Question for "Single" Diver

[nomoreno]

Hi,

I would like to ask advice from "single" divers, i.e., none of your friends or relatives are divers. How do you join diving trips? I know you can always go with local dive shops, but most of time their trip planning does not work well with my schedule. So, how do you find friends/buddy for dive trips?

Thank you for your advice.

A "single" diver

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

The reason I joined Scubaboard was because I was having trouble finding buddies. Now, I just look for dives that fit my schedule and meet new buddies! I don't know where you live, but here, there are a lot of divers, so that helps.

 

[Doc]

would like to ask advice from "single" divers, i.e., none of your friends or relatives are divers. How do you join diving trips? I know you can always go with local dive shops, but most of time their trip planning does not work well with my schedule. So, how do you find friends/buddy for dive trips?

The search for a reliable and safe dive buddy to travel with is of good concern, but you're better off developing a cadre of divers that have similar styles and capabilities so that you can pick one and go.

Until I found "Herself" :07: , I would often go alone. The tour ops, dive resorts and live aboards never had a problem. Met more than one friendly "SCUBAette" while traveling, rejoined them on other dive trips elsewhere. Hey- there's just something primal about a cute diver in a rubber suit with nose slime hanging down. It cuts to the chase.

That said, why not just strike out on your own, travel as a solo? Your care and safety is absolutely your own, anway, so don't expect any buddy to be of much value... most aren't in an emergancy situation.

Go, have fun. Some rsorts may offer or threaten you with a 'single supplement', after hearing the price, you might want to accept a shared accomodation or just skip the provider.

I went on a dive trip as a single and when I arived at the Quito Hilton they asked me where my room mate was, when would 'she' be here? :06: Hmmm. She didn't like it much when she arrived at 11 pm, but how ya going to argue with the desk clerk in a South American hotel over the arrangements? We slept in the same room, but throughout the week she proved to be more of a mediocre traveller than any sort of diver.

You'll meet some cool people. On the Nekton I met a lady that was the prison shrink for Charlie Manson and others. We spent hours apres-dive in the hot tub yacking.

Go, be adventurous, have fun.

 

[curiousgeorgie]

Go alone. Try a liveaboard. I did one last year and made two great buddies, unfortunately male though. Now I'm going to Cocos Island on a liveaboard with one of them later this month and I'm going to Galapagos on another liveaboard with the other friend in September.

 

[SueMermaid]

I agree, go alone. Just book a trip on your own. It's not as scary as it sounds! I did that for years. The people are always like-minded and it always turns out well. Seriously. If I had not done that, I would never have gone diving at all.

 

[Walter]

Most of my friends are divers. I met many of them here and on similar boards. Meeting and diving with lots of other divers helps to eliminate the problem of finding a buddy with whom to travel and dive. Actively seek other divers, especially other single divers (we are dealing with the same issues), and you'll soon have lots of opportunities to dive.

 

[ScubaDadMiami]

The best way to do this is to first start diving with groups where you can get to know everyone's dive styles and where you can become a good team. Keep moving around until you find this kind of team even if it means moving from group to group.

The good thing is that you will be diving anyway, so looking for good dive buddies to add to the group along the way won't be the worst chore you have ever done. Once you have a good group, plan a trip.

To me, the scariest thing is when I am on a dive boat with a group of unknowns. I've done it, but I prefer to avoid this where possible.

 

[Atticus]

Another approach is to take a class or two at the local dive shop and exchange phone numbers and email addresses with everyone (including the staff) in the class. When you want to go diving call everyone up and see who's up for the trip.

As a dive master I would always give my contact info to every student and ask them to call me if they needed a buddy. If I couldn't go with them myself then I'd put them in touch with another former student.

If you're ever in the Tahoe/Reno area drop me a line and we can go dive!

 

[domino22]

Go solo! You always meet new folks, I have met people on my solo trips and we have hooked up for other trips together. I like to travel solo and dive solo amongst a group. A Buddy is more fun topside than down below.