Buddy Check

[Dr Neil]

Over time I have found that my personal check is extended over time prior to the dive. When I dive with my son, the same holds true, our buddy check starts when we begin to assemble our gear.

When diving with an unfamiliar buddy I do a final equipment check before we get into the water. This is especially true with the "F" part of BWRAF. I want to be sure we are diving the same plan, can communicate with each other, who will lead, what to do if separated, etc.

As far as receiving dirty looks .... live with it.

 

[WVMike]

Glad to see you are following your training. Keep doing it and ignore the naysayers.

 

[Teamcasa]

Many new divers soon fall into complacency somewhere around 30-90 dives and end up considering a quick glance a valid buddy check. This all stops directly following a dive emergency. It may be as simple as jumping in with your air turned off to forgetting your mask or losing a weight belt/pocket at depth up to running out of gas 10 minutes into the dive due to a leak no one bothered to mention.

Competent and experienced divers do a real buddy check and could care less what other divers think or sneer at.

 

[on_two_wheels]

I tend to do buddy checks. Sometimes I do them without my buddy knowing. I'll check his air is on while standing behind him ready to enter. I'll visual identify his weight releases and buckles if not actually put my hands on them. Equally important (to me) is another buddy check during the descent. This recently paid off as I noticed a stream of bubbles coming from my buddy....too small to be an exhale. Sure enough, he had a leaking hose!

 

[Splash-X]

I think the major problem in diving is that some people's ego gets in the way of saftey and enjoyment. Anyone who looks down upon you or sneers at you over going over the standard check list with your buddy is just plain ignorant. Even if you have dove with the buddy it is an excellent excersise to go through.

If you read over the accidents and injuries forum I'll bet you'll find that alot of the accidents could have been avoided by the standard buddy check lists which also includes discussing things like "WHERE", "HOW DEEP", "HOW LONG" and "WHAT IF".

The short time you may spend with your buddy above the surface before your dive may save his or your life. Never feel pressured in to skipping the important steps to insure your saftey.

Each buddy check gives your practice and repitition. The more you repeate the steps and go over what to do in the case of an emergency the more likely you are to react that way if something does happen.

I applaud you for sticking with your Buddy Check and I also ask you to give props to your instructor for teaching you how important it is. Don't fall in to the peer pressure and skip the checks which puts you and your buddy at risk!

 

[Pre BC]

I am relatively conservative, have been diving over 30 years and -- like others who have posted on this thread -- always do a buddy check. It does not matter whether I am diving with an instabuddy or one of my regular diving crew. I also do a bubble check on every dive. I do this partially out of courtesy, partially out of self defense and partially because -- even though I have been diving for decades -- I am not perfect.

Whether they do a buddy check or not, every person who says that "you need to take full responsibility for your safety/gear" is absolutely right.... You should take care of your gear, assemble it and put it on as if you are diving by yourself every single time... And, if you do, it will be a rare occassion that your buddy finds anything wrong.

However, everyone who answers that they do a buddy check to ensure both the safety of their buddy and that their buddy does not put them in undue danger is correct too. While diving is incredibly safe, it is not uncommon to read or hear about a diver seriously injured/killed either because they were trying to rescue another diver or because a diver with a gear failure (or out of air) panicked and overwhelmed their buddy. A preventable gear failure corrected in the buddy check is potentially two lives saved... Not just one. More than once I have refused to be paired with an instabuddy because the buddy check revealed their gear was held together with duct tape and bubble gum... It is just not worth the risk. On a much less onerous note, if my buddy has to shorten their dive because of a problem that could have been caught/fixed on the boat, my dive gets shortened too... I am selfish... I want every minute in the water possible!

The two other benefits of the buddy check that come to mind are:

1. Making sure you and your buddy know where each other's BC fasteners and weight releases are (essential for rescue).

2. It provides a quiet transition from the comradery and irreverance of the boat ride to getting down to business for the dive. The buddy check for me is the time where we settle down, break the larger group into pairs and acknowledge it is time to get serious.

Throughout your years of diving you will encounter a wide range of abilities, philosophies and personalities in your diving... When it comes to your personal safety and enjoyment, the most important things are: 1) Surround yourself with divers of like mind, 2) Take responsibility for your own safety, 3) Do what you believe is right and don't worry about what anyone else does or says... Unless, of course, you both respect them and after careful consideration believe they are right.

P

 

[esskar]

hi.

thanks for the good answers. they encourage to stick to the plan.
Looking forward to my next buddy check - tomorrow.

cheers.