Over the last few years, I have both petitioned to dive with people, and been the recipient of requests to dive with us. In the beginning, I was rather laissez-faire about it, but experience has changed me.

I recently wrote a long message to someone, both giving my husband's and my bona fides, and requesting theirs, and as I wrote it, I could envision the person on the other end being offended and annoyed at being asked for this information. I wanted to know with whom they trained, how much experience they had, and where they had dived. I don't think I'd be angry with someone for asking for those things, but I could see someone else being that way.

When someone contacts you from out of the blue, what do you ask for, to be comfortable going into the overhead with them?