Bad Buddy Concerns

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movieflick

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I make frequent trips to Washington and have always wanted to dive Puget Sound. The issue I am running into is that my cousin is the only one that I can buddy with there. I always find excuses to give him on why I can't go when he asks but in reality I am concerned that he would be a bad dive buddy.

He is a very experienced diver and has dived many conditions all over the globe, where as I am more of a warm water drift diver. It isn't his skills that give me pause it is his risky behavior on land combined with some of the dive stories he tells that give pause.

I am curious if anyone has decided to dive with someone they were not 100% comfortable with and if so how did it turn out?
 
He's a very experienced diver having dived all over the globe in a multitude of conditions, and you're a warm-water drift-diver...maybe he makes up danger-filled stories so you won't ask to dive with him :wink:.
 
It's your comfort level that matters, not what happened to others. Some have probably done fine, others had a bad time, and a few quite possibly died.

If anything, you are probably the wrong dive buddy for the Sound. Be up front, and explain why you are uneasy. Maybe you two can work thru it.
 
You can find buddies to dive with other than your cousin. You could also pay a DM at a shop 40 bucks and they will dive with you. There are many options...
 
Doesn't matter what the reason is ... if you're not comfortable getting in the water with someone, then don't.

It's easy to find good dive buddies here. We have a local board ... drop in, introduce yourself, and mention when you'd like to dive. Most members are active local divers who I'd dive with any day ... in fact, I can say that I have dived with most of 'em at some point or another ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
 
I agree with Bob. There are a lot of good divers available to dive with in our area (even me!) If your cousin is offended that you have set up a dive with someone else, you can tell him it was someone you met on a forum and really wanted to meet in person. You can make some great friends that way, right, Bob? :)
 
Get another dive buddy, like a DM, or hook up with an operator who will put you with someone you might be able to trust. Personally, I'd just stick with warm water drift diving if I had a concern like that about someone. The first dives I did many years ago on the west coast of Honduras was with a bunch of crazy gringos and drunken Hondurans who could have gotten me killed with their antics. But being young and super dumb I got through it OK, later realizing how stupid I had been.
 
That is why all divers should take the solo divers course. If you get a bad buddy you can always go into fail safe mode (solo diver) :D

Seriously. if you are that worried then go with him on an easy dive and have him check you out. He knows what will be needed and he can let you know if you have the ability. If he gives you the green light then go, if not ask what you need to work on and come back when you have it all down pat.
Good luck and enjoy!

BTW, I see you are a drift diver. I have known a few divers that are afraid to drift dive since they haven't done it before. As you know drift diving is about the easiest diving to do. I am sure it is the same with what he is asking you to dive. Once you do it, it becomes pretty simple.

ETA:
oops, misread but what the heck, I will still leave my original post for a differing point of view.
I would still try an easy dive with him first to see how he does act. Just because someoneis wild on land doesn't mean they are unsafe in the water.
I have a few hobbies which some folk would consider risky and to the casual observer I sometimes look insane however all these things are done with tremendous amounts of planning and training (For example I shoot three gun competition. Competitors are always running and shooting as fast as they can. it looks scary to the layman but it is very tightly controlled and rarely anyone gets hurt). I have also known quite a few party divers. They party all night and dive the next morning. Believe it or not these were some of the best divers I have known.
But this is all just my opinion. Do what you feel is best for you but do not discount something just because you do not know what it might entail. Do a bit of research, gain the knowledge you need to make a valid informed decision then decide. It is your life, live but do not fear it.
 
That is why all divers should take the solo divers course. If you get a bad buddy you can always go into fail safe mode (solo diver) :D

Oh, I'm gonna seriously disagree with that sentiment. There are many good and valid reasons for taking up solo diving ... but a deficiency of buddy skills, or a deficiency of buddies with decent skills should not be among them. Solve that problem by developing your own skills and/or being more choosy about who you dive with.

First develop good, solid skills and diving habits ... THEN take up solo diving. The reason is because in order to be a responsible solo diver, you need to be able to anticipate what can go wrong, and have confidence in your ability to deal with it. Until you develop an experience base to have developed that skills and confidence, you're better off not going solo. It'd be too easy to make a mistake you didn't see coming, and therefore didn't prepare for ... that's why the only agency that currently offers a solo class requires you to put in a minimum of 100 dives first ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
 
Oh, I'm gonna seriously disagree with that sentiment. There are many good and valid reasons for taking up solo diving ... but a deficiency of buddy skills, or a deficiency of buddies with decent skills should not be among them. Solve that problem by developing your own skills and/or being more choosy about who you dive with.

First develop good, solid skills and diving habits ... THEN take up solo diving. The reason is because in order to be a responsible solo diver, you need to be able to anticipate what can go wrong, and have confidence in your ability to deal with it. Until you develop an experience base to have developed that skills and confidence, you're better off not going solo. It'd be too easy to make a mistake you didn't see coming, and therefore didn't prepare for ... that's why the only agency that currently offers a solo class requires you to put in a minimum of 100 dives first ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

It was a joke, hence the smilie at the end of the statement. I do not nor would I ever advocate abandoning a dive buddy.
 

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