"I refuse to dive with him!"

[Corigan]

I have no problems diving with instabuddies. I also have no problems ditching instabuddies underwater if they don't stick to the dive plan/safe diving practices. For instance, I was in aruba a few weeks ago. I got buddied up with an instabuddy. The current was ripping. We were both taking pictures on the wreck of the antilla. I got to where I needed to turn the dive due to air pressure. I signalled my buddy that I needed to turn the dive to air pressure and he just looked at me. Then he decided he would just putz around and take pictures. He had no desire to leave the wreck as he had more pressure left in his tank. I ditched him and became a solo diver as I made my way back to the boat. I came up to the boat after doing a nice long safety stop (7 minutes waiting on the mooring line for him), and the captain asked where my buddy was. I told him I had no clue. I told the captain that I signalled my buddy that it was time to go due to my air pressure and he didn't feel like leaving so I ditched him. I would do the same thing again without hesitation if the situation ever came up again.

Matt

 

[FishTaco]

Dive with buddies you know. When traveling pay the extra fee for a d.m. to buddy with problem solved!
Never dive with anyone whose level of comfort is questionable.:huh:

Your dive buddy is an important part of your team and if he or she cannot be counted on to follow a plan or respond to emergency then you should not be entering the water with that person.Anyone who chooses to roll the dice with an insta buddy is inviting disaster to themselves and to there new found friend.
When in doubt stay out of the water. Better to be out a few hundred dollars than to be attending a funeral (yours or theirs) or sitting in the chamber.
JUst my 2 cents for what it is worth!:10:

 

[DeputyDan]

My LDS will have regular "try scuba" Saturdays.

I have an acquaintance that always talks about learning to dive so I invited him and his sons to try it out. I took my 13 year old daughter along to help with gear etc.

Within 1 minute of getting these guys in the pool my 13 year old came over to me and said in no uncertain terms that she would never ever dive with any of these guys.

SHE WAS RIGHT. Idiots in the pool - idiots in open water. I guess - we will never know!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I love diving with noobs: they make me look so goooooooooood! Bwahahahahahahaha!

In reality, I like to dive with just about anyone, myself included. If you have a good attitude, your buddy will probably have one too! Laugh, lay back and enjoy the time getting ready with your new found friends ...

Me too ... and if I have the choice between diving with a newbie who's excited to be there and having a great time, or an experienced diver who takes himself way too seriously, I'll pick the new diver every time.

I dive to have fun ... and I can have a lot of fun on a conservative 30-minute dive with someone who's enthusiastic and enjoyable to be around. When it comes to picking dive buddies, attitude is way more important to me than experience.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[freediver]

I will dive with anyone. If you're new, perhaps I can teach you something. If you're experienced, perhaps I can learn something. If you're enthusiastic, perhaps I can channel that toward others in the sport of diving. If you're talkative, perhaps you'll listen underwater. If your quiet, perhaps you'll sing with excitement underwater. If you're safe, perhaps we'll dive again. If you're reckless, perhaps I'll surface without you.

 

[DiverBAS]

I have no problems diving with instabuddies. I also have no problems ditching instabuddies underwater if they don't stick to the dive plan/safe diving practices. For instance, I was in aruba a few weeks ago. I got buddied up with an instabuddy. The current was ripping. We were both taking pictures on the wreck of the antilla. I got to where I needed to turn the dive due to air pressure. I signalled my buddy that I needed to turn the dive to air pressure and he just looked at me. Then he decided he would just putz around and take pictures. He had no desire to leave the wreck as he had more pressure left in his tank. I ditched him and became a solo diver as I made my way back to the boat. I came up to the boat after doing a nice long safety stop (7 minutes waiting on the mooring line for him), and the captain asked where my buddy was. I told him I had no clue. I told the captain that I signalled my buddy that it was time to go due to my air pressure and he didn't feel like leaving so I ditched him. I would do the same thing again without hesitation if the situation ever came up again.

Matt

Matt, I would say your so-called buddy ditched you, not that you ditched him. When air pressure says its time to go, its time to go. You didn't have a choice, but he did and he chose to break up the buddy team.

 

[Rick Murchison]

I will dive with anyone. If you're new, perhaps I can teach you something. If you're experienced, perhaps I can learn something. If you're enthusiastic, perhaps I can channel that toward others in the sport of diving. If you're talkative, perhaps you'll listen underwater. If your quiet, perhaps you'll sing with excitement underwater. If you're safe, perhaps we'll dive again. If you're reckless, perhaps I'll surface without you.

Right on, Freediver! The only variation I'd make on that is that even newbies often teach me something or see something new or something I missed; sharing the wonder of the dive is always, always a grand adventure for me.
Rick

 

[Charlie99]

I'm surprised at how many posts have an overall negative tone.

Almost all of my dive trips are solo. After encountering a couple of times the sort of problems other have posted about, I looked long and hard at what I could do to fix them. Using some common sense, talking a bit before diving with people I'm uncertain about, and being alert underwater have pretty much elminated problems with insta-buddies. Simple things like getting explicit agreement about the goal of the dive, the pace of the dive, desired buddy distances and position, etc. Don't make blind assumptions on such things as ascent procedure (together, solo ascent watched from below, totally solo, etc.)

I suggest those complaining about insta-buddy problems do a little soul searching and think about how to avoid repetition of the problems.

As others have posted, behavior on the boat generally gives some pretty good clues about probable behavior underwater.

We were all newbies at some point. I figure it's only fair payback to dive with them now. In general, most experienced divers I know have the same attitude, and someone refusing to dive with a less experienced diver is usually someone just newly graduated from the ranks of newbies.

 

[tjmills]

I have no problems diving with instabuddies. I also have no problems ditching instabuddies underwater if they don't stick to the dive plan/safe diving practices. For instance, I was in aruba a few weeks ago. I got buddied up with an instabuddy. The current was ripping. We were both taking pictures on the wreck of the antilla. I got to where I needed to turn the dive due to air pressure. I signalled my buddy that I needed to turn the dive to air pressure and he just looked at me. Then he decided he would just putz around and take pictures. He had no desire to leave the wreck as he had more pressure left in his tank. I ditched him and became a solo diver as I made my way back to the boat. I came up to the boat after doing a nice long safety stop (7 minutes waiting on the mooring line for him), and the captain asked where my buddy was. I told him I had no clue. I told the captain that I signalled my buddy that it was time to go due to my air pressure and he didn't feel like leaving so I ditched him. I would do the same thing again without hesitation if the situation ever came up again.

Matt

Where you might think it is.....Not Cool. I wasn't there and maybe there was more to it than you are letting on here but if there wasn't.....not cool. By no means should you put yourself in danger so if that was the case I apologise but there still should be a clear communication between the 2 of you that this was happening.

 

[tjmills]

I will dive with anyone. If you're new, perhaps I can teach you something. If you're experienced, perhaps I can learn something. If you're enthusiastic, perhaps I can channel that toward others in the sport of diving. If you're talkative, perhaps you'll listen underwater. If your quiet, perhaps you'll sing with excitement underwater. If you're safe, perhaps we'll dive again. If you're reckless, perhaps I'll surface without you.

Righteous!!