spouse/buddy rules?

[hopeitsapar]

Maybe you should just up your life insurance on him...

That has been the running joke for a while. Funny thing is he doesn't like the idea of me having a dive knife. eyebrow[/QUOTE]

Whoever is behind should not have the knife or beware of a sneak attack

 

[TheRedHead]

Don't ever let your spouse have a camera ....

 

[Quero]

In my hundreds of dives with my spouse, I find that buddy position depends a lot on circumstances. Side-by-side worked when one was accepted as clearly dominant, like with this couple:

<snip>
I am forcing my spouse to respect this rule and so far, she better enjoy her dive when doing side by side.

The dominant buddy points things out, asks for air readings, and is basically the guide and baby-sitter. When my spouse learned to dive, and maybe for the first hundred dives he did, we were side-by-side.

With more evenly-matched buddies in terms of accumulated experience (individual dive skills/comfort and as knowledge of the buddy), flanking or one-in-front (sometimes switching), seems to work out well. Buddy awareness increases, and we don't need to be glued together. The current procedure my spouse and I use for easy dives is most often like this couple's:

<snip>We have found it better to be far enough apart that it is easy to scan and find the other - about 10 or so - but close enough to react if help is needed.

But, if there's a significant current, or if viz is poor, we try to stick closer together, ususally single file for current (to stay close to the wall or bottom on the same path) and side-by-side for low viz (to reach out and touch).

Sometimes in low viz we will get out of sight of one another, though, by a few feet--usually a consequence of one or the other of us stopping to take a picture. I'm always aware of where my buddy was heading when I stop for that shot, and one strong fin kick brings us together again.

 

[TSandM]

It's hard to see somebody who is behind you, and if they're behind and a little ABOVE you, you can't see them at all without contorting yourself like a swimming nudibranch.

I really like to have my buddy where I can see them by moving my head, without having to move my body. That means pretty much abreast, although we don't have to be stuck together by any means. And if all parties involved have a bright, focused light, it makes keeping track of one another easier (at least in the kind of visibility we have here in the PNW).

But I know from experience how strong the urge in the "following" diver is to literally FOLLOW, because that's exactly what I did until I figured out how frustrating it is for the other diver.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

My wife(Buddy) stays off my left shoulder if possible. I follow my son(Buddy) to his left. gets confusing with 3, easier with 2 people.

 

[Codyjp]

my girlfriend and i got certified together. it was one of the best things we have ever done together i think. when we dive we normally swim side by side within an arms reach of one another so we can grab hold of the other to get their attention. personally though i like to head to a rock, kelp bed or something of that sort and just loiter around withing 15' of each other or so.

whatever you do don't bring any bickering underwater.
care must be taken that one diver doesn't try to assume the position of the 'better knowing smarter diver' unless they REALLY are!

now when it come to me teaching my girlfriend to fly... well, that is a whole different story!

 

[mudchick]

"whatever you do don't bring any bickering underwater."
That's why he doesn't want me to have a knife!

Really, that's the nice part--when we go diving, we go diving. The other life stuff is just that-another life, not the diving one.

There are just some cases in which you worry a bit more about another person than you do yourself.

Thanks for all your responses. I think the tank banger/sound signal option makes very good sense because he tends to be a bit slower so he'll slip behind me without my realizing it.

 

[Nut Bubblefish]

My wife and myself have agreed on a simple rule that leaves us quite free about where to stay underwater. Every 30 seconds (approx.), we quickly check where is the other. If we are comfortable (viz, current, air,...) with where we stand, we leave it like that. If we are not, we get closer to each other. If we think the other one is too far, we use the tank banger to call.
It works very well.

 

[down4fun]

It's hard to see somebody who is behind you, and if they're behind and a little ABOVE you, you can't see them at all without contorting yourself like a swimming nudibranch.

That is so true. My buddy loves to stay a little behind me and a couple feet above me. This has caused me to perfect a new buddy check move...the between the legs upside down buddy check. After a few tries I have gotten this move down pat and can now locate him with a single move.

 

[Codyjp]

the good news is that underwater they can't bicker at you then ahh peace...

That is so true. My buddy loves to stay a little behind me and a couple feet above me. This has caused me to perfect a new buddy check move...the between the legs upside down buddy check. After a few tries I have gotten this move down pat and can now locate him with a single move.

he probably doesn't mind seeing that...