Meghan Powers
Registered
Donning & doffing: independence
All diving should be with a mind to be self reliant. Sure, there's times when someone else's help is gratefully received -- climbing into your kit on a boat and forgetting to untie the rope/bungees; d'Oh. Or the mask/gloves flies across the boat as it rolls.
The point is to always try to be self sufficient. There is a buddy check; you should aim to do that with zero "discoveries".
I definitely want to be self sufficient with donning my gear. This way I can do it on my own if my buddy can't help and I will be better aware of my own gear.
I do think buddy checks should be done no matter how experienced the diver is. If something goes wrong with your regulator, you'll have to use your buddy's octo. I would want to know that it works. I would also want to know how to dump their weights if I need to.
I think help is appreciated but there should be a certain amount of independence in specific categories, such as donning gear.
In the water is another story for sure!