How to "buddy-up" on a dive boat?

[Farback]

Oh, I need the person to be REALLY dodgy not to go. I have confindence in my self rescue as well as in rescuing them
(I have been put in a few stressful situations both above and below the surface)

On the occasions I do dive with inexperienced people though, I AM more attentive than with obviously experienced divers..

i agree with you and Tmhiemer. I've been diving three decades and firefighting over two decades. Although both rely strrongly on teamwork, I've always only counted on myself to get me out of trouble in the water or a burning building. As a fire officer, I watch my team closely, and tend to do the same in the water, both with my dive buddy and anyone else on the dive. It's the firefighter 'mommy' instinct I guess.

 

[CT-Rich]

I usually go for the good looking girl or the competent guy.

 

[tphelps]

Let the crew know ahead in advance that you will be coming by yourself and in need of a buddy. If its an in-water DM, then it shouldnt be a problem at all. If not, chances are there will be some one else coming by themselves that you can partner up with. Just make sure to do your buddy checks and familiarize yourself with his/her equipment (where her alternate is, how many releases, back/jacket style inflate, clips) etc. Cheers!

 

[Lorenzoid]

Great question, and a situation I often find myself in as well. If it's a small boat, then it's easy to just ask the DM once onboard, or even to inquire individually with the other divers. But if it's a big boat, it can be more difficult. Asking the person at the desk who is signing people in sometimes doesn't work well when the person is working furiously against the clock, trying to get everyone squared away, and the person at the desk may have no idea what goes on on the boat. Trying to find a DM in all the chaos is difficult but probably the best option. I have found myself having to remind the busy DM several times that I needed a buddy before he did anything. Once the boat is underway, the noise of the engines make finding an appropriate buddy that much more difficult. I really hate having to insta-buddy up and am thankful I usually dive with my wife.

 

[Steve_C]

I insta-buddy a lot. There is almost never a DM in the water for free. It depends a lot on the type of dive. If it is a shallow reef, or a moderate wreck dive (70-80 ft) I will look over the divers and see if there are any singles. If so I will chat a bit with them. Find out what they want to do, their experience level, assess whether they are nervous or not. Unless there is an issue I will often suggest buddying with them. On a couple of cases I saw there was a newbie or pair of newbies and I buddied with them. (One of these resulted in an air share).

If it is a dive that is special to me in some sense or a deeper dive (100 + feet) then I don't instabuddy unless that Captain is matching skill levels. In that case I will just usually rent a DM so that I can focus on the dive. You might want to consider the same.

Bottom line is that like a lot of things in life your are responsible for seeing that your needs are met. Chat with the divers. If you want to rent a DM or guide, then talk to the shop/ship ahead of time. They cannot always be arranged at the last minute. Some times if you leave it up to the boat they may not mention buddies until splash time. And it is not just the boat. It can also depend on who is captain or mate that particular day.

I think that insta-buddying should be like solo diving. Ideally it is best if it is not a pinnacle dive for you. If the dive is within your experience, then it will be easier to to find a buddy. You might get lucky, I have insta-buddied with several first time ocean divers. You may or may not get somebody who will adjust to your skill level and try and make your dive enjoyable. They might just go shooting off into the blue.

 

[Tigerman]

I insta-buddy a lot. There is almost never a DM in the water for free.
...

That is a highly location dependent statement.
The guy I use for my semi-local diving is not in the water, but my favourite holiday destination ALWAYS have people in the water with the divers with no exception..

 

[Steve_C]

That is a highly location dependent statement.
.....

Absolutely. My point was that you should not count on there always being a wet DM. In my case my normal diving areas are the coast of NC and the Florida Keys. For NC there is never a "free except for tip" guide. In the Keys on the charters I normally use there is not a DM in the water as part of the charter although I have had them a couple times on six packs.

 

[fnfalman]

I usually go for the good looking girl or the competent guy.

Great minds think alike!!!

 

[sealionesse]

This is one of my big concerns too. I already booked two dives on a local dive boat and I have no buddies. On top of that, I am not used to diving on the East Coast (I have most of my diving experience in Southern California). I've been told that divers out here have a different "dive culture." One of the guys out west told me divers here go in the water negative... but then a local diver told me that's not true. So I don't know what to expect.

I am more used to beach diving than boat diving (although I've done my fair share of boat dives). And on top of all that, I just stepped my pinky toe into tech diving by taking an intro to tech course and I decided to setup my rig as such (long hose, backplate/wing, etc) so I could keep practicing skills. Of course I have this hybrid thing going on because it's a lot of money to convert over "all" of my gear. I don't even have a drysuit yet (it's on the list).

I joined two dive clubs out here. But I can't make it to the meetings of one of the clubs due to my schedule. The other club is great and right up my alley (they like wrecks). But I get the feeling most of those guys are pretty experienced tech divers and I am just a newbie.

But my main concern is no one will want to buddy with me and I will be stuck on the boat (I won't solo dive).

I decided to hire a divemaster/guide for my first Mid-Atlantic dive of the season. That way I know I will have a "buddy."

 

[Panama Jones]

To the guy that asks the questions about cert level? I don't get that. I am a new diver 2 years OW with 50 dives ( 30 in last year). I always tell the group that I am not experienced so they put me with someone with AOW ( 1 guy with only twelve dives, the other with less than 30). And I'm the newbie??

PS I met a guy finalizing his DM in the pool a few weeks ago (March 2013) that did his very 1st dive the previous September. Is this possible?