Bad Buddy... no cookie!

[trucker girl]

Well, I looked through 10 pages on a "dive buddy" search and didn't see this so I am wondering what BAD dive buddy experiences people have had. We can all talk about GOOD dive buddies- but what are some red flags or bad experiences you have had?

 

[trucker girl]

Well- I don't mind diving with strangers. I've done it enough to find out that you have to be competent enough on your own to know when to say when... which I have had to do- once.

I called a dive when the dumb-A I was buddied with decided to use my alternate because instead of changing tanks he used his half-full one... and instead of just having a short dive, he grabbed for my alt. He had 500 lbs left and we were 300 ft from shore and we were at a whole whopping 15 feet. He tried to "go down" with me to get the anchor for the buoy. That's where I called it. No thank you- I'm not going to 40 ft with two people on one tank.

When we came up he said, "I wanted to see how you'd respond," like he was my instructor or something (yeah, like my instructor would have done that...)- he had made it clear earlier that he was an ADVANCED OW and I was a BASIC OW, thus he was far more knowledgeable than I was. I didn't tell him off- but looking back, I think I should have- and just endured the "uncomfortable" atmosphere while we all packed up!

Getting that buoy was my only "solo" experience. The other divers had "called" the second dive due to an ear ache, difficulty clearing etc. So it was me and the buoy and a quick trip down to 40 ft- had me scared. Those of you who do solo diving- you can keep it!

I was at a lake in Arkansas and I would dive again with the lady who called her dive because of difficulty clearing, but none of the others I met there.

 

[Jersey Chris]

- he had made it clear earlier that he was an ADVANCED OW and I was a BASIC OW, thus he was far more knowledgeable than I was.

If I learned anything over 10 years is that your rating really does not define your diving skills to a certain point. I have met plenty of Dive Masters that scare the hell out of me and just as many open water divers with many dives under their belt who are awesome divers. Courses are a great way to expand knowledge, work along side divers with alot of diversity but there is no substitute for experience.

 

[S. starfish]

Ah yes, when I hear someone make a statement of how their AOW certification is a symbol of compitency they don't get to be my buddy, unless everyone else is inexperienced in which case, for everyone elses safety, they are my buddy.

My only bad buddy experience has been the only time when i dove with someone i didn't know. we were doing a drift dive and just before we descended my buddy said "If we get separated don't worry, we'll just meet up at the end". THen they were gone. I was real happy about that.

 

[erparamedic]

I guess I'm lucky in the sense that I've never had a bad buddy. However, I've only ever had 3 buddies.... my husband, my mother, and Komi.... all of which I would dive with anytime.

 

[trucker girl]

I dove with two random divers on my first "out on my own" dive in Florida on a dive boat- 2 of us were on our first "real" dive and the other had 15 whole dives of experience. I was the only one who could use a compass and my rental gear didn't have one... (note to self: buy own gear...).

I dove with a group of Arkansans two days in a row- the above incident being on day #2.

I dove with a paid divemaster tour guide and a guy who hadn't been diving in a year- the "tour guide" pretty much swam away from us and I kept having to look for him- thank goodness the first dive was just an "out and back" along a pier.

Other than that, I have dove (have dived, dove, div-ed?) with people associated with my LDS- all of whom have been competent divers (most of whom are much more competent than myself! ).

 

[Ber Rabbit]

The buddy who swims in circles around you. Wasn't my buddy (whew!) but this guy was literally swimming circles around his buddy who was moving at a nice comfortable pace and looking at him like he was crazy. Must have been a NASCAR fan--zoom, zoom, zoom. He made me dizzy!
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[scratchmyback]

The buddy who's personality is totally opposite from yours. If you like to swim along slowly looking at the fishies, it's not good if your buddy suffers from some kind of attention deficit disorder and can't concentrate. Then you have to be mindful of their movements around you as well. That's when you wish you'd brought a fly-swatter along. :shakehead

 

[thomjinx]

In re-reading, I realize my post is not about bad buddies. But it is about diving with strangers, so I will post it anyway.
As someone who oftens travels solo, I have had as many (maybe more) strangers as dive buddies as I have had friends. I guess I have been extremely lucky because I haven't had any truly bad experiences. I can deal with an inexperienced or out-of-practice diver, as long as they aren't jerks or dangerously incompetent. I tend to be pretty adaptable and easy going.
In fact, I have met some great people as stranger/dive buddies!
In Cozumel, a guy from Oklahoma who was about my age (50 something?). On every dive, he and I were the oldest guys on the boat.....and also the last 2 out of the water, often after the younger divers had run out of air 15 minutes earlier! we loved it!
In Koh Tao, I was paired with a retired Frenchman who was worried that as an American, I might have an attitude towards him. When I warmly assured him that I was happy to meet him and to dive with him, we got along great. Turned out he was an instructor, and we were the 2 most experienced divers on the boat.
Also in Koh Tao, last month I was alternately buddied with each member of a nice Swedish couple. They were alternating days diving, so that the parent not diving could take care of their child. Both of them were super nice people and excellent divers.
1 day the seas were unusually rough. People were chumming off the back of the boat and having trouble walking on deck. The Swedish guy was reading a paperback as if nothing was happening! I asked him later what he did for a living, and it turns out he flies fighter planes (and others) for the Swedish Armed Forces! Small wonder the rocking boat didn't bother him! haha!
I have met many other cool people as dive buddies, but I have been long-winded enough, so I will stop now.

Thomjinx

 

[Sasquatch]

Not really too much experience but one that I still shake my head over is the time that while diving in low viz we had lost track of each other for the third time at about 40fsw. So a few minutes later I come up and wait...and I wait. I'm looking for bubbles or, hopefully my buddy.

Eventually I start a slow 300 meter surface swim to shore still scanning for bubbles to no avail. Well, I say, I've got to call his wife and the Coasties because we were both down to 400 psi by now.

I finally reach the breakers and up in the parking lot I see my buddy, DRESSED, stowing the rest of his gear in his truck. I hauled myself across the driftwood and over to my truck where he met me. He explained that he was late for an appointment in Seattle and just finned in along the bottom.

I'm a solo diver now!