flots am
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- I just don't log dives
I haven't had a instabuddy yet, so this is just what I'd do given my lack of experience (I might be one dive away from qualifying as a master scuba diver, but master, I am certainly not).
FWIW, you always need to be ready to discover that your buddy is completely useless (or is missing) and you need to be able to save your own life in an emergency.
This simply entails getting safely to the surface and staying there. Everything you need to do this was in your Open Water class.
I know hundreds of divers ranging from "just-certified" to "built their own stuff with a machine shop and plans from a 1963 Popular Mechanics." and will dive with nearly any of them, but the number that I would trust to truly save my life if I did something stupid or had a medical problem is probably less than a dozen.
Be capable of planning, safely executing and ending your own dives, and you'll have a long and enjoyable hobby.