People embarrassed to do pre dive buddy check?

[blueskies_up_ahead]

I just watched part of a presentation by DAN on dive accidents and fatalities. Some of the responses in this thread fit right in there...

I hate any type of valet service. I'll happily set up my own gear, thanks. How much attention to detail will someone bring who has just checked a boat full of dive gear and does that day in day out and nothing ever goes wrong....until it does.

A buddy check doesn't mean someone is touching your equipment, and it doesn't need to be long. Check for yourself while watching each other. As someone else said, it's really the essentials: air, BCD inflation, weights. And communicate the dive plan and basic hand signals. This would avoid for example the confusion about 5m NDL from the initial post. This takes a few minutes and could potentially save a life. Zero valid reason not to do it. The thing is everyone feels like the safest diver and nothing ever went wrong. Those on that DAN list of fatalities probably thought the same, though...

 

[boulderjohn]

How much attention to detail will someone bring who has just checked a boat full of dive gear and does that day in day out and nothing ever goes wrong....until it does.

Are you suggesting that people don't check their gear before diving if the gear was set up by a DM?

 

[AdivingBel]

If you don’t want to participate in valet diving, just let the crew know and offer to go last so you don’t impede the other divers that don’t share your concerns. Then take all the time you want. Personally, I’ve never felt rushed diving with Reef Divers (LCBR, CBBR, et. al). All IMHO, YMMV.

 

[boulderjohn]

I just came back from two weeks in Fiji at two different resorts. Every day, I got on a boat and went to where my gear was already set up and ready to go. I then looked carefully at the gear to make sure it was in proper working order, which didn't take long. It isn't exactly like preparing a rocket flight to the international space station. When the first dive was over, I chatted with friends while our gear was switched over for us. Once again, we checked our gear to make sure everything was good to go, and, once again, it didn't take long.

After our last day of diving at the first resort, we ate lunch (etc.) while one of the employees gave our gear one of the most thorough cleanings it has ever had, after which it was hung out to dry. The second place did not do as good a job cleaning, but I was planning a thorough cleaning once I was back in the states anyway.

The people who handled that gear have set things up untold thousands of times before, and it's a pretty darn simple process, one that is supposed to be thoroughly taught to beginning OW students.

Call me foolhardy if you will, but I was spending a lot of money to dive at those places, and I didn't mind having an extremely experienced professional earn some of the money I was paying by doing a really very simple task.

BTW, every diver at both resorts was extremely experienced, and none of them did the setups themselves.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

I'm getting better and better at not forgetting to turn on my oxygen (I always check before getting off the boat) .

Add to the list - check that you have your flippers on the right feet. If you have them on wrong, it's hard to control direction.

 

[dlao]

Just saying, the only purpose of buddy check is to have a second opinion confirming you are ready to dive. It is not about who assembles the gear, who opens the valve, etc.

I'm not a dive professional but was leading quite a few shore dives, and I cannot remember how many times someone comes to me in the water, complaining about leaking bcd, and ended up finding the release valve is entangled and stuck open. This kind of problem has nothing to do with who assembles your gear, yet can easily be spotted by a buddy check.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Add to the list - check that you have your flippers on the right feet. If you have them on wrong, it's hard to control direction.

Not only that. Be sure you have a right and a left fin.

Otherwise you go in circles. Happened to me once and there was nothing I could do about it. Please no one tell me it was a skills problem.

 

[OkByMe]

I don't dive with friends so I never do buddy checks, not saying that's a valid excuse but that's how it goes for me. I'm always joining a group where I don't know anyone. I'm getting better and better at not forgetting to turn on my oxygen (I always check before getting off the boat) . FYI, yeah I know its air but I just wanted to trigger someone.

The first clue that you need a buddy check is that you state turning on the Oxygen... inexperience and reluctance to seek advice leads to problems. When I first started diving, everyone had everyone's back and it was common to interact with other divers to insure equipment and dive planning was good to go. Somehow that has morphed into you do your thing and I'll do mine... as if making sure a common understanding is somehow an insult to individuality. I want to dive and fish.. not help recover bodies.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

The first clue that you need a buddy check is that you state turning on the Oxygen.

What if he is diving a rebreather?

 

[OkByMe]

What if he is diving a rebreather?

Good point.