People embarrassed to do pre dive buddy check?
- Thread starter Alurpal
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Dive buddy check/self-check is always always a good idea. Some experienced divers can do so very quickly and efficiently, you might not notice. I am not a big fan of buddy assignments on vacations. If I don't know enough about my buddy or my buddy refuses to do a buddy check, I will refuse to dive with him/her.
AdivingBel
Diver
Everybody has to do their own risk assessment. I’ll dive with just about anybody on a 30 ft. reef bimble. Dive the Vandy…might have to rent the dive sherpa. Like a lot of things with diving…in the real world it depends. Experience goes a long ways. That’s why there are “bumper stickers” for new divers…helps them become old divers.
Yes, times are changing. I am ‘old school’ I took SCUBA when the lure was exciting and divers like me ‘wanted’ to get involved in SCUBA related activities like archaeology, photography, teaching and introducing interested individuals to SCUBA, Safely w/patience , and if they’re curious enough, perhaps some double-hose’ vintage SCUBA. I used doubles after a photo-pro suggested for macro photography. I still have Nikonos V in working order. Everything now is ‘GoPro’ with split second speed. The double-hose stuff is still fun.
Now I am older and my original ‘dive confidants’ no longer dive and new, sometimes inexperienced divers are to be my ‘buddies’ on my travel trips. I always make an effort to do a ‘pre-dive’ check. I feel as if I need to be the considerate one and be able to help, guide, give air to those who may be ooa ( ..it happened to me on a working dive once’ ) so I set my personal gear and check it with consideration for not just me, but others I dive with. Turning 64 and enjoying my ‘bottom time’ …note the ‘double’ I use in OW?
Giantfroginthepool & reefs too…
Scott G. Bonser, PADI DM since ‘84 Harrellsville, NC
Attachments
Great reading your words,...
This, and many more studies: The effect of using a pre-dive checklist on the incidence of diving mishaps in recreational scuba diving: a cluster-randomized trial - PubMed
Checklists and other issues NOT taught by major training corporations due to liability / legal reasons. Try remember de facto pressure that optional training companies interests are not interests of safety and from perspective of individual divers. Training certification biggest scam in diving today. Selling training big business. Look at this site. Look at much discussion about which is best,...etc,.... look at pay part time instuctors get,....who got rich and who dosent,....no one cares about individual divers,....once instruction done, get certification card,...how can we put another dollar in????? Individual divers who don't spend trainging dollar, of no use to anyone.
So true today ChrisDee. Many times ‘You’re on your own’ H A N D 
(Have A Nice Day) attitude is what I see. Sales and Proprietary practices seem to outweigh the aspect of ‘Humans on SCUBA’ …we aren’t ‘fish’ SCUBA IS Life Support Equipment. Something every diver needs to keep in the back of their mind. From the beginning so many ‘safety’ developments have evolved to make it safer than ever…I wonder if that concept is taught in many places 
. When i introduce a prospective diver to SCUBA, I take the time to go step-by-step process of demo. ’hands-on’ ( mask and working regulator I mean ) ….get this, folks. On dry land or poolside. …observe for tension or potential to panic. Attempt to calm and make ‘frog candidate’ confident and getting their feedback before continuing onward. There is a reason they wanted to give SCUBA a try. Patience from a trainer is #1. SCUBA is NOT for everyone. I don’t ‘sugarcoat’ the hazards. They NEED to know, but no need to scare potential divers either. Go over what I call ‘SCUBA Tricks’ and why. Mask clearing. regulator clearing. Octo use and contact with recipient. Above water first. WOW what a concept as even as DM, I would assist my instructor with these exercises. It was appreciated by introee, student, and teacher. ( ? Buddy breathing ?) i AM giving away my age. Go down below the surface after doing these ‘tricks’ above water. Go through the routine. Trade the O K hand signal, surface for questions and feedback. Yes, listen to your candidates. If all is well…a few UW laps around the pool….on SCUBA. More discussion and feedback. Now i am beginning to see the ‘amphibian’ emerging. Does this happen in classes anymore, I haven’t assisted an instructor in years (…probably sounds like it for good or bad… I TRY to prioritize safety and comfort.., Safety the most..) All is well….anyone wanna try ‘Doubles’ a few variations and precautions and you can dive like Lloyd Bridges and Mike Nelson. Again be patient and give your candidate a chance to give it a go. Who knows. A SCUBA diver for LIFE. Then encourage them to take the class and get certified. Don’t Hide the Facts.
a gym partner took a resort course awhile back, if you wanna call it that. …got her in SCUBA gear, turned on the tank valve and tossed her off the boat. She isn’t a Laborador retriever learning to hunt ducks. She was very scared and disappointed. I told her that I was sorry she had a bad experience. I hope this isn’t how it’s done anymore. SCUBA deserves a better reputation.
giantfroginthepool
Scott G. Bonser
PADI DM since ‘84, Harrellsville, NC
(Have A Nice Day) attitude is what I see. Sales and Proprietary practices seem to outweigh the aspect of ‘Humans on SCUBA’ …we aren’t ‘fish’ SCUBA IS Life Support Equipment. Something every diver needs to keep in the back of their mind. From the beginning so many ‘safety’ developments have evolved to make it safer than ever…I wonder if that concept is taught in many places . When i introduce a prospective diver to SCUBA, I take the time to go step-by-step process of demo. ’hands-on’ ( mask and working regulator I mean ) ….get this, folks. On dry land or poolside. …observe for tension or potential to panic. Attempt to calm and make ‘frog candidate’ confident and getting their feedback before continuing onward. There is a reason they wanted to give SCUBA a try. Patience from a trainer is #1. SCUBA is NOT for everyone. I don’t ‘sugarcoat’ the hazards. They NEED to know, but no need to scare potential divers either. Go over what I call ‘SCUBA Tricks’ and why. Mask clearing. regulator clearing. Octo use and contact with recipient. Above water first. WOW what a concept as even as DM, I would assist my instructor with these exercises. It was appreciated by introee, student, and teacher. ( ? Buddy breathing ?) i AM giving away my age. Go down below the surface after doing these ‘tricks’ above water. Go through the routine. Trade the O K hand signal, surface for questions and feedback. Yes, listen to your candidates. If all is well…a few UW laps around the pool….on SCUBA. More discussion and feedback. Now i am beginning to see the ‘amphibian’ emerging. Does this happen in classes anymore, I haven’t assisted an instructor in years (…probably sounds like it for good or bad… I TRY to prioritize safety and comfort.., Safety the most..) All is well….anyone wanna try ‘Doubles’ a few variations and precautions and you can dive like Lloyd Bridges and Mike Nelson. Again be patient and give your candidate a chance to give it a go. Who knows. A SCUBA diver for LIFE. Then encourage them to take the class and get certified. Don’t Hide the Facts.a gym partner took a resort course awhile back, if you wanna call it that. …got her in SCUBA gear, turned on the tank valve and tossed her off the boat. She isn’t a Laborador retriever learning to hunt ducks. She was very scared and disappointed. I told her that I was sorry she had a bad experience. I hope this isn’t how it’s done anymore. SCUBA deserves a better reputation.
giantfroginthepool
Scott G. Bonser
PADI DM since ‘84, Harrellsville, NC
Actually, they do, however when I have spoken to certified divers, I find that there are quite a few that said it was ‘briefly touched on’ in class. I am surprised, I was actually ‘graded’ on doing this as part of my basic OW SCUBA cert. back in ‘77.) …interesting how things evolve. Me, I bring out my gear before others set up and mention, especially to my partner. This is what I am diving with. ..Pleare bear in mind, I am blind in my left eye. When gear is completely donned and I am awaiting exit into ‘the Blue’ for some touristy exploration, I will get my partners attention and show them ‘How to Find’ Octo reg. and other useful info., should they need it. I have never had anyone seem disinterested yet, but I have watched others ‘hop in’ looking me over like i am some sort of ‘Rookie Relic’ diving ‘DHRs’..not always,… but I wonder.
Turning 64 soon and not ‘Too cocky to be considerate’ …especially when it comes to safety.
giantfroginthepool
Scott G. Bonser, PADI DM since ‘84.
RGDiver
Registered
Been diving 30+ years and have had my share of instabuddies. For me part of my pre dive check is trying not to get myself hooked up with a bad buddy. If they are using rental gear and seem like they don't know what they are doing its a sure bet there are going to be problems. I have rarely ever seen equipment failures but have seen my share of failures with the divers themselves. I'll never forget years ago I was in Largo on the Spiegel and got hooked up with a German guy who barely spoke English. He was the classic example of an inexperienced diver who should not have been on a deep dive regardless of his cert level. We got down to the ship and after 10 minutes he was out of air and in a panic...had to end the dive and bring him back with my octo. Of course before the dive he was real cocky which is always a red flag. DM made him sit out the next dive and of course he had an attitude about it. There are just some people that its best to avoid...IF you can. We both checked out our equipment pre-dive but again that rarely is the problem. If I sense for obvious reasons the diver is inexperienced I will just check their equipment myself....I'll just politely say everything in good order?...while going over things myself. If done politely most don't care if you do it.
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