Buddycheck

[Raphus]

I would like to hear your opinion on buddy checks.

Are you doing the check everytime?
What are you doing if your buddy doesnt want to do a buddy check.
Do you insist on a buddy check for checking your and the buddy equipment, or only your own gear?

Do you consider it dangerous doing no check at all?

My opinion:
I do a modified buddycheck, where i check the gear myself and my buddy watches me, so i dont oversee or forget something.
2. Regulator should always be tested by the buddy, because it is his lifeline. In covid times, this is difficult ofc..

If my buddy doesnt want to check his gear:
1. I dislike it very much, because if his equipment fails i have a problem aswell.
2. See if i know how his equipment works.
I dont dive with him, if he didnt check his regulator.

I see so many people doing no buddy check and dont want to do it, even if they get asked. These guys are the same guys that can tell you storys about lost weightbells, OOA, first stage failure and the list goes on..

 

[JackOfDiamonds]

Checking your gear is vital, a small problem on the surface can become a huge problem underwater.
If my buddy is reluctant to have a check than i would normally find someone else because that seems suspicious to me.

You should also double check yourself and not rely solely on your buddy, i had to learn that the hard way after asking my buddy to check that my cylinder valve is open.
Turns out it was only slightly open (after she tinkered with it) so i ended up having breathing problems once we descended.

Regulator check is just another part of gear check in my opinion. after you set everything up you pressurize the system and listen for any leaks, breath from both regulators to make sure you have an even flow, check the hoses for any tears etc. should be done by the person assembling the gear.

People who don't do regular gear checks seem to have this "Jesus take the wheel" approach, most of the times it might be ok until they get that one time where it comes back to bite them in the ass.

P.S. 90% of my dives are with the regular group of friends, i know their gear set up by heart but the check is less meant for that, its intended to check if the other person might have missed anything like a tear in the hose, closed cylinder or what ever(which happens, we are all human.)
So we still do the check every time.

 

[Edward3c]

Every time, and especially before dive 2 when things can easily get missed. Especially when my buddy says “everything as dive 1”, drysuit hoses not connected, hoses crocheted, gas not turned on.

if they don’t want to do a buddy check, I won’t dive.

 

[NothingClever]

So far, I’m the only vote for “Only if i dont know my buddy and/or the buddys gear.”

My dive buddy and I handle our equipment enough (every weekend) that we don’t have to do Breakfast With Rice and Fish because we will have already detected problems and alerted each other while methodically rigging our kit. If we change something (upgrade new bits or change configuration), we’ll take the time to update each other. So, unless I hear something during rigging, I know my buddy is ready to splash and he the same of me.

If I get paired up with somebody I don’t know (recreational boat dive), I take the initiative to review my equipment with him/her. I strive to configure my gear in such a way that it’s beyond reproach so I should be confident to have a stranger inspect my kit. If he doesn’t reciprocate, then I’ll tell the guy he’s on his own. That kind of judgment represents weak character, IMO, and I’m comfortable with the risk as a solo diver.

If it’s a technical dive, we will all probably obsess and nerd out on our equipment checks that somebody not participating in equipment checks would highlight himself in a really conspicuous way.

 

[CanadaDan]

This past weekend I stopped a long time instructor from getting into the lake with his drysuit zipper wide open (borrowed back zip, his usual front zip was stolen from his truck that Friday)... so yeah... everybody every dive lol

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

I always watch my buddy assemble their gear and keep an eye out for anything that looks off. Ex. Zippers unzipped, second stage dangling, pressure gauge shifted/under shoulder strap (once geared up), etc.

I don’t put a hand on anyone’s gear unless it’s requested. That’s how most people that I’ve dived with prefer it, so that works out well for both of us.

 

[ibj40]

I only dive with one buddy, my wife. We thoroughly check each other’s gear before each dive, between dives, and after dives.

Of course, she also confirms with me before every dive trip that my life insurance is paid up.

 

[dorsal]

Clearly I’ve never seen no weights, gas off, 1st stage not connected, bc not attached, can band loose, etc.

Check and double check

 

[Brett Hatch]

I mainly dive with a group of my personal friends -- maybe half a dozen of us or so, all in the 20 - 100 dives range. We'll typically do shore dives, and gear up on my truck's tailgate or a folding table, side by side. So there's a pseudo-buddy check happening as we prepping nearby and discussing gear as we do so. And when declare that we're ready to go, we give each other a quick once-over, front and back. Personally I am checking especially for things that I've seen wrong before -- misplaced hoses, twisted harness straps, empty wing, tank turned off, loose tank straps, poorly-secured weights, that kind of thing.

There have been several problems caught this way which could have been dangerous, so yeah, I drink the buddy check Kool-Aid for sure. I try to do a buddy check with every buddy, every dive. I admit that I've forgotten a handful of times, which I do not see as a good thing.

It may or may not be true that Bruce Willis Ruins All Films, but it is definitely true that a messed-up gear config can kill you. It's life support equipment, don't **** around.

 

[Subcooled]

What are you doing if your buddy doesnt want to do a buddy check.

In that case I do a solo dive together with an idiot. If I dare, that is.

Do you insist on a buddy check for checking your and the buddy equipment, or only your own gear?

The pre-dive check covers the whole team. Every dive pair.

In addition there are personal gear checks when packing, when dressing, just before entering the water. Only after these we do a team check.

Do you consider it dangerous doing no check at all?

Skipping the buddy check means that one accepts an elevated risk.