NoBuddy

[Carter21]

If I do a 1-2 dive tour alone, do people buddy up if they're alone? I don't want to do a liveaboard. Does the captain make sure everyone has a buddy?

 

[diversteve]

Pretty much they'll try to match you to other single divers on the boat with your experience level. The larger operators also group you by experience level. And provide a DM in the water for each group - often there's a trailing DM also if needed so that the first person low on air can go back to the boat without calling the dive for everyone in the group. They get a lot of really new/annual tourist divers in Hawaii so they've got that process dialed in completely.

If there's actually no one on the boat that's a single diver, your buddy is the DM. That's actually better because they find all the good stuff. I actually suggest first time shore divers hire a guide since they find stuff that none of us see. I've seen countless reports of how lifeless Hawaii is compared to the Caribbean except that the highest number of endemic species anywhere are found in the Hawaiian Islands - you just have to know where to look. And move slowly. It's better for your air consumption anyway...