Question for the experienced diver

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sdbdrz

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Okay I have been lurking here for a while and have a question for some of the experienced divers on the board.

Little background. I am an AOW certified diver, the only other certifications I have are nitrox cert. I have logged about 50 dives mostly in the carribean.

Here is the question, I do not have a regular diving buddy as most of my friends do not dive. The problem is I have never really dove with a buddy that I have felt 100% comfortable with. I consider myself a reasonable conservative diver. I always plan my dive, discuss it with whomever I am diving with and stick to the plan. My deepest dive to date is 95'. I guess my question is is this unusual for someone in my situation. I have dove with some very experienced divers and I have dove with people who once we hit the water I could barely call a buddy.

I plan to significantly increase my diving over the next 6 months by spending some quality time in local quarries gaining experience, becoming rescue diver certified and taking a few extra dive trips. I consider myself a very alert diver. I have had some minor situations occur with people I have dove with and I have always remained calm, remembered my training and kept the situation under control. I guess the problem is I am comfortable with my abilities but have never been 100% at ease with the people I dive with. I always seem to find myself spending time on my dives keeping track of the buddy I am diving with even though that buddy may have significantly more logged dives than myself

An important note, I am excluding the dive master that certified me. I would consider him to be a very competent and experienced diver, problem is I have only buddied with him on 2 dives (not counting my certification dives).
 
I think your best bet would be to try to find some one on this board that is local to you, who shares your concerns. Get together and discuss how you feel about diving and the direction you plan on taking your diving. If they (and you) are interested in diving together, and your schedules work, then do some dives and check out your comfort level with them.
I have met and dove with a few people from this board, and most I would dive with again, and some, not.
You have to put in some work when trying to find a buddy you can rely on. I started my own yahoogroup so that I could find like minded buddies to dive with. It is working for me!
Dive safe!
Robert
 
sdbdrz,

I'm having trouble understanding your question. Are you asking what you need to do to find a good buddy?

R..
 
Good dive buddies are worth their weight in gold... actually platinum. They are worth finding and cultivating. They are also rare enough that finding them isn't easy nor a given. They are perishable as well... no set expiration date but you can't always count on them being their for the rest of your diving career. So always be on the look out. Be willing to dive with new divers and look at attitude more than skill. Skills can be learned with the proper attitude.
 
Uncle Pug:
Good dive buddies .... They are also rare enough that finding them isn't easy nor a given.

Yes. So how is it that there are thousands of us on this board and most of us will consider ourselves good buddies? And yet ....

I guess it's a bit like driving - everyone else is a bad driver 'cept us! :wink:
 
You also have to decide your objective. If you want to do macro photography and it takes you an hour to cover 1 sq yd of reef there is no point hooking up with a speed merchant. You will both get frustrated.
 
sdbdrz:
Here is the question, I do not have a regular diving buddy as most of my friends do not dive.

Some of my local dive shops either have buddy lists posted, or they run "fun dives" where you get to meet people who are more than likely in the same position as you. In the beginning you will be going through some hits and some misses, but hopefully you will find someone to your liking.

The other thing to remember is that maybe it's not just one buddy for you, maybe you have two or three different ones that you can call on, thereby giving you some options.

Lastly, perhaps you could tag along on either the open water dives or advanced classes at your local dive shop. That would be a way to meet people who are diving, see them in action, and maybe even pick up a few pointers.

Best of luck!
 
Diver0001:
I'm having trouble understanding your question. Are you asking what you need to do to find a good buddy?

Sounds more like he is asking about the appropriateness of solo diving.

The suggestion that he is comfortable with his own abilities but has never been 100% comfortable with a buddy is certainly one of the more often cited reasons for solo diving. Solo diving carries an added set of equipment requirements, skills and responsibilities but done properly it can, in my opinion, be safer than diving with a bad buddy.
 
sdbdrz:
Okay I have been lurking here for a while and have a question for some of the experienced divers on the board.

I am not sure how diving is organized in the US, outside for-profit operations. Here in Europe much of the diving is done in clubs, which organize both training and recreational diving. Most of my buddies are fellow club members. I know which ones I can trust (in fact, most of them), and dive with them regularly. Many have participated in my training. I have helped train some others. We know what our procedures are. It works out quite nicely...

For vacations, though, I am usually paired with my teenage son. Although he is a very good diver, I am not so sure how keen he would be to save his father from trouble...
 
I think that hanging out at the quarry with the dive store staff and taking the rescue class will get you on the right track. Upper level classes will put you in contact with similar minded divers and you may be able to turn them into regular buddies.

As far as a slight feeling of uneasiness, thats OK, remember this is an adventure sport, and the tingle of adrenaline is what motivates a LOT of divers to dive. Being cautiously aware of the risks is a healthy thing, it will keep you focused. Most serious problems come from complacency.
 
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