What is the Minimum you want from a Buddy?

[Ardy]

As I have been diving for many years I have had the opportunity to observe many types of divers as buddy companions. For many years I was used as a buddy for new divers in Jervis Bay in Australia where I dived for 20 years.

I have a basic list that I want in a buddy:

1. Someone who will do a sensible gear check.

2. A diver who keeps me informed and will watch what I am indicating underwater.

3. A diver who respects the 'Stop, Think and Act' maxim if something goes wrong.

4. Someone who will be where you expect them to be and agreed to before the dive.

5. A diver who is capable of looking after themselves.


These are my 5 'great if you can do this' points. On top of this I like a certain humility and respect for the dangers involved in what we are doing. Overconfidence leaves me worried about a buddy, particularly when their underwater skills dont match the pre dive talk.

A diver who can see stuff underwater would be great but these are few and far between in my world.

It is funny but a lot of these requirements are not defined by experience, although it helps a hell of a lot. I dived with a young guy with only 5 OW dives from the outback in Australia and we had one of the great dives together. He was so relaxed and happy to be there. We laid on a rock under an overhang at 25m for about 15 mins and let the schools of fish swim right over us.

Buddies are critical animals and I am just wondering what your needs are in a buddy.

 

[RJP]

What is the Minimum you want from a Buddy?

Good communication at three points in time:

- Before the dive
- During the dive
- After the dive

 

[dkktsunami]

I am happy to dive with newer divers especially if I am able to help them and they choose to learn but the perfect buddy for me is the one you describe in #5 - a diver who is comfortable with, and capable of, taking care of him or her self.

 

[TSandM]

The minimum I want in a buddy is:

Willingness to discuss a dive plan, including a gas plan, before we get in the water.
Willingness to do a full equipment check before diving, including bubble checks.
Willingness to stay where I can see him (or her), maintain acceptable buddy spacing as discussed pre-dive, and to stay with me through the whole dive. (People who don't do this go on my "do not dive again" list, which is quite short.)
Willingness to maintain sufficient gas reserves to get both of us home.

That's the minimum. Also nice are:

Some situational awareness, including picking up my signals and responding to them.
Responsible gas monitoring.
Good buoyancy control.


If I'm going to do what I would consider any kind of challenging dive for ME, then:

Solid buoyancy and positioning, and sharp communication skills.
The known ability to execute an air-share and air-sharing ascent.
The known ability to remain calm and systematic in the face of minor problems.
A desire to pace the dive similarly to the way I would like to pace it, which is rather slow -- I guess this actually translates to similar dive goals, which for me are critter-spotting, and I love small, cryptic stuff.

When you have all those things, the dive is a dance, and a joy.

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

I believe the best buddy is no buddy but given the fact that more and more of my dives involve 1 or many "buddies" I would have to pretty much agree with most everything TSandM posted.

I always like to remember the fact that even if 2 or more people enter the water at the same location and at identical times that doesn't automatically constitute being buddies or having any sort of responsibility to one another.

 

[ArcticDiver]

You asked for the "Minimum" so that is what I'll adddress in two areas.

The first minimum is a good attitude towards us as a blended entity.
More often than not I've dived with very experienced, technically and rigidly trained divers whose superior attitude towards others made them poor dive companions. On the other hand I"ve dived with some very inexperienced people, latest was earlier this month, who had marginal skills but who were wonderful diving companions. The difference is attitude.

The second minimum is that the buddy will follow the agreed dive plan.
No, none, nada deviations from the dive plan without first coordinating with everyone in the buddy team.

All the rest is just adapting to the different skill sets we each bring to the water and applying that adaptation to a particular dive.

 

[Coldwater_Canuck]

At this point, I'm not demanding. Just reasonable common sense and reasonable communication (have some sort of dive-plan, keep an eye on each other underwater, etc.)

 

[IceIce]

So far, I'm lucky to have my regular buddy and group so that I've never had to really buddy with stranger.

But when diving with stranger, I tend to give benefit of the doubt. Don't know if people are agree with me, if have to choose between these two, I prefer those who are worried/anxious than those who are over-confident.

For the first group, once we can talk them out of their anxiety or ensure them that we are helping when they need to, they tend to be safe and responsible diver.

Second group, they outtalk everyone, brag, has most expensive (usually unnecessary, too much and oversized) gear, 'helpful' with unnecessary action and 'advices' and end up needing your help or screwing the dive, but always blame situation or other divers, even those who help them.

So I will avoid braggers like a plague, others, I suppose I don't mind trying to dive with them.

 

[diver 85]

none really---I prepare & think of every dive as a possible solo one....Then I won't be disappointed...

 

[Wetsuit 4 life]

A dive buddy that owns most if not all of his own gear and has some respect for the marine life