Collapse of the "Buddy System"

[Soggy_Diver]

I have found that most insta-buddies are fine as dive buddies, but that I have to talk to them about what I am looking for before the dive. If I expect them to really be available, I use a phrase like "shoulder to shoulder" "within reach" "arms-length" or "a couple of meters." If the dive is tough (deep, cold-water, fast drift, low viz ), I expect the buddy to be within reach. If the dive is easy (follow the DM on a shallow reef dive), I am not as fussy. Sometimes I have to take more initiative to "stick" to them, but no one has refused to do a within-reach approach if I have suggested it. If an insta-buddy did not want to stick close, I would assess whether I was happy to effectively solo on the dive.

I notice that many divers use a "lead and follow" approach, which I don't like: If I am the lead, I have to keep constantly turn completely around to track them; if I am the follower, they are not necessarily aware of where I am. Instead, I prefer "shoulder to shoulder" because I can constantly see them out of the corner of my eye. If I am with a new diver or seriously unskilled diver, I really strongly prefer shoulder to shoulder. With an experienced, skilled buddy, I am more casual about this.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I don't agree with Original Poster that the buddy system is broken. My buddies have generally been good, and most are "insta's". I don't find going over a dive plan, common hand/air-remaining signals, expectations, gear configurations, and contingencies, is impractical. . . .

I guess you've been lucky with your insta's, and me unlucky. (My insta days are over, as I almost always buddy with my wife now.) The majority of my insta's seemed reluctant to want to go over anything with me--it was like pulling teeth to get them to say anything. Some would nod at my suggestions but say nothing, looking bored. Sometimes I'd find out halfway through the dive that the things I thought we had agreed on had not been, or that we had omitted something that we should have discussed (my fault?). Most probably thought I was an anal retentive newbie. Also, some of my dives had been in groups, where the DM briefed the whole group and few if any of us were really what I would considered buddied. I just found the whole insta-buddy thing to be a chore to carry out properly.

Maybe being a good buddy is like being a good driver. Ninety-nine percent of drivers surveyed in a random poll claimed they are better than average drivers. (Okay, I made that stat up.)

 

[TMHeimer]

An "insta-buddy" is not an true buddy unless you're somehow able to go over a dive plan, expectations, contingencies, hand signals, etc.--which is usually not practical. So in most cases, I would say an insta-buddy is simply not a true buddy.

Limited to true buddies, I think the buddy system is alive and well.

Yeah. Thare are also a lot of other good points made. The OP points out a big problem, but I don't think it's necessarily because the buddy system is dead. I would guess the existing situation has probably always existed. I too have had good and bad buddies. I feel that buddies should be REAL close ALL the time, even if there is amazing visibility. Otherwise yeah, you're solo and may as well just do that. None of the buddy skills (OOA, signals, cramps, tows) that you learn in OW mean anything if you're not right together. To do it right it almost has to be an obsession. No disappearing fins into the fog. I buddied with a SB member "Crush" a couple of years ago. Best buddy ever. Both of us constantly being sure that we were close at all times. And yeah, that can be a pain in the neck (sometimes literally) at times.

 

[Mike]

unless you're somehow able to go over a dive plan, expectations, contingencies, hand signals, etc.--which is usually not practical.

In my training and my mind going over the dive plan, expectations, contingencies, hand signals is the requirement with an insta buddy not the exception. The fact that most never attempt this is one of the reasons the buddy system is dead.

I'll give one example, if you insta buddy with somebody and you don't go over lost buddy procedure with them to establish what it is, you're not diving with a buddy, you only think you are.

 

[TSandM]

I know I am a broken record, but I dive in a corner of the diving world where buddy means something. Our training, from the beginning, emphasizes diving as a team. This includes planning the dive together, doing team equipment checks, and maintaining situational awareness while underwater. It was not an easy skill for me to learn, but my instructors kept harping on it, and throwing drills at me so that, for example, if I got task focused or too far away from my buddy, I would suddenly find myself out of gas. On the other hand, if we got too close together and didn't pay attention, someone would lose a mask. Enough repetitions of this, and you start to have an internalized sense of how far is far enough, and where you can and cannot be seen. A DM in Cozumel described our team as looking like we were attached by invisible rubber bands -- we would go only so far, and then come back and reestablish contact.

I've had pretty good success, when diving with people from outside our little community, by having a good pre-dive discussion, that includes my statement that one of the most important things to me is to stay together. There have been a couple of notable exceptions, but most of the folks I've buddies up with have respected my request. Of course, I also use MY situational awareness to stay with my buddy . . . and on one of those notable exceptions, I did nothing during the dive but stick to him like a burr!

NW Grateful Diver has a great article on buddy skills (as well as another one on diving with photographers).

Formation varies with the structure you are diving. It makes no sense to dive shoulder-to-shoulder along a wall or hull, since the person on the outside can see nothing. If you dive single file, you need to move more slowly and the person in front needs to check behind him frequently. How frequently may depend on the visibility, current, or other dive conditions.

 

[AdivingBel]

A lot of it has to do with the type of diving you are doing. If it's a relatively shallow reef dive, I don't worry too much. If I can't get to my buddy, I know I can get to the surface. If it's a deep wreck, there is a more in-depth discussion with the insta-buddy prior to the dive. I have always had good results, because it's in everybody's best interest. I know "tank bangers" get made fun of a bit on the board, but a carbineer or double ender in your hand that can make some noise is valuable. It makes that "double the distance" the op refers to when chasing down a buddy cut to half the distance when there is communication and the buddies are swimming toward each other. This is all based on warm water, relatively good viz diving. Low viz, cold water is a different story and I agree with TSandM that buddy diving in those circumstances requires real team effort and lots of practice to be viable.

 

[mrdre]

...
I notice that many divers use a "lead and follow" approach, which I don't like: If I am the lead, I have to keep constantly turn completely around to track them; if I am the follower, they are not necessarily aware of where I am. Instead, I prefer "shoulder to shoulder" because I can constantly see them out of the corner of my eye. If I am with a new diver or seriously unskilled diver, I really strongly prefer shoulder to shoulder. With an experienced, skilled buddy, I am more casual about this.

"Lead and follow" doesn't mean one diver behind another. "Lead and follow" simply means one diver takes care of the dive plan. The follower can pay more attention to the surroundings, take pictures, etc. The reason is the divers won't be asking each other questions and won't be arguing as to which way to go. The optimal position I think is "shoulder to shoulder with the leader a little ahead". Diving with the lights on all the time also helps a lot too, the leader always sees the other diver(s) lights and it's easy to get somebody's attention.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

The buddy system is not dead. The application of it is pretty much on it's last legs. Due in large part to the lack of instruction in it. I not only wrote a paper and presentation on this several years ago, but it is also Chapter 3 in my book. It is true that some people are just bad buddies. Not their fault really. That is just the way they seem to be wired. Call it ADD, ADHD, lack of awareness, not give a damn, or the like. You will not change those people. No sense in even trying. ID them and either don't dive with them or expect to be left in the dust.

Others though simply were trained that it doesn't matter. That it is something some instructors pay lip service to in the classroom and then throw away in the pool and on checkouts.
If your instructor did not make you do the swim tests and watermanship skills as buddies he told you that they are not important.
If he/she did not make you set up your gear as a team and check each other as you were doing it they told you it was BS.
If he/she did not make you do weight checks and bubble checks at the beginning of each pool session as a team they demonstrated it was a load of crap.
If they did not make you do all skills with your buddy in proper position to assist each other in the pool they again said in effect that you could ignore it.
If they did not make you do your own weight checks as a buddy team on your OW dives they showed once more that it was just words.
If they led you single file on your checkouts and did not require you to be in proper position at all times during the dives then they solidly reinforced that the buddy system was completely optional and you did not need to follow it.

The system when taught and applied properly works and works very well. When it is not applied or taught properly it is for all intents and purposes, non existent.

The shame of it is that it's not hard or takes any more time to teach properly. My only conclusion when I see the results of it not being taught as it can be is that the instructor does not know how, is too lazy to do it, or just doesn't care.

---------- Post added September 30th, 2014 at 07:07 PM ----------

A lot of it has to do with the type of diving you are doing. If it's a relatively shallow reef dive, I don't worry too much. If I can't get to my buddy, I know I can get to the surface. If it's a deep wreck, there is a more in-depth discussion with the insta-buddy prior to the dive. I have always had good results, because it's in everybody's best interest. I know "tank bangers" get made fun of a bit on the board, but a carbineer or double ender in your hand that can make some noise is valuable. It makes that "double the distance" the op refers to when chasing down a buddy cut to half the distance when there is communication and the buddies are swimming toward each other. This is all based on warm water, relatively good viz diving. Low viz, cold water is a different story and I agree with TSandM that buddy diving in those circumstances requires real team effort and lots of practice to be viable.

An instructor on this board died in shallow water alone. Buddies there but not close enough to help.

 

[undrwater]

Maybe the question from the get-go is "do you REALLY want a buddy do dive with?" If the answer is yes, then work from there.

 

[Akimbo]

I suck as a buddy simply because it requires far too much time and attention to do properly. Looking around every few seconds for somebody makes the whole process more trouble than it is worth. There certainly is no way I am going to surface every time we lose sight of each other in limited visibility and high surge. Fortunately for me, solo has always been an accepted practice on West Coast charter dive boats from the earliest days of the sport.

I did make the mistake of booking a charter in Hawaii once and was shocked when they insisted on buddy diving. Even then, all you really had to do was splash together. A friend sent a solo card to me soon after.

I am a great tender if that’s the task, but that’s just solo with added responsibility. I consider that a working rather than a recreational dive. It is not as though I wasn’t trained to buddy dive. The Navy is very serious about it, but that’s the job. Enjoying the dive was never an objective.