Essential buddy skills

[scubafool]

Quite often in various threads I have seen mention of "a good buddy" or "good buddy skills". I think that it might be useful to actually define what exactly makes a good buddy, and how one might go about becoming a better buddy.

What do you look for in a buddy? What makes one buddy better than the next? How does one go about refining & improving their buddy skills?

 

[spectrum]

If you are the follower stay where the leading diver can see you with out going into a helicopter turn. If you are the leader pay attention to your buddy.

Show up with prepared gear and repsect your air supply. No sputtering seconds on the surface pre-dive. Show up with a decent fill. Manage your gas so as not to be a liability.

If you have an agenda item establish it in advance. Photography, hunting, checking gear, practicing skills (always a good idea).

Don't be an obnoxious buffoon underwater or topside. It's not the image I want to be associated with.

Having time apre dive to share a bite to eat always extebnds the experieince.

That's just for openers.

Pete

 

[wreckchick]

I don't want to have to continually be looking for my buddy. The divers I get along with the best are always just "there", I don't have to think about it, I don't have to go in search of, they're just always a flick of the mask away but NOT up my fins.

Clear signalling. If you want me to look at something, understand something, be very clear about it. Don't just point at your gauges like I'm supposed to know that means you're low on air? you want to know how much I have? we're at our target depth??? WHAT???

I don't know if it's just me or not, but the people I like to dive with the most I just mesh with. Our styles are similar and it doesn't feel like work at all, it's just fun and relaxing. Obviously, the debrief can clear up any minor misunderstandings and some of that is normal and going to happen on any dive.

Rachel

 

[scubafool]

I don't want to have to continually be looking for my buddy. The divers I get along with the best are always just "there", I don't have to think about it, I don't have to go in search of, they're just always a flick of the mask away but NOT up my fins.

Where, exactly, is "there"?

Clear signalling. If you want me to look at something, understand something, be very clear about it. Don't just point at your gauges like I'm supposed to know that means you're low on air? you want to know how much I have? we're at our target depth??? WHAT???

It sounds as though a lot of this is learning basic hand signals and then stringing them together in an understandable way.

I don't know if it's just me or not, but the people I like to dive with the most I just mesh with. Our styles are similar and it doesn't feel like work at all, it's just fun and relaxing. Obviously, the debrief can clear up any minor misunderstandings and some of that is normal and going to happen on any dive.

I have experienced this a few times. Such dives are absolutely great.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

A true buddy will help you hide a body if needed....Ok seriously good comunications, calm but attentive..

 

[H2Andy]

relaxed, competent, with nothing to prove

loves diving, has a good sense of humour

is aware, pays attention, knows you're a team

 

[Irene]

Good buddies:

Wants to plan the dive, will go over the plan prior to the dive. Shares their dive objective. Thinks about contingency plans.

Stays where you can see them, and looks over at you every few minutes. Points out cool stuff.

Responds to your signals quickly.

Suits up as you do, doesn't drag you into frigid water 10 minutes before they are ready to go.

Doesn't rely on your supplies, comes prepared with their own working gear.

 

[Jorbar1551]

Good Buddies:

Pay for Airfills, gas, food, mortgage, new equipment,

And good buddies don't suck air, and slow everyone down.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

This is great stuff. As a new diver, I want to be a better buddy, and someone that people will want to dive with. Thank you for this thread.

 

[Tom Smedley]

Knowing the water temperature that properly chills the wine.