Anatomy of a dive buddy

[Water Monkey]

Water Monkey, I'm always floored by the people who travel alone and expect to find a dive buddy on a boat in some far-off place. My husband has done this, but I'm not sure I'm that brave. I'm powerfully risk-averse, and one of the early decisions I made with my diving was what I wanted from a dive buddy, and I gravitated to a type of diving that ensured that the buddies I got would be the kind I wanted. I have been fortunate enough to travel to a variety of places and get in the water with people I had never met before, and have had a completely successful sequence of dives (some easy, some out on the far edge of my personal capability envelope) due to that pre-vetting.

At home, I dive with other kinds of people -- visiting divers, new divers -- but there I can skew the odds in my favor by using redundant equipment and keeping the dives to fairly simple ones in well-known sites.

BTW, regarding your last example -- I don't know who you are or what you're like, but I can almost completely guarantee that I wouldn't be able to get your butt back on a boat by myself, no matter what. Am I a dive buddy?

Good question.
When I get in the water as a buddy I generally assume that who ever I am diving with is a liability, and my entire dive plan revolves around that assumption, unless of course I have made a lot of dives with them and practiced some skills together. Even then I plan for the worst. Regarding the 78 year old, in my mind I was HIS buddy and he was MY liability. It really doesn’t matter whether or not you can drag me out of the water but physical fitness is part of being a “good buddy”.
To answer your question, if we were set up as buddies on a dive boat and you told me about your certifications, you’re still a liability to me until you prove otherwise.

 

[TSandM]

To answer your question, if we were set up as buddies on a dive boat and you told me about your certifications, you’re still a liability to me until you prove otherwise.

Fair enough. It's sad that we live in a diving world where you have to feel that way, though.

 

[ScubaInChicago]

To answer your question, if we were set up as buddies on a dive boat and you told me about your certifications, you’re still a liability to me until you prove otherwise.

Ouch...

 

[Web Monkey]

I read a post earlier that said that if you have a buddy you don’t need a redundant air source.
What is your definition of a dive buddy?

A buddy is someone I can absolutely trust with my life, and who is never farther away than I can get with empty lungs and an empty tank.

If you travel to a third world country, get on a boat full of strangers, and nobody has paired you up with someone, are the all divers your dive buddies?

Third world or not, these are all just strangers. I'll do my best to be a "good buddy" but won't go anywhere that self-rescue would be risky or impossible. I would never count on a stranger (including a DM) to do anything more than vanish when the brown stuff hits the fan.

If you are paired up do you sit down before the dive and do an interview? Do you sit on the anchor and go through skill sets before you continue your dive?
PADI certifies 10 year olds. Is a ten year old a dive buddy?
I once dove with a 78 year old man off of an aggressor boat. He was an interesting man, he was one of the navy officers that did the nuke testing at Bikini. He wasn’t to bad in the water but he couldn’t get in or out of the water by himself. Was he a dive buddy?

He's not a dive buddy unless you know what his skill set is and trust him.

I don't much care if he can get in or out of the water alone as long as he can plan and execute a dive and reliably perform all the emergency skills.

Terry

 

[Water Monkey]

Fair enough. It's sad that we live in a diving world where you have to feel that way, though.

Sorry, that sounded personal but it wasn’t meant to be.

 

[EGad]

Alright, if you name a post "Anatomy of a dive buddy" you have to get the obligatory Jacqueline Bisset comment. I'll get that out of the way early.

< /sexist joke>

That being said, as long as my buddy is trained for a dive, and is able to perform to the level they have been certified to, and we stick to the planned dive, I don't care if they're a mature 10 year old or a capable 80 year old. (That being said, I let my 11 year old nephew eDive on my account and I wouldn't let him dive in a pool, he couldn't find neutral buoyancy in gelatin.) Although looking like Jacqueline Bisset would help.

This concludes the mandatory sexist, joking post. We now return to your regularly scheduled, thought provoking conversation.

 

[Water Monkey]

There are exceptions to every rule

 

[kanonfodr]

Interesting. Ideally a dive buddy should be able to stick to a dive plan, stay close to help out with problems underwater, and have a good set of emergency rescue skills. Sounds like a pony bottle to me. It will stick to a dive plan, because it's attached to me, and thus it will be close at hand for problems underwater. It may not have many emergency skills, but it does have air and that should allow me time to deal with whatever predicament I am in. Or delay the inevitable, at the very least.

Peace,
Greg

 

[CamG]

Greetings Water Monkey and I love your thread! This a real conversation starter that has went on know for three years in our little dive circle.
I dive quite frequently with the same 5-6 people I know them in and out of the water.
We have always had the relationship of full discloser so we know what to look out for with skills and other wise dive related information.
We have many dives together in all sorts of conditions and depths!
WE ALL ARE COMMITTED TO SELF RESCUE WITH A BUDDY AS A LAST RESORT!
We all carry redundant air systems and train to use them frequently!
This sounds pretty snobbish does it not? Well before the flames over take me did I mention that there are 2 instructors and 2 DM's in the group.
There is dive training that occurs and I must admit you had better be able to bail your self out in a jam and get the students before it is an emergency! When we train students the buddy system is strictly enforced. Very strict rules are explained and demonstrated by us as a instructional unit. In recreational training your buddy is your redundant air source and proximity is paramount. This is one of the biggest issues for me personally. It seems you have to teach people to stick together, husband and wives have less trouble as brothers or sisters to as well but for individuals sometimes it is a struggle. That is till they are gently called out in the de-brief!
GOOD BUDDIES ARE COMMITTED TO EACH OTHER AND THE DIVE PLAN!
This is not an option but the very motor that holds it together when the sXXt hits the fan. We train, we talk, we live the dives we do. I think about the safety factors while I am at work. We research the direction in which our diving goals are heading and up the level or knowledge for the group. We are all different people from different back grounds but function as a team each bringing a vital part of the puzzle.
Do we always agree? Do our wives always understand? Of coarse not but we are still there for each other. I am finding it hard to feel free on dives when these buddies are not in the mix. I understand we are not always responsible for the new guy but I always feel I am. That is how I roll and will always be. When I was the new guy someone did that for me! Thanks MSDT Mark you will always be the greatest dive brother!
Some divers evolve some do not. Does everyone enjoy diving the same way? Absolutely not! But we all are a part of the same dive community. Our family is made up of a vast variety of people and interesting buddies are a sure thing!
I am glad to mix it up a bit to open up to new people and offer help and guidance.
Insta buddies well lets dive, but my opinion is still SELF RESCUE, and assist who ever when ever I can!
Safe diving all and hope to meet you one day!
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

 

[Mike Boswell]

It does seem that many divers equate "dive buddy" with a potential source of emergency air. I wonder how realistic that is?

In our recent PADI Rescue class we did an out-of-air scenario in the pool, where Buddy 1 faced the wall and Buddy 2 had to pretend they were OOA, hold their breath, swim 25 feet and get air from Buddy 1. Fortunately we were only 5 feet deep, because in a real situation most of us would not have survived this exercise.

The experience also made me wish I had my old "Calypso J" regulator.... But I'm sure I would get a stern, righteous flaming if I mentioned that on SB.