Choosing Dive Buddies

[Rhino]

Communication in a new buddy team is usually the biggest issue. You don't find adding all the switching around signals confused people, esp in cases where you haven't discussed it ahead of time

I'd wonder why the hell you kept flip flopping us around when I'm trying to enjoy a dive if you didn't tell me ahead of time.

Never been an issue in practice, either when a buddy has motioned for me to go ahead of him or when I have motioned for a buddy to go ahead of me. Frankly, if you and I were diving together and I motioned for you to go ahead of me, I doubt that you would be confused or have any issue.


Just recently, a back-mount buddy and I made our way to a progressively smaller area of cave. Myself diving side-mount, *and without discussing it beforehand*, I decided it was time to let the back-mount guy go in front to decide when the cave was small enough for him to turn the dive. After a momentary hesitation, he got it.


In practice, even with newbie buddies, when I have motioned for them to go ahead - no muss, no fuss. YMMV.

[Aotus]

Great discussion topic. I'm still uneasy about new buddies, but less so now than before because I have confidence in my own skills. At the intro level, it was particularly unnerving because it's not always easy to find someone who wants to dive several short dives in a day when they're accustomed to one or two long ones, so you take what you can get (and you don't know any better anyway). I was very fortunate to have found many very helpful divers who were generous with their time. At full cave it's easier to find buddies, and it's also easier to spot red flags (because one's own skills and knowledge is greater). I ask about safety drills, communication, stress the dive plan and the importance of sticking to it by reiterating all the details of the plan several times, and my first dive with a new person is short and simple. That first short and easy dive is a chance to learn how they dive, but also to find anything that you don't expect or ask about, like if the buddy swims too close or if some part of their gear doesn't function how you are used to and this effects the dive. It's nice to have some kind of a reference from a friend and know about their training, but slow and steady seems to work ok even without that extra info.

[Kelly Jessop]

easier to spot red flags (because one's own skills and knowledge is greater).

Tough one to judge. I have met people who seem to have a tremendous knowledge, and my conclusion would be they have a lot of experience. I find out they have a lot of experience in the virtual/cyber world because they have read every forum, and watched every GoPro video ever posted on YouTube. Nothing ever beats in water assessment,but that is one thing you can never gain with cyberdiving.

[rddvet]

Tough one to judge. I have met people who seem to have a tremendous knowledge, and my conclusion would be they have a lot of experience. I find out they have a lot of experience in the virtual/cyber world because they have read every forum, and watched every GoPro video ever posted on YouTube. Nothing ever beats in water assessment,but that is one thing you can never gain with cyberdiving.

Also there are people that may be absolutely beautiful in the water, but don't have the mentality to be my buddy. I'm amazed all the time to find people that I hear "look awesome in the water", but then later you find out they regularly push or break thirds "just a little" to get somewhere a little further, or they do visual jumps regularly because "so many people do them". I'm ultra particular and don't dive with a ton of people, not because of their skills but because they lack a conservative mentality. That's not something you can prejudge because how many people openly tell you about their visual jumps.

[OFG-1]

I always look at their gear. If they have nice stuff, like Apeks regs, nice new light, good computer, you know, anything I can use if the moron drowns himself, then its a go.

[rddvet]

Holy Crap! I was just forwarded a video of a guy flutter kicking and pulling and gliding through clay in Cow from about a week ago.

So one rule to choosing buddies should be if you're buddy sucks, shut off the damn camera and thumb the dive.

[FW]

...So one rule to choosing buddies should be if you're buddy sucks, shut off the damn camera and thumb the dive.

[rddvet]

If you saw the video you'd say a crying icon fits better

[diveconjeff]

Looking for dive buddy. Any level very OK. Must have Apeks regs, nice new light, good computer,....


Jeff
[email protected]

[MichaelAngelo]

If you saw the video you'd say a crying icon fits better

Can you PM me the link?