The Buddy System
Qualities of a Good Dive Buddy
Choose your buddy carefully. A good buddy can become a lifelong friend and enhance your diving experience. The wrong buddy can make a dive miserable and increase your risks.
A good buddy respects the other's diving abilities. For example, an experienced diver should never pressure a less experienced diver to dive beyond his or her abilities. Doing so puts both divers at risk, so dives should be planned for the abilities of the less experienced diver.
Buddies must also agree on the dive plan and stick to this plan throughout the dive. Communication is difficult underwater, so deviating from a plan could create confusion.
Finally, buddies must be willing to remain close to each other both on the surface and during the dive. Buddies who stray from each other are in no position to offer assistance in the event it's needed.
A good buddy respects the other's diving abilities. For example, an experienced diver should never pressure a less experienced diver to dive beyond his or her abilities. Doing so puts both divers at risk, so dives should be planned for the abilities of the less experienced diver.
Buddies must also agree on the dive plan and stick to this plan throughout the dive. Communication is difficult underwater, so deviating from a plan could create confusion.
Finally, buddies must be willing to remain close to each other both on the surface and during the dive. Buddies who stray from each other are in no position to offer assistance in the event it's needed.
