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More than this, but at a minimum - buddy diving includes the following...
Entering the water together.
Buddy surface check before descent.*
Stopping together if one has challenges equalizing, not "see you on the bottom."*
Descending together.
Diving the dive plan together, not separating because one doesn't want to do a swim thru or something.
Ascending together, not sending the first one out of air up alone - or away for any other reason.
Safety stop together until both are ready to leave the SS, and I like to stay at 15 ft until both computers are in the GREEN.
Surfacing together & buddy check, and I like a one minute surface stop before any swimming.
Approaching the ladder together.
Exiting together.
No exceptions...!!
* For some strong current dives, initial surface checks and 15 foot descent stops may have to be very quick, and some divers cannot do those dives I know. My home bud always has problems clearing the first few days of a trip and he can't do a fast descent until the fourth day as a rule. He used to be bad about leaving our practice hole alone when I might be talking and not watching, but we have an agreement that prevents that now - based on the above.
I'm an air hog and I have had boat pick buddies send me up alone because they had air left; fine - but I wouldn't dive with them again. If I can't depend on good buddy protocols, I don't want to be responsible for them either - rather Same-Ocean dive with my pony bottle, TY. I have also been tempted to send boat pick buddies up alone because they needed or wanted to ascend before I did, but I never have.
Disagree with any of this is you want to, but if you do - I suggest that you are not Buddy Diving. And we have even seen court cases over buddy failures.
Any questions on any of my list? Buddy diving also includes pre-dive preparations and checks as well as post-dive well-checks, but I wanted to focus on the dive itself in this first post at least. All too often in A&I fatality discussions, the buddy was not there for the problem.
Entering the water together.
Buddy surface check before descent.*
Stopping together if one has challenges equalizing, not "see you on the bottom."*
Descending together.
Diving the dive plan together, not separating because one doesn't want to do a swim thru or something.
Ascending together, not sending the first one out of air up alone - or away for any other reason.
Safety stop together until both are ready to leave the SS, and I like to stay at 15 ft until both computers are in the GREEN.
Surfacing together & buddy check, and I like a one minute surface stop before any swimming.
Approaching the ladder together.
Exiting together.
No exceptions...!!
* For some strong current dives, initial surface checks and 15 foot descent stops may have to be very quick, and some divers cannot do those dives I know. My home bud always has problems clearing the first few days of a trip and he can't do a fast descent until the fourth day as a rule. He used to be bad about leaving our practice hole alone when I might be talking and not watching, but we have an agreement that prevents that now - based on the above.
I'm an air hog and I have had boat pick buddies send me up alone because they had air left; fine - but I wouldn't dive with them again. If I can't depend on good buddy protocols, I don't want to be responsible for them either - rather Same-Ocean dive with my pony bottle, TY. I have also been tempted to send boat pick buddies up alone because they needed or wanted to ascend before I did, but I never have.
Disagree with any of this is you want to, but if you do - I suggest that you are not Buddy Diving. And we have even seen court cases over buddy failures.
Any questions on any of my list? Buddy diving also includes pre-dive preparations and checks as well as post-dive well-checks, but I wanted to focus on the dive itself in this first post at least. All too often in A&I fatality discussions, the buddy was not there for the problem.