We briefly touched on the subject of buddy diving in our last post "Bad Diver Habits 2: Not Putting Safety First," but there is much more to be said for being a good dive buddy. Just because you are diving with another person on the same dive does not automatically make them a "dive buddy." Agreeing to be each other's designated dive buddy's is the first step. This way you know you are responsible for each other before heading underwater.
Proper Buddy Diving
By following these steps on how to be a good dive buddy, you will greatly increase the safety aspect of your diving. Plus, isn't it more fun to share all the cool things you are going to see underwater with someone else?
Plan your dive, dive your plan
Discuss before hand with your buddy your plans for the dive. Are one of you taking photos, hunting, looking for anything in particular? How deep do you want to go, how far do you plan on swimming? These are all things that need to be worked out before heading underwater where you can't talk to each other. Then, once you plan your dive, STICK TO THE PLAN. Don't decide mid-dive that you want to explore some cavern you didn't discuss or go deeper than you decided; these are all recipes for disaster.
Do NOT share a dive computer!
You may think, "well since we are sticking together for the whole dive we only need one computer since our profiles will be "the same." Doing this is just asking to get bent. The truth of the matter is that it is impossible to dive the same profile. What if you stay down 10 feet below your buddy for just one minute to get that last photo? It could totally change your dive profile, making yours different from that of your buddy.
Do a Buddy Check
Before jumping in the water do your buddy check! We cannot emphasize the importance of this. This will save your bacon! In the last post, we offered an easy to remember acronym to go through your buddy check together....check it out.
Stay next to your buddy
This is probably the worst offense dive professionals see divers make. You descend with your buddy and then.....zoom.....your buddy is off in one direction, and you are chasing a stingray for a photo in the other. If you have an emergency, how will that work when your buddy is 100 feet away from you? We recommend staying within arms length of your buddy at all times.
Respect your buddy's limits
Not all divers are created equal. You may have more or less experience than your buddy and feel comfortable doing more challenging dives. Or your buddy may get cold super easy, and you are your own portable heater. Either way, know your buddies limitations and do not push them beyond what they are comfortable.
By following these steps, you will not only improve the safety of every dive you go on but increase the enjoyment of your diving experience by sharing our wonderful underwater world with a friend.
"The buddy system is the situation which occurs when two divers of similar interest and equal experience and ability share a dive, continuously monitoring each other throughout the entry, the dive and the exit, and remaining within such distance that they could render immediate assistance to each other if required."
— Bob Halstead, Line dancing and the buddy system
