Best Dive Buddies

[covediver]

I have had some great dive buddies over the last 20+ years, some of whom have become life-long friends. I have learned a lot from them and tried to return the favor by passing that knowledge along to others. I would not give up these associations for anything. I have truly been blessed.

I moved to the great north a few years ago. Although I was a very experienced diver, it was like starting over as a newbie as I used the drysuit for the first time with all the attendant differences that come with that, bouyancy, weight and balance, even gearing up became a new challenge (my only prior experience was two drysuit dives in a beaver crap filled pond in N. VA). Throw in a series of major gear changes and I was like the kid who took his first dive class. I was lucky. I fell in with a group of divers who are the most understanding and patient folks. Their basic philosophy is "we are diving this weekend, why don't you come over and join us?" I and others have always been welcomed in this group and they have asked nothing in return, just that we work at becoming good, competent Alaska divers and have fun while doing it. These folks define dive friendship and hospitality.

I only hope that all the newbie divers can find buddies as good as this.

Just want to say thanks to Jerry and Lisa.

So anyone else have a best dive buddy story?

 

[TSandM]

Oh, man, where do I start?

I guess I start with NW Grateful Diver, who read the journal of my open water class and decided he wanted to meet me. He became my mentor, and helped me achieve the basic diving competence that had eluded me in OW. He sent me off to Fundies, which has been a life-changing experience. He has also become a close friend and regular dive buddy, and nowadays, I can occasionally show HIM something new. It's a relationship I really treasure.

After Fundies, when I so desperately needed someone with whom to practice, I hooked up with DoubleDip, who has become my beloved dive buddy. We've done many, many dives together, some as practice dives, focusing on skills, and some just purely for the delight of it. We've built a partnership -- a team, if you will -- that works for both of us. We urge one another on to try harder, to reach for that bar, and we provide moral support when we don't get there. Diving together has become a thing of nuance most of the time . . . A nod, or just body language is enough to convey a lot. What can you say about somebody who knows you're cold because your light's gotten a little shaky? Weekend after next, we're going into our third class together, and we have plans for more and bigger things. This kind of dive buddy is simply irreplaceable and invaluable.

And tonight, the two of us met up with two of my other favorite diving partners, and the four of us dove and practiced skills and played with a baby octopus and blew stops and laughed and generally had a wonderful time.

Sharing being underwater with the right people multiplies the joy manyfold.

 

[DavidPT40]

My dive buddy buys me all the drinks I want whenever we go to a bar...beat that.

 

[Buoyant1]

My dive buddy buys me all the drinks I want whenever we go to a bar...beat that.

Oh man...that's just asking for someone who's spouse is their dive buddy to come up with descriptions, diagrams (with circles and arrows) to top that one!

That's a good buddy though!

The guys I dive with are great! We all respect each other enough to offer tips and constructive criticism to each other... and it makes us all better divers! (and they take it easy on me or they will end up in my dive reports that get emailed from the LDS! heh heh heh!)

 

[tstormdiver]

I've gotten in with a local group of divers (a local board). It started out as a group that was about at the same level as myself (relative beginners with 10- 20 dives). We dove & explored the the diving quarries in the area. As the year moved on new members joined & now we have a very broad range of divers from the beginners, intermediates, DM's, instructors & technical divers. During the spring, summer & fall when the quarries are open, we just post "let's go" & get together. During the winter easons we have to plan a bit more, as you must have a minimum of 4 divers to get the quarry to open up. I learned along with those who were at the same experience level & am lerning form those more advanced. I am now at a level where I can start returning the favor to those who are new to the sport. I consider it both an honor & a blessing to do this. As we have grown as divers in this group, we watch out with eachother, & still learn form eachother.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I've been lucky to have dived with several people who were excellent dive buddies, and have since become good friends ... and if I had to pick one who stands out it would be Uncle Pug, who, with patience, humor, and a lot of effort helped me understand what it means to BE a good dive buddy. No one has had more impact on the way I dive, the way I think about diving, or my desire to help others become better divers.

He also helps me maintain a sense of humility ... anytime I think I'm getting to be good all I have to do is watch him in the water to realize how much I have yet to learn ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[covediver]

I guess that maybe I should have called the thread unsung heros, the kind of people that go out of their way to make diving a little more safe, pleasant, and welcoming to all kinds of divers. Not necessarily that they do anything specific for you. You meet a lot of folks like that on this board, and as in any sport, a few naysayers. Their are a lot of salt of the earth (water?) that are the real ambassadors or welcome wagon to others. They are to use a phrase from my younger days "people with whom it would be my pleasure and honor to share my campfire."

 

[TSandM]

Well, even with your changed definition, NW Grateful Diver heads the list! Not only is he a fine instructor, but he volunteers his time to give things like gas management seminars to local dive shops, and he regularly volunteers to dive with new divers, or visitors to Puget Sound. For two years, he has organized "Big Buddy" dives, to match new divers with experienced buddies for some bottom time and a few tips (a great thing for both new and experienced people -- I met one of my favorite dive buddies that way!) Bob's lent gear (long term loans sometimes, and sometimes he doesn't get the stuff back ) so that people get a chance to try out thing they can't rent locally. He's just a superb ambassador for diving and the diving community. And on top of it all, he's a very nice guy and very good company.

Another person I should mention is rjack321. I met him when he wrote out of the blue and offered to do some practice dives with me. He's also been a fountain of information about equipment and technical stuff (he's the first person I fire a question off to, if I want to know how something works or how to work on it). He's also generous with gear loans, for people who want to try things, and he often goes out to help people with specific questions about gear or technique. Another very generous person, with his stuff and with his time.

In fact, I've just been amazed at the number of wonderfully giving people who are involved with diving. I showed up at a local site with a friend one day and we discovered she'd forgotten her gloves. The man parked next to us, who was from Montana and whom we did not know, said, "Here, take mine. I'm done diving for the day. You can mail them back to me." THAT'S what divers are like, most of them.