taking water across the face.
Think about the exit before you reach it. A long boat ladder, rocky shoreline, surf zone, or steep beach may require more effort than the tow itself. If someone on the boat or shore can assist, get their attention before you arrive rather than reaching the exit with both divers already tired.
On a boat, I want the crew to know that the diver has needed assistance before we reach the ladder. At shore, I am looking for the easiest practical landing point rather than automatically returning to the exact place where the dive began.
Common Mistakes
Do not start swimming until the diver is comfortably buoyant. Any energy they are spending simply staying at the surface should be removed from the problem first.
Match the tow to the diver's behavior. A push tow may be very efficient with a calm buddy and a poor choice with someone whose stress level is climbing. A tank-valve tow gives better separation and control, but becomes unnecessarily awkward during a long, uncomplicated swim with a completely relaxed diver.
Do not try to win the tow with effort alone. Smooth movement, a sensible route, and changing positions when your legs start to fatigue usually accomplish more than trying to move two fully equipped divers through the water as fast as possible.
Ask for help before you need it. If a boat can come closer, another diver can meet you, or someone can assist at the exit, there is no advantage in waiting until you are exhausted to involve them.
Practice It Before You Need It
Take turns being the tired diver during a pool session or calm-water dive. Establish buoyancy, communicate clearly, and practice the tank-valve and push tows over enough distance to notice how the body position affects effort.
Notice how often you need to look behind you during a valve tow, how easy it is to steer during a push tow, whether your kick contacts the other diver's equipment, and how quickly your legs begin to fatigue. A ten-foot demonstration proves that you remember the hand placement. It does not tell you much about how the tow will feel after several minutes.
Practice changing from one tow to another as well. Over a real distance, being able to change position smoothly can matter more than perfecting a single technique.
For a tired diver who remains responsive and cooperative, get them comfortably buoyant, keep communicating, choose the tow that gives you the right balance of control and efficiency, and use an effort you can sustain all the way to the exit.