DEEP SEA
Contributor
You guys make me feel bad. The way I check my buddy is to see how many lobsters he has!
Buddy Check
- Thread starter turnerjd
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OP
No, the instructor pulled her over at the end of the day, and was very good about it, it was done away from the student. She just took the attitude that it was his neck on the line, and she could always vote with her feet by not DMing for him any more. Unfortunately, I took the brunt of it during a 1 1/2 hour phone conversation that evening.
Such is life,
Jon T
Can't emphasize how important a full & complete BWRAF (Big White Rabbits Are Fuzzy)is REGARDLESS of certification level.
When you consider that about 98% of problems are preventable and that they could have been caught with a BWRAF... ????
Yes, diving is fun. And safe. But only as safe as we make it!
~SubMariner~
When you consider that about 98% of problems are preventable and that they could have been caught with a BWRAF... ????
Yes, diving is fun. And safe. But only as safe as we make it!
~SubMariner~
dmentia
Guest
I can finally weigh in on something with a useful example! During my OW cert class, my buddy and I were doing the check thing, but were never really given the chance to learn it and practice it. So we tried to do the head to toe check without really remembering what we were checking at each stage. The end result: We both missed that she did not have her weight belt on! Of course, she couldn't submerge and had to go back to shore to get it.
I can't think of a better example of where BWRAF would come in handy, rather than just trying to remember what to look for top to bottom!
dmentia
I can't think of a better example of where BWRAF would come in handy, rather than just trying to remember what to look for top to bottom!
dmentia
Warhammer
Guest
When I was doing my OW checkout dives, my instructor came around and actually observed each one of us doing the BWRAF, then he commented on our thoroughness or lack of it. Sounds good, right? Well the funny thing was that after we submerged and had done our required skills for that dive, he found an octopus under the stern of the wreck we were diving on and had his head under the stern monkeying with the octopus. At that point one of the students noticed that his weight pockets were unzipped and missing the weights!! It was easy to see since he was wearing a Zeagle Ranger. After we got back on the boat, he caught hell over it, from students as well as the boat crew.
lenscraft
Registered
My instructor (the most excellent Mike Bannon at Maui Dive Shop) taught us the mnemonic device "Boys With Revenues Are Fun". He also teaches the more comprehensive version of the safety check. In my opinion, the extra 30 seconds of check in the comprehensive version are worth the time.
highlandfarmwv
Contributor
Somehow, even with a buddy, I have managed to jump in:
1. without weights in pockets (integrated)
2. without hooking up my air hose to BC (very quick descent)
3. without fins (in 5' waves)
I need two buddies!!!
1. without weights in pockets (integrated)
2. without hooking up my air hose to BC (very quick descent)
3. without fins (in 5' waves)
I need two buddies!!!
One thing Rescue class taught me was the importance of taking enough of a look at your buddy's equipment so that you are SURE you know how it works. Inflators come in strange shapes and it's not always obvious which button does what (I can say that from real experience with trying to help someone underwater). Releases differ in placement and type, and weight systems vary wildly. The time to find out that you don't know how your buddy's stuff is put together is NOT when you are under stress and trying to manage a problem.
So I think the DM in the original post was doing and teaching the right things, and I applaud somebody making students think beyond the absolute bare minimum to fulfill the requirements.
BTW, even though I dive with people who have standardized equipment, so we don't have to go through all those explanations, we do a very detailed head-to-toe equipment check, watching one another carefully, before each dive. It's one of those things that doesn't take much time, but all too frequently turns up something that would at best have been a nuisance to correct later.
So I think the DM in the original post was doing and teaching the right things, and I applaud somebody making students think beyond the absolute bare minimum to fulfill the requirements.
BTW, even though I dive with people who have standardized equipment, so we don't have to go through all those explanations, we do a very detailed head-to-toe equipment check, watching one another carefully, before each dive. It's one of those things that doesn't take much time, but all too frequently turns up something that would at best have been a nuisance to correct later.
Nailer99
Contributor
Wow- way to exhume an old thread!
One note- I haven't done a buddy check with anyone since I finished my OW 6 months ago. Almost 70 dives since then, and not one person, including several DM's an instructor, and an assistant instructor, that I've dived with, does the BWRAF check. We all do our own. I've seen people catch little stuff, ie, "your weight pouch is unzipped", but no systematic review of anyone's gear. I do my own very thorough check. I'm very paranoid about jumping in the water w/out all my gear in order, especially the "inflator not hooked up on a boat dive" one. That would suck.
One note- I haven't done a buddy check with anyone since I finished my OW 6 months ago. Almost 70 dives since then, and not one person, including several DM's an instructor, and an assistant instructor, that I've dived with, does the BWRAF check. We all do our own. I've seen people catch little stuff, ie, "your weight pouch is unzipped", but no systematic review of anyone's gear. I do my own very thorough check. I'm very paranoid about jumping in the water w/out all my gear in order, especially the "inflator not hooked up on a boat dive" one. That would suck.
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