what would you think?

[Druid]

I am a dive slut and will dive with anyone, but my wife has only ever dived with me or an instructor on any of her 130 dives. She was very dependent on me for quite a while but she has made an effort to be more self sufficient and she has developed into a confident and competent diver. Think she may have got there quicker if she had dived with other people though.

 

[James R]

My gf was like that for a long time, Druid. One thing I did to her to get her past it was to have an "equipment" issue at the start of a dive. I sent her with another guy, who is an instructor and was in on the whole thing, while I got back on the boat. Once they were on their way I jumped back in and did a solo dive. She was not happy at first, but at the end she was happy to know she could dive with someone else. It was all about her self-confidence. I had to take her to dinner at Z Tejas as a penalty, though heh

 

[TSandM]

Oh, I missed the second part of the question.

As an experienced diver, I often make the offer to our students and other novices, that I would be happy to go diving with them. I know a number of friends who will do the same thing. In fact, we had a Northwest Dive Club club dive this last weekend which had, as part of its stated purpose, hooking novices up with "big buddies".

This works, because the people who want to do it volunteer, and because we have a lot of very good shore diving, so one has invested very little beyond a tank fill and a little gasoline to go diving. It's a dicier proposition when you are diving off boats, where people have often spent quite a bit of money to be taken to the site, and would like to maximize their enjoyment of the touring, rather than watch another diver and settle for a short dive.

But if you are lake diving, I should think it would not be terribly difficult to find folks who are willing to spend some time in the water with a novice.

 

[Mark Derail]

Mine would have been ruffled too, since my GF & I trained together. We even hold hands UW to not drift apart when there's current.

I'd just add this - your first dives will be with dive ops, not "solo" or "duo" dives without a team or a guide. You'll never be alone.

The "crew" makes sure they know everyone's expertise level, and will stay close to the beginners. It's the DM's job to keep you safe and under a watchful eye.

You want a buddy that values your life MORE than his own, who better than your Significant Other ???

To not be too serious, your buddy is simply the person you keep in your POV and the first to share air with. Beginner dives, you'll be forced up to the surface one 2/3 of your air is used up, whoever gets to 2/3 use first.

Typically when I'm at 800 PSI my GF is at 1200, we're forced up to the safety stop.

On boat dives, the first is deep, up to 100', and the second is up to 60'. You'll probably just be UW for 30 minutes on that first dive. Women have better bottom times on average, cut short by their "hubbies".

So, I am a very new diver. So is my husband. I told him I want to buddy with someone more expirienced for my first few dives. His feathers got all ruffled. Would you be ok having you SO buddy with someone else? Also, as an expirienced diver, would you be ok buddying with someone new? I could be way off, but I want someone to tell me when I am doing something wrong, and hubby doesn't have enough (any) expirience.

Thanks!

 

[freewillie]

I'll share a few thoughts. When I first certified I was the only diver in my family. My wife was the one who signed us up for the introduction to scuba dive while on vacation. I was hooked after the first dive, she hated the whole experience. Her only request of me for scuba is that I come home after every dive and never ask her again if she wants to dive.

Looking around for a dive buddy I wound up joining a local dive club that meets once a week every Saturday morning. You and your husband can join a dive club, that way you are diving with others who have more experience wtihout being completely on your own.

Last summer my 13 yo daughter caught the bug while were on vacation and she is now certified as well. I took her to Catalina Island for her first dive after training in the Caribbean. Since that was her first time in cold water and that was my first time diving Catalina I elected to hire a DM as a guide. He helped her with her wetsuit, weights, ect. and he knew the dive spots at Casino Point. I felt it was safer for the two of us to have a more experienced diver with us and I personally didn't want to be the "experienced" diver with my daughter as her first dive after certification.

At the end of last year I completed my AOW training including underwater navigation. It really helped me with using a compass and knowing where I am underwater. Not to mention a few more dives and the experience that comes with it. I then took my daughter with me on a dive boat to Point Loma kelp beds in San Diego. This time I felt more comfortable and I didn't feel like I needed to hire a DM to look out for us. We had a great time and for 3 tank dive was able to get us back to the boat each time. I don't think I would have been able to do that without the AOW training.

The real question is more how comfortable do you feel with your own scuba skills, and how comfortable do you feel diving with your husband. It is often recommended that novice divers try to dive with more experienced divers at first. How many times have we admonished divers here on SB about new divers diving new sites and then getting into trouble. Weren't aware of depth, etc. going deeper than trained etc. It takes a little getting used to with all the gear and trying to manage buoyancy as a newbie. We refer to that as task loading. For two new divers it is not a bad idea to have a more experienced diver to help with the task loading, if nothing else they make you feel more comfortable.

You should at a minimum even as new OW divers be able to plan your dive and dive your plan. For a very simple dive off a boat in a novice friendly area you and your husband should be just fine even if it is just the two of you. Stay closer to the boat/anchor line and don't go too far to get into trouble.

Have fun and dive safe.

 

[Splitlip]

First thing I did when I got my OW cert was to fly to Ft. Laud and hire a lady instructor to dive with for a few days since I knew that I would probably kill myself otherwise.

Yeah hear you. Most of our kids fly from the nest on dive 5 or 6. Good that you hire a local instructor to hold your hand. She"ll make sure you don't need to use your compass like a surface signaling device.

 

[Mark Derail]

If the OP dives through boat ops, the DM(s) will take care of things. It's usually six divers to a DM. One boat trip I did, two DMs got in the water because we were nine divers.

For beginners, the buddy system is part of the learning process, to stay in constant contact. Learning better signaling, not swimming off on your own, etc.

However I've had it good, my son is a DM, and I paid his trip & dives to come along and supervise his Dad & his GF into not killing themselves (lol) by doing something silly.

So yes, having a "personal" supervisor is good and reassuring, but it would be for both of you, not just one diver. Dive as a trio.

* When our air got to 2/3 used (I was first) both of us had to go up. My son got to stay UW as long as the guide was down, oh, an extra 30 minutes !!!

 

[Sitkadiver]

I agree with what Mark is saying above: Essentially a more experienced buddy for both you and your S.O.

Have you talked to other people around your LDS? Any other couples or divers you already know? They could be a great safety factor in terms of having them as buddies, but they can also be great for fast tracking your experience by letting you know what gear they prefer and why, what dive sites are better in the area, what travel agent to use, what resort to visit..... Etc, etc.... You get the idea. And, who knows, a dinner and drinks just to talk about diving could be very helpfull also.

 

[FPDocMatt]

So, I am a very new diver. So is my husband. I told him I want to buddy with someone more expirienced for my first few dives. His feathers got all ruffled. Would you be ok having you SO buddy with someone else? Also, as an expirienced diver, would you be ok buddying with someone new? I could be way off, but I want someone to tell me when I am doing something wrong, and hubby doesn't have enough (any) expirience.

Thanks!

My wife and I are also new divers. My wife is not interested in diving without a dive master with us for the time being. Understanding the male ego, she was savvy enough not to suggest that she dive separately with a dive master; she just said she wants us (together) to dive with a dive master for awhile. Perhaps if you had told your husband you wanted to dive with a female dive master, he would not have reacted...?

Experienced divers on Scuba Board talk about the importance of experience every day. As a rank beginner, I know that I'm barely safe enough to scuba dive with a dive master. It's interesting that their reaction to your post is to suggest that you don't need to dive with someone more experienced.

 

[Jax]

The "crew" makes sure they know everyone's expertise level, and will stay close to the beginners. It's the DM's job to keep you safe and under a watchful eye.

If the OP dives through boat ops, the DM(s) will take care of things. It's usually six divers to a DM. One boat trip I did, two DMs got in the water because we were nine divers.

BOOOO!!!



It is NO ONE's responsibility to keep YOU safe except for YOU!!!! If you are diving with the idea that the DM is going to take care of you (things), you have the wrong mindset.


When one dives with a more experienced diver, DM or otherwise, the calming influence and the smooth skill execution is helpful, but you must NEVER think that it is someone else' job to keep you safe. With that attitude, when things go pear-shaped, the diver will panic if the "keeper" isn't immediately available. Rely on yourself!