How close do you stay to your dive buddy ?

[Soakedlontra]

I use this formula the max distance is half the distance of avaliable vis or 50 feet which ever come frist this means. of course you must account for the divers comfort and I mean both divers and I also require all my divers carry a redundant independent air source ( pony) this is a must in diving like a reserve parachute in skydiving never and exception 10 ft of water or 100 ft of water

I guess I will never be able to be your buddy...:depressed:

 

[Soakedlontra]

I think gas really determines it. Anything else that happens to me -- entanglement, cramp, illness, etc. -- can wait a lot longer.

And of course, EVERYTHING depends on a) having an effective way to communicate to your buddy that you have a problem, and b) having a buddy who is at least somewhat attentive to your whereabouts and wellbeing. If you don't have either of those, you'd better be within touching distance, or plan and execute the dive as if you were solo.

No doubt that being out of gas takes over everything else! I guess an even worse scenario would be if you have run out of air and are entangled and your buddy is with further away from you than an arm length and looks the other way...Jeez! But let's get not carried away!

In my little experience getting my buddy's attention or being consistently an attentive buddy can be hard work, even with bright dive lights (during the day in bright tropical waters a dive light doesn't seem to be that visible), banging a hard object on the tank has always turned out to be the least effective method. I don't know what it is...maybe it is so easy to get self-absorbed down there because of the unique environment you are in that you have to 'force' yourself to pay attention to your buddy and surroundings on a regular basis...

The bottom line seems to me that if you decide to dive as a buddy team keeping a short distance (as quantified in previous posts) between you and your buddy regardless of pony bottles, visibility and depth, would make things simpler when you need to get his/her attention for whatever reasons. Amen!:blessing:

 

[40Fathoms]

Depends on the visibility, depth, and currents. On a shallow dive at a known site with good viz and minimal current, probably 10-15 feet. In worst case conditions we rub shoulders.

Have only rarely used a buddy line. CMAS require them for some dives. They have their merits, especially for S&R dives in low viz, but for anything including vulnerable aquatic life below, caves or wrecks, I'd never use them. And never, ever click them on to your gear (I've seen this done). Hold the line in your hand so you can let go if your buddy has a sudden, uncontrolled ascent or descent.

 

[DaMaDo]

I'm new, but when I follow I'm almost within arm's reach. I like to point stuff out (sea turtles, etc) so it makes things easier for me.

When someone is following me, they usually aren't so close, but tend to look at me often enough so I can get their attention and point to whatever.

 

[Rythmmaker]

Definitely something you should agree on with your dive buddy before getting in the water. I had an incident a couple of years ago with a new dive buddy when I was with a group including my dive instructor. My buddy was very new and very nervous. My instructor, knowing I had just completed a deep diving specialty course, was diving below us on a wall and motioned for me to "come look" at something about 30 ft below us at 75 fsw. I swam down to take a look - assuming she would follow me - she didn't. I was not far away, the vis was well over 100ft, and I was only there long enough to take a quick look at a huge crab - then swam back up to where I had left her watching me, but she was terrified, and to this day (rightly) asserts that I "abandoned her."

I had only about 12 dives at the time, including my OW certs. We were in a group with 8-10 divers all around us (which gave me a false sense of security thinking that there were plenty of people close at-hand to assist if needed), and I quickly responded to my instructor rather than thinking about how my buddy would perceive the situation and how she would react.

I wish I could do it over - and I wish that I had taken the time to talk with her right before the dive to know what she felt comfortable with. Nevertheless, these days I stay very close and pay very close attention to my buddy so as not to endanger either of us, and to make sure we are both safe - and talk about it in advance! We both lived to tell the tale, and I learned from my mistake, but sadly she gave up on diving shortly after that incident. And she never let me forget it!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

If you are going to be a buddy, be one. Arms length regardless of vis for me. No one follows is higher or lower. A 1/4 turn of the head to the side is all I should need to know where my buddy is. I tend to let others lead. I can buddy up with anyone. If one person stops to look at something we both stop. If I'm diving with someone and they have an issue with this they are free to find another buddy. I'd rather dive alone than have to be constantly looking for my partner.