How close should your buddy be?

[Kim]

We hear a lot of comment about bad buddy skills. Obviously there are a few things that a good buddy should be able to do. However - even the technically best buddy isn't much use if they are too far away if something happens. So how far is too far? How close should your buddy stay - at all times during a dive? When does a 'buddy' dive become a 'same ocean same day dive'? (The Imperial measurements in the poll are a guidline only!)

edit: I am presuming GOOD visibilty - 10 meters (33 ft) or more.

 

[El Orans]

Less than 2 meters if the visibility is good. 1 meter or less when the visibility gets really interesting...

 

[Kim]

Less than 2 meters if the visibility is good. 1 meter or less when the visibility gets really interesting...

Of course! I didn't think about the visibility aspect - that would change a lot! I was presuming good visibilty for this poll - a visibility of 10 meters (33 ft) or more.

 

[SCDivers]

My husband and I are buddies and have had more than one conversation about this. He likes to follow me about 5ft or more behind. I try to get him to swim out to the side of me because when he is behind I have to turn all the way around to check on him. More than once I have turned around and he was not there. In the lake with vis 10-20ft that is not a good feeling!

 

[miketsp]

Always visible, if not visible, touchable, and always less than 1 breath away.

 

[SDAnderson]

You have to be able to clearly see your buddy and get to him in less than a breath. On a dive in warm, calm, clear and shallow water, maybe 20 feet. In poor vis or inside a wreck, considerably less than that - maybe even nearly touching. Remember, it's not always going to be your buddy that's in need, it might be you that has the problem. If you've let your buddy get away from you, you might find yourself pooched.

 

[DORSETBOY]

dont think there is a specfic distance, lots of variables. Some people get bothered if their buddy bumps into them.. If Im diving with a buddy I recognise my responsibility toward that person and vice versa, I actually like to dive close to my buddy.

 

[OceanSpirit]

Hmmm...

At the risk of opening up a whole can of worms, both my buddy and I dive with pony cylinders and do not tend to stick really close as we *should* be self sufficient in an out of air situation. We check on each other regularly though, in case of entanglement etc. We both do a fair amount of solo diving (worms ahoy!) so this helps.

Having said all that, if I am diving abroad, and haven't got my own kit and have been supplied with a 'normal' cylinder with octopus, I keep my buddy within 2-3m.

 

[getwet2]

- a visibility of 10 meters (33 ft) or more.

Based on a visibility of 10m I'd have to say 2m maximum. Buddies should also be beside each other not behind, it's easier to monitor the situation this way. It's too easy for the person in front to get too far ahead if the person behind stops to look at something or develops a problem.

 

[scubasean]

Of course! I didn't think about the visibility aspect - that would change a lot! I was presuming good visibilty for this poll - a visibility of 10 meters (33 ft) or more.

Since Monterey rarely has viz that nice, I am not sure I'm qualified to answer...heh