To Buddy or not to Buddy?

[TMHeimer]

Stunaep and DM Dennis confirm what I feel is the only logical approach. It has to be a good buddy, not one who presents you with more dangers than plusses. IF HE'S GOOD, you have redundancy, another set of eyes, and someone to share the experience with. If he's bad, as has been often pointed out, you are diving solo (or worse) anyway.

 

[Kilili]

I would never dive with someone I didn't know, and as a solo traveler, am rarely with anyone I know anyway. Being a photographer, I really have no time to keep close track if another diver. I sometimes dive with a guide, and he's supposed to keep track of me, not the other way around. If he gets "lost", not a problem. I'll see him on the boat.

I know that the person most interested in keeping me safe is myself, so I've developed the mindset of being self reliant. I think that makes one more aware of the environment and the potential dangers, thus planning accordingly.

I once had a buddy that got into a bad situation when I had about 50 dives. In trying to help her, I got caught up in it as well, and we both had to be rescued. Having a buddy does not necessarily make things better.

When I travel/dive, I encounter quite a few others traveling alone. Invariably, the ones with experience will dive solo.

 

[petrieps]

I see no problem with the buddy system, it just doesn't fit my life style. A very small percentage of my dives are with a buddy. If I relied on a buddy I probably wouldn't be able to dive half as often as I do. Between family and work obligations there is very little time left for diving. So my dives are at odd hours, My favorite time to go is sunrise. I can do one long dive and be home at 8:30 in the morning, or 2 dives and be home at 11:00am. This allows me to stay out of the doghouse with the wife, and I do not feel guilty for diving and not spending enough time with the family.

The in water part of solo diving does not overly concern me. I have the experience and skill to conduct the dives I do. The part I sometimes fear is slipping on a rock or somehow hurting myself while getting in and out of the water and no one is there to help.

 

[MikeBell]

I've thought about solo diving when I am more experienced. It's something that I'd like to learn, if only for the insta-buddies you meet on a random trip out and leave your side moments after you hit the water. There are a few dives that I've done in which I have felt completely alone anyway so knowing the concepts behind solo diving would only benefit me in those situations.

 

[Akimbo]

…I have had some of my best dive's alone…

Welcome to the dark side. You might consider joining the Solo forum for in depth answers to your question; which are largely inappropriate for the Basic Scuba Discussions Forum.

 

[melanie.]

about the other divers story, lost and ignored the default search time and continue dive, found buddy and continued the dive !
ok your dive site was special due to surface traffic, BUT in such a case you should have made a plan with your team/buddy
so all parts know the way it is supposed to be done.
I tell you it is VERY fustrating for someone to keep looking for a lost
diver on the surface, or down there. While that lost diver is just having funn diving alone and beeing perfectly fine.
It is not friendly to do this without telling first.

I did, that is the plan.

 

[ReefHound]

For years now I have been taking new and prospective diver's down as a guide and show said new diver what the world of diving is all about and then I turn them over to a real Instructor so that they may get all the proper trainning they need.

Wait a minute. You're doing that bass ackwards. Said new diver should be in the hands of a "real" instructor for that "first time" and get the proper training to be certified, THEN you can be their mentor and show them how to have fun.

 

[TMHeimer]

Wait a minute. You're doing that bass ackwards. Said new diver should be in the hands of a "real" instructor for that "first time" and get the proper training to be certified, THEN you can be their mentor and show them how to have fun.

Yeah, that was my first thought. Have to admit I was just waiting to see how long it would be for someone to point that out....

 

[j2s]

Prefer diving alone whenever conditions/situation makes it feasible.......

 

[Avonthediver]

Welcome to the dark side. You might consider joining the Solo forum for in depth answers to your question; which are largely inappropriate for the Basic Scuba Discussions Forum.

I was not speaking as a whole about solo diving or its aspects I merley wanted to see what others think about and have to say on the buddy system nothing more, which I think is appropriate for the basic forum.

Wait a minute. You're doing that bass ackwards. Said new diver should be in the hands of a "real" instructor for that "first time" and get the proper training to be certified, THEN you can be their mentor and show them how to have fun.

All I do is a Discover Scuba type class you might say and all it does is allow those who want to try scuba and see if they like it before forking out money for something they may never like or do again.
most instructor's dont do these type of class'. I never break 15 ft and it is just very basic in nature.