What is the Minimum you want from a Buddy?

[nereas]

Right on Brother! I have finally gotten my wife to stay a good 15ft away and my main dive buddy will be within 30ft or so and even that is close enough for both of us. And like you said, you can cover quite a few feet in a matter of seconds if need be.

A buddy team can see and find so much more interesting stuff when they spread out!

Well, as Jack Aubrey played by Russell Crowe said in Master And Commander, "[A toast] to wives and sweethearts; may they never meet!"

 

[TSandM]

I'm a pretty hard-core team diver, but I'll tell you I have NO desire to have people diving so close to me that I kick them! Team diving doesn't mean diving in lockstep. In Cozumel, where the viz was fantastic, our team spread out to about ten or fifteen feet between divers, and we could still stay in communication and be available to one another if needed. I tried a simulated 25 foot OOG swim once in Maui, and decided that was the absolute outside limit of how far I wanted to go to get air.

 

[mksmith713]

At this point, I'm not demanding. Just reasonable common sense and reasonable communication (have some sort of dive-plan, keep an eye on each other underwater, etc.)

Perfectly said.

I have what turns me on and I'm sure my buddy will have what turns them on.
No reason why each can't do what they want to do and still team up for safety.

 

[ArcticDiver]

The thread is about buddies and I said the two things I wanted were Good Attitude and Follow The Dive Plan. But, if you are on a dive boat there is something else that is just as important: What I want from the other divers on the boat.

From what I can see divers swimming into each other is pretty common. There you are hovering over some neat thing and "bam" someone runs into you. Then there is the "where did you come from look?" Hey, just like the reef I was already here and not moving!

While on a wreck I even saw a DM push his way past a diver and in the process push the diver into a jagged wall causing an injury.

Have these people no eyes? Have they so little control over their bodies they can't avoid what is effectively a fixed object? Have they so little respect for each other? Or, is it the "Me first! I'm the only one who counts!" thing we see in topside traffic?



So, what I want from other divers on the boat is to keep their distance.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

I'm a pretty hard-core team diver, but I'll tell you I have NO desire to have people diving so close to me that I kick them! Team diving doesn't mean diving in lockstep. In Cozumel, where the viz was fantastic, our team spread out to about ten or fifteen feet between divers, and we could still stay in communication and be available to one another if needed. I tried a simulated 25 foot OOG swim once in Maui, and decided that was the absolute outside limit of how far I wanted to go to get air.

I'm not sure what you mean by "team diving". We dive regularly in a closed group. We all know each other's gear, strengths and weaknesses. We all know what each other's cameras will capture and what critters interest everyone. We have a good idea of SBR (SAC) and check with each other before the dive about how good our fills are.

When we are doing our VANILLA dives we all know the dive plan so don't need to discuss it or turn pressures. In new surroundings or doing something different we discuss those things.

While we dive in a group we still have buddy pairs. Viz determines how tight the group will be and if it is tight buddy groups or not. We try to stay in a group but if we have 8 divers down we focus mainly on our assigned buddy(ies). Is this what you mean by team diving?

 

[ssidiv3r]

The minimum I would want is pretty hard to describe because there are a lot of darn good things to look for in a buddy but you don't always get each and every one.

I prefer buddies that
-have a possitive mind set
-are comfortable in the water
-discuss a dive plan and stick to it
-can keep a cool head if something gets FUBAR
-do predive checks and ask about unfamiliar gear the buddy has
-stay in comunication range but not "strapped-to-my-leg" close
-can enjoy a slow, steady pace as opposed to racing around

There are too many others to list that would be "nice" but I think the basics are mostly the same. I tend to dive with strangers fairly often and don't mind it as long as they are competent and have a possitive mind set.

 

[philliosmaximus]

For me a good buddy is someone whos watching your back from getting kitted up to getting out of the water,i have seen to many times divers about to enter the water with something wrong with there kit that their biddy hasent noticed,and of course a good buddy always agrees with "did you see that 800 ft shark" stories,and is always first to the bar after the dive .happy new year to everyone

 

[tajkd]

I'd be happy with a sense of humor. With my poor skills, that is a real asset.