Some pointers from my blog entry here on SB regarding what makes a good dive buddy. Read the whole blog entry for more information.
What Makes a Good Dive Buddy?
...Some people seem to think that getting in the water about the same time as your buddy and staying in the same ocean as they are constitutes buddy diving. They are wrong. To be a good dive buddy, someone with who other people enjoy diving and look forward to diving with in the future, you should take being a buddy a bit more seriously.
A good dive buddy stays close to his or her dive partner all the time....
A good dive buddy not only stays in close proximity to their dive partner, they are aware of their buddys location and activity, direction of travel if moving, and can perceive any problems, confusion, unease, or distress a buddy may exhibit as it occurs or just moments after...Pay attention to your buddy. Look around and mark your buddys' location and activity regularly, in fact, often, and better still, constantly.
A good dive buddy will get acquainted with his diving partner before the dive. Sometimes we get paired up with a stranger, what some call an insta-buddy. When that happens, you need to get to know each other as divers. Talk to each other. Learn about each others experience level and last dive. Clarify the communications you will use and agree as to proximity and other buddy coordination. Discuss your objectives for the dive. Are you going to swim around like crazy people or focus on looking at the animals and their behaviors? If one or both are going to take pictures or video, discuss expectations you each have for staying close. When diving with a new buddy (or any buddy for that matter) a good dive buddy will be sure to sure to do a pre-dive safety check, familiarizing the team with each others equipment. Just like you learned to do in your basic scuba certification class. There is no need to dive with a stranger if you take a few minutes to plan together, learn bout each other and communicate about the dive. Too often, divers who are paired up by the divemaster or boat captain, or even those who may have selected each other as buddies, will introduce themselves to each other, and then be oblivious to each other throughout the dive. That is not a good idea. A dive buddy who appreciates the importance of that role will stay close, be aware of what is going on, never have a problem with buddy separation, and be there to share air, help his buddy get untangled from the kelp, notice symptoms of narcosis, and otherwise assist as needed.
Have a great dive experience.
DivemasterDennis
