There’s much more to being a good dive buddy than shaking hands and introducing yourselves. Your responsibility as a buddy extends from the moment you begin to don gear to the moment you take it off, and at no time should you relinquish that responsibility to anyone but a dive master or instructor. Buddies check each other’s gear, establish communication both topside and below, and make sure the dive is performed safely by each diver. In the world of SCUBA diving, buddies reign supreme!
As a preliminary measure, divers should try to ensure that they are paired with someone who has a similar skill set. The dive master will typically be responsible for this, but if you are uncomfortable with your buddy choice for any reason, don’t be afraid to speak up. For example, a beginning diver will find it hard to keep up with someone who is a strong swimmer with extensive experience. Likewise, experts will find that they will enjoy themselves more when their partner has a relatively equal level of experience. You can’t be a good buddy to someone if you don’t know what you’re doing, or if it doesn’t interest you to trail along with a newbie. Of course, there will invariably be exceptions to this rule.
Most divers value excellent communication skills. Your dive master will have a set of hand signals for the entire group to use, but if you have specific concerns, consider developing hand signals that you and your buddy can convey to each other. Remember to check in with your buddy every few minutes to maintain a constant connection. It is important to respond to every hand signal with the “OK” or other appropriate signal to ensure you’re both on the same page.
Being a good buddy should include sharing interests beforehand so you each have an idea of how the other likes to dive. For instance, some divers are content to drift along, enjoying the larger picture of the reef and its inhabitants, while others will want to spend more time carefully examining a particular area. Although you’ll want to strive to stay with the group, you and your buddy can certainly enjoy your own sights together and get the most out of your dive.
Most important of all, you must be willing to meet the needs of your dive buddy. If your buddy cannot equalize, for example, you’ll need to stay with them until they can, or until the dive master intervenes. If you have a problem during the dive, you should be able to count on your buddy to help you resolve the problem or get you to safety. Diving with a buddy is no doubt more enjoyable, but will certainly increase your chances of survival in an emergency situation. Be a good buddy, and help others to be good buddies in return!
Images via fishpickdiver, Scuba_thib
Confidence.
sexy
Head in his hood not up his ass
Safe.
Cautious, confident and humorous.
Same goals to accomplish during the dive.
Being able to dive is a start…..
Relaxed and fun!
Competence
Physical fitness. After taking the rescue course and seeing how demanding it is to actually successfully provide assistance, I realized that 95% of my dives were actually solo dives…
Looks good in a bikini.
She has a philosophy wherein, bathing suits are optional & is always asking me to help her with sunscreen… Also, she must hold a penchant for the traditional après dive beer, or two (holds up two hands, indicating 10 beers). A keen sense for being bi… bi… bilingual is a must, because you never know who you’ll encounter… A deep appreciation for Jimmy Buffett, sharks, going to the islands on vacation & NOT Las Vegas! Did I mention beer?
Knows what he’s doing.
Experienced and safe diver and likes to dive with a dive buddy.
I’m a photographer; that has to be the worst buddy known to diving. I get sick of “tourist diving” – i.e. steadily cruising over the top of a reef or along a wall at the speed of light. Often, I have no choice – lest I find myself all alone. I can spend an hour long dive in a 30 yard square on a nice reef. I need a dive buddy that likes to study the small things, and hang in one place for a while, quietly. It’s amazing what you can see when you do this, versus speeding over the top of it. I’m just about ready to get a pony setup and skilled up on all aspects of solo diving… : /
The wedding ring I gave her
Someone NOT currently on their advanced test. I went down with a kid getting his advanced cert in Jamaica last year and he ran out of air at 80 ft! Divemaster gave me the marker line. Kid was breathing off the divemasters air until the boat sped by overheard with a tank and bc on a ball that they tossed in the water. But they forgot to turn the AIR ON!!! So the kid leaves the safety of the divemaster’s air for this tank with the air turned off…freaks out and jumps to the surface. The Divemaster leaves me there hanging at 20 ft with the dive marker and the tank & BC and the boat starts to drift out of view under the water. Finally, I figure it’s been long enough so I come up and the boat is almost INVISIBLE…they eventually came back for me though…couldn’t leave their GEAR behind…
Being married to someone who truly cares about you.
Have 1500 lbs at the end of the dive…
Safe, knowledgeable, fun, similar SAC rate.
Hahaha! Here come the jokes!
Someone who knows the difference between a regulator and a BCD!
Feels me like he’s under my skin without being annoying… Gave me the wedding ring eventually
cool, calm and collected. Diving isn’t a competitive sport for me. I’m not racing anywhere and I want to have a nice, leisurely dive. Nothing too intense, but nothing stupid either!!!!!
Rich and bored
Common sense