Managing A Picked-up Buddy
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After 201 dives I can honestly tell you that THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE for a good dive buddy. Now what constitutes a good dive buddy is a very broad term. For example in my scuba shop we have guys that swim like 50 feet away from me and lurk. Others hover above me like a ramora fish. Others are completely oblivious to anything around them as they dive with pony bottles and could stay down there for 20 hours straight.
My best example of a good buddy:
I love diving in groups of 6. Usually its my trainer with 5000+ dives being the flag bearer 20 feet in front of me, his wing men with 1000+ dives off to the far left. 2 new divers on either side of me and 1 experienced diver on far left behind and of course myself with the camera. At any given moment I have 5 other people to rely upon, even the newbies. About halfway through the dive 2 new divers usually surface and we regroup and start swimming in groups of 2. Again I feel like I can rely on people I am with.
I value experience to proximity and supplement experience with proximity and a redundant air source (in my case spare air that will allow me to have 51 extra breaths to surface safely (tested it from 60ft multiple times)).
Unfortunately then there are insta buddies. Ohh my gosh. It is un freaking believable. You could either have really good insta buddies or really bad ones. Latter usually entails people who got certified like 20 some years ago and travel to tourist places and ruin dive for everybody because they substitute personal self confidence for rational thought. No diver with no recent exposure to diving should attempt to dive challenging dives without preparation and planning.
In any case a good dive buddy is a reliable experienced dive buddy.
My best example of a good buddy:
I love diving in groups of 6. Usually its my trainer with 5000+ dives being the flag bearer 20 feet in front of me, his wing men with 1000+ dives off to the far left. 2 new divers on either side of me and 1 experienced diver on far left behind and of course myself with the camera. At any given moment I have 5 other people to rely upon, even the newbies. About halfway through the dive 2 new divers usually surface and we regroup and start swimming in groups of 2. Again I feel like I can rely on people I am with.
I value experience to proximity and supplement experience with proximity and a redundant air source (in my case spare air that will allow me to have 51 extra breaths to surface safely (tested it from 60ft multiple times)).
Unfortunately then there are insta buddies. Ohh my gosh. It is un freaking believable. You could either have really good insta buddies or really bad ones. Latter usually entails people who got certified like 20 some years ago and travel to tourist places and ruin dive for everybody because they substitute personal self confidence for rational thought. No diver with no recent exposure to diving should attempt to dive challenging dives without preparation and planning.
In any case a good dive buddy is a reliable experienced dive buddy.
The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
Like pick up a bristle worm?
I am not sure how that could save my life.
Darnold9999
Contributor
The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
You're confusing a "tad bit of fear" with an "irrational fear". The former helps with self preservation and is considered healthy.Like doing a CESA because you are afraid of getting the bends from surfacing from 80 feet - which is how my part of this thread got started. It was quite a ways back so my bad
dumpsterDiver
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I think the whole concept of a brand new diver asking how to "manage" a pick up buddy is indicative of a problem. In order to "manage" you need to be a manager.
A good buddy is not a manager, he is a team player. If one buddy has the mind set that he is going to "manage" the other diver... well that is probably not going to work out so well for a lot of people, especially if the manager is not too good on buoyancy control, is not sure how to read his computer, has no idea what his SAC rate is, has an unrealistic expectation about the outcome of a controlled emergency swimming ascent and thinks that a good dive buddy needs to always be 3-5 feet away. Somebody like this might be better served by asking "how can I find a buddy who will be patient with me and help me to overcome my current issues?" Certainly seems more realistic than walking onto a boat and expecting to take on some kind of management or supervisory position over other paying customers.
There was lots of good information provided but as TSM said, a good buddy has to want to dive with you... he has to be on your team. ANY diver who is a paying customer and not an employee of the dive operation and wants to "manage me" during a recreational dive which has cost me time and money...well
A good buddy is not a manager, he is a team player. If one buddy has the mind set that he is going to "manage" the other diver... well that is probably not going to work out so well for a lot of people, especially if the manager is not too good on buoyancy control, is not sure how to read his computer, has no idea what his SAC rate is, has an unrealistic expectation about the outcome of a controlled emergency swimming ascent and thinks that a good dive buddy needs to always be 3-5 feet away. Somebody like this might be better served by asking "how can I find a buddy who will be patient with me and help me to overcome my current issues?" Certainly seems more realistic than walking onto a boat and expecting to take on some kind of management or supervisory position over other paying customers.
There was lots of good information provided but as TSM said, a good buddy has to want to dive with you... he has to be on your team. ANY diver who is a paying customer and not an employee of the dive operation and wants to "manage me" during a recreational dive which has cost me time and money...well
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