80 replies to this topic

[sea nmf]

Since we are all "single" divers and most have been "assigned" a buddy at least once, what were your experiences like?

I find that when I dive with someone who does not share my "dive philosophy", it takes away from the dive. What I mean by my philosophy is that I like to take it slow, I like to look at critters, I like to be attentive and have an attentive buddy.

I think it must be the luck of the draw. However, once I moved here (Oahu), I joined a club and was not really compatible with my assigned buddies. But I hooked up with three people from the Scuba Board who I am quite pleased with!

Anyway, I believe you can be a great person but an incompatible dive buddy, so no disrespect indended. If I buddy with a speed racer, I'm sure they are as annoyed with me as I am with them.

[Walter]

That's why communication prior to the dive is important. If you discover you aren't suited, it's time to make that known and get a new buddy.

Walter

[Dejah]

I have to admit I've not been in that situation before as I'm still very new to the sport and with that I find myself more comfortable diving with an instructor or someone who's been diving a long time, then again it's also the matter of who wants to dive with someone who's so very new... However, at the same time when we were in Cozumel back in January everyone was so nice nobody really seemed to mind that I was real new... :anna:

I do also fully agree with Walter on the fact that you should always discuss everything with who you buddy with before the dive to make sure you both have the same goals and things in common, if not you both need to find someone else.

Dejah

[zendiver]

I agree and it is one of the first things you learn: You do a BUDDY CHECK! However, Dejah, I will dive with you anytime: NEW or NOT.

-ZD

[WreckWench]

Finding a compatible dive buddy is very important and issues such as whether they want to park in front of a blennie hole just waiting for the little guy to peek his head out so they can get the perfect shot or if they prefer to swim the entire lenght of a wreck and back....is far more important to me then how long they have been diving.

In fact...when divers go on our trips...we usually have photographers and people who like to be spotters for photographers pair up as well as the "sightseers that like to do lots of swimming" pair up etc.

One of the reasons we created the "Surface Interval" was for divers to get to know one another better for that very reason that you mentioned in your original post.

I hope you meet LOTS of compatible dive buddies on this site!!!

-Wreck Wench

[Walter]

There are times I don't want to dive with new divers. Those times are when my plan includes elements for which they are not prepared, such as depth or wreck penetration.

For the most part, I love diving with new folks. I'll explain why.

I've seen thousands of moray eels. I've pulled them out of their holes, I've petted them, I've hugged them. This may come as a shock to you new divers, but morays don't excite me any more than the neighbor's cat.

Take your typical new diver and let him get a look at a moray and he goes nuts. When this happens, I see the moray through my buddy's eyes. I get excited about something that had become commonplace for me. New divers are fun! Keep 'em coming!

Walter

[wrinkles]

I always seem to go to a dive without a buddy but I end up pairing up with someone and by the end of the dive I become very good friends with them. I have only been with one "bad" buddy before. Even with the bad buddy I learned something from the dive so it wasn't a waste of a dive.

Walter, I have been told the excitement I get from even a sea urchin makes the dive worth it from those "old salts"

Ana

[Walter]

Well Ana, I'm looking forward to buddying with you.

[VaScubaGirl]

Getting an assigned buddy...ugh! My experiences have been split. I have been buddied with the diving Nazi, the super nervous, and the speed diver. But a lot of my assigned buddies have been really nice people. I look at it like Ana and try to learn something from each experience. Hey as long as I'm under water, life is good

[WreckWench]

Being paired up or assigned a dive buddy is always as nervous experience. Rarely do you find someone who is perfectly compatible UNLESS you had some say in the decision. The best way to get a good dive buddy...is to be a good dive buddy. Train yourself and work to be a good dive buddy...even if you don't have lots of dives....practice your basics and talk to your buddy about any fears or concerns that you might have. I personally am not a speed demon in the water and I don't dive well with them.

I've told dive buddies that I don't like to go fast and if they swim fast that they will not only lose me but I will turn around and go back to the anchor or I will NOT try to keep up with them. If I get left I then hook up with someone else who is diving more of my profile. When my dive buddy wonders what happened I explain what they did. If they seem geniune enough I'll give them another chance...if not...I'll find a new buddy.

[Laura]

Sea Nymph,

I have had great experiences and I've had bad experiences. If I am assigned a buddy, I will start a conversation with them and ask them about their experience level, training,etc. I do it in a very laid back, non-confrontational way, while I am doing a gear check. If I am not comfortable with my buddies ability, I will ask if a divemaster can go with us, or else ask to tag along with others.

I believe that having a buddy is a good thing, yet I also think of buddies in terms of "two divers solo diving together". In other words, I keep my skills, gear and mental attitide ready to save my own A** at all times !! One of my goals is to get a Solo diver certification. It's a demaning course but it really prepares you well.

It's good to have a buddy as a back up, but you should still try to be as self reliant as possble.

Hope this helps, safe diving to you
Laura

[Walter]

Laura,

I like your attitude of self reliance. I'm philosophically opposed to the concept of a solo certification. I'm not sure it's something that can be taught in a class.

Walter

[Coo's Toe]

I'm not opposed to diving with newbies. In fact, I try to involve myself with new divers every so often for the reasons Walter stated ( though I still get excited over things I've seen a thousand times, and I doubt that'll ever change ). I love seeing the genuine "first time" excitement new divers have. Some of the newbies I've escorted turned out to be natural born divers and have been added to my short list of who to call when I'm heading out diving.

For the most part, diving with strangers has been an enjoyable experiance. I usually try to head out on a boat trip with a buddy. I'd rather learn that someone is unsafe or has a vastly different diving style from mine ( I like to dive slow and check out all the little stuff ) while we're doing a shore dive that didn't cost an arm and a leg. I have buddied with strangers on boats before, and can usually tell a lot by talking to them before the dive. If a person's likely to kill themselves or endanger me during the dive I can usually tell just by watching them assemble their gear, and I can politely request not to be their buddy.

I've been on boats in California that will allow you to dive solo, and there have been a few times that I opted to dive alone and not worry about problem buddies, and had a fantastic dive. But I think on those occaisions I missed out on the chance to add a new friend to my life. I guess I'll never know. I usually left the boat every bit as much a stranger to everyone on board as when I showed up at the dock, even though I really enjoyed the diving.

Don't be afraid of diving with strangers. For the most part, I think you'll find the experiance will be positive as long as you discuss the dive before you're in the water, which is something you should really be doing even if you and your buddy have done a hundred dives together.

[chinacat46]

I almost always go on trips by myself and hence get assigned a buddy. Normally the divemaster tries to pair people up with similar experience but not always. On one liveaboard in Australia there where two boys and PADI requires an adult to dive with kids under 16. I dove with a 15 year old and he was one of the best buddies I've ever had. On the otherhand I got stuck with a wacko out in the Coral Sea and we were down around 130 feet and he took off after a turtle. I just let him go as I'm not gonna endanger myself. He went down another 20 feet or so. When he came back up he showed me his gauge and he was just about out of air. We had to immediately ascend. Luckily they had a reg hanging over at the safety stop so he could do a stop. After that dive I complained to the DM and got a new buddy for the rest of the trip. So if you do get stuck with somebody with no brains don't dive with them. Now I usually find other single divers and talk with them about their experience, how they like to dive, etc... Then if I feel comfortable I'll ask if they want to buddy up. This cuts out just being assigned somebody.

- Chuck

[Lubold8431]

I have been very lucky in this regard. I usually travel with friends, or am diving with students, so I always have a buddy that I know or have trained. There was one trip that for one dive, I did have a buddy that I didnt know, and just met on the boat. It was the best dive ever. First of all, she was a SHE (as in FEMALE)!!! Secondly, she was from the Netherlands. Meaning, blonde, tall, leggy, and beautiful... I was in a daze. She was a DM, and I was an Instructor at the time. We introduced ourselves, and started to make a plan for the dive, followed by inspection of each others gear, and went over OOA and weight systems. Everyone on the boat was surprised that we went to the extent that we did getting to know eachothers equipment, and actually TALKING to our new buddy abiut emergency procedures. She was also a UW photographer, which I do NOT like being buddied with. However, I do have to say that she was very considerate of me NOT being a photographer, and the dive was very enjoyable...
Did I mention that she was blonde??? That was a nice dive...