New divers hard finding dive buddies?

[atrawick]

Mods if this is in the wrong section please redirect me to the correct one. Thanks.

I was wondering on. How many new divers find it hard to find a dive buddy? I have you ever gotten the cold shoulder or hesitation when asked to tag along on a dive. I know most divers don't want Insta-buddies. In some cases I can understand that. I wouldn't go up to a diver with doubles or sidemount and ask to tag along.

I apologize if this has been posted before.

 

[Splitlip]

Well, I'm not a new diver, but I admit to avoiding making eye contact with other buddy-less divers unless I know them.

 

[tbone1004]

depends on what I'm doing... If I'm at a quarry or whatever and have no real plans other than to get wet, I'll usually let whomever tag along. Despite the fact that I'm always in side or doubles. Only one real way for new divers to get good and it's to dive with people better than they are. I do it all the time with my mentors. If I have specific intentions for a dive, or am on a charter I'm usually leery just becauseI don't want to pay to be a babysitter

 

[TSandM]

I think it helps a lot if you can make contact with folks ahead of time (through sites like this, or local clubs), or if the event in question is one like our club dive yesterday, where people have volunteered to dive with new divers.

I will confess to having some hesitation in accepting an unknown third teammate who comes up to us at a dive site. In that case, I've already got an image of what the dive I'm going to do is, and an unknown third party may not be compatible with that. I'll dive with almost anybody, but I like to know what I'm doing before I get there.

If you are having problems finding people with whom to dive, I'd highly recommend talking to your local dive shop about whether they hold any shop dives. Look into local dive clubs -- at least around here, most of them have dives where anyone is welcome, and the dive leader sets the buddy teams at the site. If there is a local dive forum or other site online, get involved with that and meet people that way.

Good luck!

 

[redacted]

When diving locally, I am happy to buddy up with a new diver and help them get started. But I think I would be a bit hesitant if someone asked to "tag along". I would be more comfortable with a request to buddy up.

On a dive trip, I might be hesitant or even refuse to take on a buddy depending on the nature and cost of the trip and the specific dive to be conducted.

 

[Peacie]

Once I realized my fellow students in my OW class weren't terribly reliable in the outside world, I started asking friends and co-workers if they dove. I was fortunate to find a few who did (though not regularly) and have been successful at coaxing them into the water a few times. I've even convinced some other friends and acquaintances to consider learning.

I also encourage you to scan the Board for others in your area (or in the areas you'd like to dive) and make contact with them. They really are a very wonderful and helpful bunch, and have been willing to join me and help me refine my skills. You've picked a good place to start.

 

[atrawick]

depends on what I'm doing... If I'm at a quarry or whatever and have no real plans other than to get wet, I'll usually let whomever tag along. Despite the fact that I'm always in side or doubles. Only one real way for new divers to get good and it's to dive with people better than they are. I do it all the time with my mentors. If I have specific intentions for a dive, or am on a charter I'm usually leery just becauseI don't want to pay to be a babysitter

I agree totally. As a new diver or other new divers would feel more at ease with a more experienced diver. I did not mean any disrespect for the side or doubles comment. When I see someone in side or doubles. They are for a reason and don't want to hassle them.

I think it helps a lot if you can make contact with folks ahead of time (through sites like this, or local clubs), or if the event in question is one like our club dive yesterday, where people have volunteered to dive with new divers.

I will confess to having some hesitation in accepting an unknown third teammate who comes up to us at a dive site. In that case, I've already got an image of what the dive I'm going to do is, and an unknown third party may not be compatible with that. I'll dive with almost anybody, but I like to know what I'm doing before I get there.

If you are having problems finding people with whom to dive, I'd highly recommend talking to your local dive shop about whether they hold any shop dives. Look into local dive clubs -- at least around here, most of them have dives where anyone is welcome, and the dive leader sets the buddy teams at the site. If there is a local dive forum or other site online, get involved with that and meet people that way.

Good luck!

Our local club can't hold "club dives" cause of some insurance reason.

When diving locally, I am happy to buddy up with a new diver and help them get started. But I think I would be a bit hesitant if someone asked to "tag along". I would be more comfortable with a request to buddy up.

On a dive trip, I might be hesitant or even refuse to take on a buddy depending on the nature and cost of the trip and the specific dive to be conducted.

Maybe tagging along was the wrong term. I assume any new diver completely understand if you told them you couldn't because you already had something planned.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

New divers can find a ready-made pool of dive buddies in local dive clubs.
I'd recommend seeing what your local area has to offer in this respect.

For daylight shore dives in the 60 fsw depth range at a site I'm familiar with, I have no issues with picking up a stranger insta-buddy. It depends on my mood, what the other people in our dive party think, and how much time we have to do a formal pre-dive briefing. It can take a great deal of "prep work" to discuss safety procedures, dive style, operational issues, etc., with a stranger.

I will not dive with somebody on a night dive as a first dive. Too much could go wrong.
On multiple occasions, I have turned down a stranger's request to join our dive group. Initially, I felt bad about this...but I now realize that it's not such a big deal.
I will rarely pick up an insta-buddy on a paid boat dive. Chasing around a stranger underwater is not might idea of fun.
On several occasions for shore dives, I have agreed to pick up an insta-buddy...provided that the conditions are conducive to doing so.

Good luck with your search for dive buddies. Have fun out there!

 

[AndrewA]

When I learned to dive I did so with an instructor who run regullar dive trips mainly for his old students and I initially dived with them. He later introduced me to a local dive club with whom I was always able to find a buddy. Since then I have done most of my diving, and indeed much of my training with a club.
When I go on holiday I am usually travelling alone so I am always grateful to other singleton divers who are prepared to buddy with me. I have had some truely wonderful dives with so called "insta-buddies". Over the years I have found that in the main it is the quiet guys who just want to go diving (and are sometimes a little put off by my "techy looking" gear) rather than the "experieced divers" with x many dives.... who make the best buddies.

 

[atrawick]

New divers can find a ready-made pool of dive buddies in local dive clubs.
I'd recommend seeing what your local area has to offer in this respect.

For daylight shore dives in the 60 fsw depth range at a site I'm familiar with, I have no issues with picking up a stranger insta-buddy. It depends on my mood, what the other people in our dive party think, and how much time we have to do a formal pre-dive briefing. It can take a great deal of "prep work" to discuss safety procedures, dive style, operational issues, etc., with a stranger.

I will not dive with somebody on a night dive as a first dive. Too much could go wrong.
On multiple occasions, I have turned down a stranger's request to join our dive group. Initially, I felt bad about this...but I now realize that it's not such a big deal.
I will rarely pick up an insta-buddy on a paid boat dive. Chasing around a stranger underwater is not might idea of fun.
On several occasions for shore dives, I have agreed to pick up an insta-buddy...provided that the conditions are conducive to doing so.

Good luck with your search for dive buddies. Have fun out there!

So, Is it a rule of thumb that someone looking for dive buddy is a moron? I do understand they are out there and they ruin it for the responsible diver.

Thanks for all the replies.