DIR and insta-buddies

[Crush]

I find it hard to try to force divers to communicate when they are too cool to do so. I find it hard to go through hand signals and dive plans if they obviously don't care. And if I am an insta-buddy, I have little choice but to not dive.

I have found the replies in this forum to be very interesting. For the most part they are different from what I expected.

 

[ucfdiver]

I find it hard to try to force divers to communicate when they are too cool to do so. I find it hard to go through hand signals and dive plans if they obviously don't care. And if I am an insta-buddy, I have little choice but to not dive.

I have found the replies in this forum to be very interesting. For the most part they are different from what I expected.

Were you taught Rule #1?

 

[jonnythan]

I find it hard to try to force divers to communicate when they are too cool to do so. I find it hard to go through hand signals and dive plans if they obviously don't care. And if I am an insta-buddy, I have little choice but to not dive.

Too cool? Interesting.

Anyway, yeah. Rule #1. With a buddy like that you're better off on the boat.

 

[TSandM]

Remember Rule One. If you are paired up with someone who refuses to discuss a dive plan or hand signals, and thinks they're "too cool" to be bothered, the solution is simple: Don't dive with them. There has to be a newby on the boat somewhere, who will be more than pleased to stay together. Your dive may be shorter and simpler than what you wanted, but you won't end up in the water solo.

Or dive with instabuddies, tell them that, if you get separated, you're going to finish the dive solo, but don't call it DIR . . . in fact, don't call it good diving.

 

[RonFrank]

When in a insta-buddy situation I work harder at procedure and communication. Not so much with gear check which I am happy to do assuming the new buddy is receptive, but with the dive plan, the dive pace, use of cameras if applicable, basic signals, and what to do in the event of failures. Dive plans are often simple.

When diving I go slow and stay with my buddy. However I generally will not bend over backwards to stay with a new buddy. Most people are easy to dive with but there is the occasional speed racer, or wanderer and I will let them go. I don't generally make much of an effort to stay with someone who dives with their pants on fire! I will stick by someone who may stall more frequently then I like as new divers get distracted easily and everything is new and exciting for them. I generally dive with a pony or in shallow water so the buddy is less a factor. I try to be a good buddy and most other divers do as well.

This is about being there for my fellow diver as a good safe buddy, and less about DIR/GUI/PADI ect.

 

[boulderjohn]

I find it hard to try to force divers to communicate when they are too cool to do so. I find it hard to go through hand signals and dive plans if they obviously don't care.

Being married to a non-diver, when on vacations I dove with countless insta-buddies for years before I had even heard of DIR. When I was still very inexperienced, I would accept the almost universal disinterest in talking about the coming dive because I was pretty much intimidated by others and didn't want to make waves. Eventually--still before I knew diddly about DIR--I realized how stupid that was.

So here's what I started to do.

Instead of asking the other person if they wanted to talk about those things, either by asking the question directly or by implying it in my tone of voice, I would just start, in a very friendly way, talking about equipment and procedures as if it was just a routine and expected part of our relationship. Here's my equipment and how I do OOA. Here's how I like to signal this or that. How about you?

There was not a single case of any sort of resentment or resistance. As soon as I started talking about it that way, they would respond appropriately. A couple minutes later and we were ready to go.

I think the critical thing is the tone of voice. You are friendly, and there is a tone of expectation that the insta-buddy will be friendly and helpful in return. Your voice implies that you see this as normal part of diving and would be stunned if what you are saying would be badly received.

 

[walrus2]

My experience with GUE-trained insta-buddies in SoCal on several boat trips was excellent, similar to the experience of others described above. No surprises, system works, would love to be in SoCal again or try Florida (the reefs, not the wet rocks).

Experience with non-GUE insta-buddies on frequent boat trips in SoCal and some shore-diving was much more variable but in general people were fine with discussing a basic dive plan and buddy checks (for which I at least mentally use the GUE procedure). The biggest difference was that on the DIR boats everyone's basic skill level was more than adequate for the dives we were doing while with other insta-buddies this varied, even under easy conditions. I recall one interesting dive on the Yukon with an insta-buddy in a DUI camouflage suit, expensive regs, H-gear, bouyancy control within say +/- 15 ft, and really interesting procedures.

 

[JamesK]

I once insta-buddied with this guy James from FL when he came out here to dive SoCal. He was a cluster.

[What Lynne wrote.]

I am NOT the James being mentioned.

 

[leabre]

DIR extends beyond the equipment configuration and some of the procedures but also into the mindset of the 'team'. DIR is what it is, and for anything different, it isn't DIR. Diving solo, failing to discuss the dive plan, goals and expectations of the team;separating and not looking for teammate and so on simply are not DIR.

That said, I dive with non-DIR people all the time and always discuss certain things. Usually, gas management, depth constraints, the dive can be aborted anytime for no reason at all, keep within sight of each other and effective response distances (usually 10-15 feet maximum) except when low viz or high current then closer, here's how I deploy the long hose in case of emergency, and what the lost buddy procedures will be, etc. Whether the person understands and puts that into practice or not during the dive is another situation. Usually they'll understand things like turn pressure and staying close in case of emergency and lost buddy procedures and anything beyond that would take more dives as a team to absorb.

If they race out of sight it is still a good idea to try to find them. I had that happen once a while back and the person was stuck in kelp in a severe panic. Because me and my remaining buddy looked and found him, we were able to avert something catastrophic. Whether I'm DIR or not, or whether the team is doing a DIR dive or not, is besides the point. I'm also an insured dive pro and do not want to be successfully sued for any kind of negligence so I cover my bases, When I insta-bud I rarely discuss that I'm DIR at all but I do instigate communication and try to get on the same page with them (that is usually how it will be, I doubt any non-DIR would easily get completely on the same page as me). And do you know what? 98% of the time I enjoy the dives and the company. Only a very few times have I regretting doing THAT dive with THAT person. But my decision to dive with the person starts long before the dive. Aborting the dive at any time means can include before the dive even begins.

Sometimes people size me up. Just a few weeks ago I instanted with someone in Monterey and they (non-DIR) sized me up and then we had a very wonderful dive together.

If you are comfy with non DIR (you can still be DIR -- though the team isn't) then dive with the people. If you aren't, then don't. Just don't call it DIR when it isn't. Lack of communication, planning, and lost buddy protocol is not DIR by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[JamesK]

DIR is what it is, and for anything different, it isn't DIR.

That sums it up about perfect.