Finding dive buddies?

[Chavodel8en]

I have used local facebook scuba groups, as well as scuba groups on Meetup.com (although not for several years), and the regional forums here, to find shore diving buddies locally and in SoCal & Hawaii.

I feel facebook may have the most immediate results.

 

[runsongas]

join a club. bamboo reef has a shop attached club if you are in the city

California Dive ClubsCalifornia Diver Magazine

californiadiver.com

 

[JohnN]

Travel being the reason 13/19

I used to schlep a 19 everywhere. I'm now using small (AL50) from the shop(s) where I rent tanks when I travel

 

[freddydives]

Hey, all. Enjoyed reading your convos for a long time and finally signed up. Hopefully I’ll have something valuable to contribute. For now, I’m wondering if anyone has a go-to source (a forum or app, maybe?) for finding dive buddies. I travel a fair amount but alone (and don’t dive alone), so I usually have to opt for pricey and sometimes inconvenient guided dives. Suggestions?

I'm assuming you're located in SF Bay Area so you can join a dive club (Several in area). Most do monthly dives or have Discord chat groups with other members to find buddies. There is also a good Facebook group (Monterey Bay Area Scuba Divers). I've had luck finding buddies through my dive club.

 

[Phteven]

I'm assuming you're located in SF Bay Area so you can join a dive club (Several in area). Most do monthly dives or have Discord chat groups with other members to find buddies. There is also a good Facebook group (Monterey Bay Area Scuba Divers). I've had luck finding buddies through my dive club.

Happen to have links to the Discord(s)?

 

[freddydives]

Happen to have links to the Discord(s)?

Unfortunately my dive club requires membership before you can access a server. If I come across one without such a requirement, I'll drop a link.

 

[Shadd]

Yea, I am right there with you. I've been trying to get friends and family to go but no dice. All I can offer, if your vaca ever brings you around central, Pennsylvania area - consider yourself to have a buddy!

 

[SlugLife]

I mostly dive solo, even when I go diving with my usual dive-buddy.

However, if I wanted to pair....

• You could go on a dive-boat and be insta-buddied. Though that costs $$.
• There should be local dive-site and dive-clubs. Show up at any of the club-meets, or active dive-sites and people will often be happy to pair with you.
• Dive shops are sometimes start a dive-club. Because they like diving, but also because it helps them generate revenue and loyalty.
• Look for local groups based on your location, on sites like facebook, meetup.com, or other social-media.

For solo, I'd suggest taking a self-reliant course. It's not hard, but "you don't know what you don't know." Hopefully they'll cover almost everything I'd tell you myself. A rescue course is not a bad idea either, if you have the budget for it.

You should make safety something you think about on a regular basis. How you'd handle various situations without assistance, where one, 2, or even 3 things went wrong at the same time.

Redundancy is usually the solution to most scuba-problems, and often comes in the form of equipment and/or skill. I won't cover everything here, because I don't want to write a book at the moment, but here's a good thread for that.

And for pony-sizes, I like 19cu personally, but choose what works best for you and your situation, and I have a post on pony-sizes here.

 

[34109411]

I don't have an answer but I sympathize, I have the same problem. Been trying to convince my friends to dive for years but no luck so far.

Honestly i sort out this problem by diving solo will not do anything else.

 

[Brett down under]

I’ve always just gone on a dive boat and get buddied with someone, usually another buddyless diver or sometimes go as a 3. Worked fine and enjoy getting to meet different people each time. You always see some regulars, particularly through the winter.