The Buddy Check Mnemonic Revisited

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BluEye Diver

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We've heard all the variants, and dutifully learned the official ones, but here is my new preferred mnemonic for working through the PADI buddy check:

Buddies With Reserve Air Finish

A good mnemonic is not only easy to remember, but it will semantically hook onto the target elements. No doubt because I was already a psychologist and university teacher, when I became a student of diving I remember feeling baffled that the PADI standard manages to include zero hooks! As a memory aid, it's a surprisingly poor one. I see the effect of this all the time in new divers who proudly remember "Begin With Review And Friend" but then stumble through the mental re-mapping process in the moments before an actual dive.

Over time, I've been able to craft one which provides two direct hooks (Air and Finish); though it has been hinted that "Buddy" is a more likely retrieval cue for your partner's BCD than is "Begin," so there are possibly three solid hooks here. My pursuit of the perfect 5-hook mnemonic continues... :cool2:
 
I wrote a course in dive planning that is now a PADI distinctive specialty. There is a chapter that includes different competing mnemonics for pre-dive checks. I concluded that I really didn't like any of them because they are all too vague and generic. Also, if they do a decent job on equipment, they do a bad job on the dive plan, and if they do a decent job on the dive plan, they do a bad job on the equipment.

The PADI BWRAF does a decent job on equipment, but it has nothing on the plan. It is also missing a key item--instruments. If you are like me and have the instruments with which you measure your dive (watch, compass, computer, etc.) on your wrists, they are the last things to put on and the easiest things to forget. If you are using nitrox with a computer, it is easy to have it set to the wrong mix. When I teach the PADI system to my students as required, I therefore add an I for instruments. My mnemonic is Bruce Willis Ruins Another Independent Film.
 
I never remember any of the mnemonics. I just go around touching everything I see. So far it has worked (albeit on a limited experience) and I've prevented two people from getting in the water with air off, one from forgetting a mask and another from forgetting fins.

Most of the time I'm diving with instabuddies so I have to explain my rig to them anyway and it helps me remember everything. I can see becoming more complacent if I ever have a consistent dive buddy, but I'm trying not to let that happen.
 
I think the biggest problem with this is the "R". Tons of students thinks it means regulator (which is covered under air). Even the instructor I had this weekend (different from my original instructor) said "regulator", and then the DM corrected him to "releases".

Is there a synonym for releases that will prevent this mistake?
 
I use BAR (Buoyancy, Air, Releases). No mental gymnastics of converting words that has no relevance to the subject at hand. Doing the check together familiarizes both divers with the others gear and eliminates the final check phase.

Buoyancy covers inflate/deflate of (DS, BCD) and location of dumps. Location of other lifting devices (SMB, LB).

Air covers breathing both regs while looking at SPG (which also covers pressure). Donation techniques. I believe in gas being either full on or full off (no 1/4 turn back nonsense) so if you can breath it, it's on. However, looking at the SPG while breathing a reg will catch the 1/4 turn open mistake.

R
eleases covers all releases one might need to use (BCD, WB). Cutting tools.
 
Direct to the OP's question, perhaps the nonsense sentence: "Buoyant weights release air, finally." (five hooks) It can also work with the other memory trick of building strange visuals in your mind (perhaps a Buoyant Weight floating up and hitting an lever that Releases Air from a valve, but only after we waited for it (Finally)).

There are other mnemonics used by other agencies, with SEABAG and START being a couple of the more well-known, and each includes some planning.
NAUI's SEABAG is Site, Emergencies, Activities, Buoyancy, Air, Gear
TDI/SDI's START is S-Drill, Team, Air, Route, Time

I suspect the memory devices that an individual develops or modifies personally, are often the most memorable. I built one I use for packing my dive bag that I'm convinced has prevented me from going for a dive without a vital piece of equipment, and also tells me in what order to pack. It's "Following my backward ways rarely bodes good will." (fins, mask, booties, wetsuit, reg, BC, goodie bag, weights) <goodie bag includes towel, save-a-dive, etc. weights are outside the bag, so last.>

I handle boulderjohn's suggestion about instruments during the air part of bwraf - looking for air pressure triggers checking other instruments.

Do what works for you, and have fun with it.
 
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Here's the one diving nmenoic I remember

Bangkok Women Rarely Make Friends...

Bangkok - BC (inflator hose connected, tank properly strapped, bc properly adjusted and fastened, holds air when inflated)

Women - Weights (properly weight, weights are properly secured/positioned)

Rarely - Regulator (Primary, backup, spg, inflator hose is working (tank is turned on) and positioned properly)

Make - Mask (in place ready to go)

Friends - Fins (in place, ready to go)

Easy to remember
 
Bangkok Women Really Aren't Female is the one that bangs around the Pacific often. But it is like many mnemonic pretty useless if people swap the Aren't and Really.

It's more important to program it into dive behavior than it is to remember a mnemonic.

If people cannot get it done in about 10-15 seconds, then they will soon find it dropping by the wayside.

---------- Post added July 17th, 2013 at 05:17 PM ----------

I think the biggest problem with this is the "R". Tons of students thinks it means regulator (which is covered under air). Even the instructor I had this weekend (different from my original instructor) said "regulator", and then the DM corrected him to "releases".

Is there a synonym for releases that will prevent this mistake?

Here's something better to remember from that story:

The instructor is clearly not using it before he actually dives. He is using something else (so he should be teaching something else. But then again most instructors are in love with the sound of their own voices even if they are spouting nonsense.)
 
We've heard all the variants, and dutifully learned the official ones, but here is my new preferred mnemonic for working through the PADI buddy check:

Buddies With Reserve Air Finish

A good mnemonic is not only easy to remember, but it will semantically hook onto the target elements. No doubt because I was already a psychologist and university teacher, when I became a student of diving I remember feeling baffled that the PADI standard manages to include zero hooks! As a memory aid, it's a surprisingly poor one. I see the effect of this all the time in new divers who proudly remember "Begin With Review And Friend" but then stumble through the mental re-mapping process in the moments before an actual dive.

Over time, I've been able to craft one which provides two direct hooks (Air and Finish); though it has been hinted that "Buddy" is a more likely retrieval cue for your partner's BCD than is "Begin," so there are possibly three solid hooks here. My pursuit of the perfect 5-hook mnemonic continues... :cool2:

And of course the "GUE EDGE":
Goal (what is the objective of the dive)
Unified Team (who is together on this dive)
Equipment (top to bottom review of everything)

Edge (Exposure including depth & time)
Decompression (including plan for stops on ascent)
Gas (what is your turn pressure)
Environment (visibity, temperature, shipping lanes, etc)

And no I've not completely consumed all the available kool-aid, but parts of the GUE process make complete sense to me
 
I became wholly disenchanted with silly mnemonics. Use a check list like tech divers. And after this last weekend like rebreather divers do. Even though it was only a rebreather experience we had to write a checklist and add to it as we assembled the units, packed the scrubbers, etc. Checklists work. Put it on a slate or wet notes. We did another for the sidemount class. In our wetnotes we had a gearing up checklist and I'll be refining mine. That way there is no need to remember cutesy stuff that most people screw up anyway.
 
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