Pre-dive buddy check; How many of you actually do it?

[Peter Guy]

I'm a little surprised that TSandM didn't relate a couple of not-so-pleasant experiences we've had doing buddy checks while on vacation/resort boats. The last one had the DM making jokes about doing the checks (making sure gas was turned on for example! and that the regs were working). I unloaded on the DM (and he did NOT get a tip!) in front of the other 10+ divers (many of whom later thanked me, but NOT then!). (It didn't help that a good friend of mine had gotten badly injured with this dive op about 10 days earlier.)

Stick you your guns -- it is YOUR life, your Buddy's life that is really on the line.

 

[Garrobo]

I very seldom dive with a "buddy". On those rare occasions when I do I make sure that buddy-boy/girl knows which of my regs to keep their hands off of and the signal for: "I'm low on or out of air". Other than that ,we decide who is more likely to find our way back to the boat. That will be the leader. I will not dive with another diver who has only a few dives. I don't want the responsibility.

 

[bigken462]

Well, no snorkel for me! But that's besides the point...

I do buddy checks, but they wind up as kind of an informal "once over" of the other diver's gear. If they aren't one of my usual buddies, I'll ask how to release their weights, and where they keep their octo. Otherwise, I have my own little mental "preflight" checklist, that I go over when assembling my own gear. I always assemble my gear in the same order every time, and that seems to work pretty well for me...haven't forgotten anything in awhile (knock on wood!)

I always, always, always check my inflator, test-breathe my regs, check my drysuit inflator, and double check to make sure all valves are open.

That and bubble checks, and a quick check to make sure the long hose is deployable. Pretty much it for me....

Does checking to see if your buddy's computer and backup timer has been jammed deep into an occupied fin pocket count as part of buddy checks? Lol

Uhhh Rita, I don't think something right........Let's go diving Ken, ok, let's go.....I still don't think something right with my fin pocket, I think I have a lump of sand in it. Grrrr, let's go diving.......Ok Ken, lets go.....Damit I just dont think something right here Rita.......Ok, well what do you want to do? We're about to fail this damn class, let's just dive, ok Ken you ready?.........Dangit Rita hold on while I find out what's inside my foot pocket.............Uggg, grrrr, ohhhhh, how'd those get in there? Oppps, Ok Rita, I'm ready to go diving now. lol

Ken

 

[offthewall1]

In our training, we are all taught to do an inspection of our buddy's gear to make sure that there won't be any problems durring the dive.
Since I got certified, I have dove w/ several different buddies of different experience levels. It seems that only the newly certified divers will initiate a buddy check. I am ussually the one to initiate the check at the last minute. I realize that I am responsible for my own safety and I have no problem with setting up my gear. I am just curious as to how many of you actually perform a pre-dive check prior to decending.

An excellent and interesting question to which I hope to see many good replies...

Personally, as I usually dive SOLO, I don't do many buddy checks anymore... but when I'm diving with my ultimate buddy (my wife,) I discreetly - as a husband I think should, check her gear for leaks, make sure her air is on etc... and I always ask her if she's done her own checks.

When I dive with others in my business... students are always checked and as for my DM's and other Instructors... I usually do a verbal verification with them such as " Everybody got your weights and air on?"

Buddy checks are always encouraged... and I hope that everyone is out there doint what they learned... there is a reason it is taught... Cheers!

Happy Diving

 

[Peter Guy]

I discreetly

is a term that several people have either used, or implied, regarding their buddy checks.

Why "discreetly?"

This is a "BUDDY" check -- not a check of your own gear. Why not use a formal check?

I don't get it? What's the matter, afraid your Buddy will be upset? And doesn't your Buddy check YOUR gear?

 

[offthewall1]

is a term that several people have either used, or implied, regarding their buddy checks.

Why "discreetly?"

This is a "BUDDY" check -- not a check of your own gear. Why not use a formal check?

I don't get it? What's the matter, afraid your Buddy will be upset? And doesn't your Buddy check YOUR gear?

Why? Because discreet is polite. I've seen big doofuses walk over to their wife or buddy and spout out loudly something like:

"Hey, your air's not turned on"
or
"Why do you have this connected here... that's stupid."
or
"Hey honey, your tanks loose."

Now while letting your buddy know this discreetly is a good idea... letting the whole world know causes unneeded embarassment for your buddy. Try not to be a doofus. Your buddy will like you more...

 

[scarefaceDM]

Thats a nice way of saying it.

I was at our local Olympic pool.. doing some training dives with a buddy. about 20 so divers in the pool. This pool has three levels 15ft- 30 feet and 50 feet. Use to be the tower diving pool. So they converted it to a dive pool.. Anywho..I was there with my buddy and this couple came along...getting suited up next to me. Her hubby - a big dude..(which turned out to be a total arse) came to her a said ALOUD...≈ what the F---k are you doing this for. Did you not learn anything I taught you!!!!!! ≈. As I turned to see what the hell was going on I noticed he was adjusting her BC on the tank and setting up her regs...I ignored this...( Found out he was a DM in training) Hummm.... Anywho..on with the dive. He brought his gear to the edge of the pool left it STANDING as he went back to get his fins etc...the tank fell on its side with a loud BANG and a hissss from the reg being squeezed. - Hummm I thought- ....next, he suited up and jumped in the pool...his wife..suited up, same deal...in the pool...what happened next...they did a BWRAF in the pool and he constantly belittled her in the pool and readjusted her gear and made her look really bad..I seen the look on her face...was not perty. All the while he was yelling at her to hurry up. - NICE BUDDY right!

In the water at about 30 feet....guess whom was having difficulties...the DM arse-to-be was loosing his tank...funny as I happen to pop next to him to show him that his tank was almost out...and redid his cam strap and adjusted his tank back nice and tight....gave him an OK..and did not get one back...HUMMMM....His wife came along right after I had turned to leave...I glanced back..next thing you know he is pointing his finger at his wife to indicate to her what had happened...Obviously she had no clue what happened...cause she was still fiddling with her vest at the time of this mishap...but her trim was better that his. She was more squared away than he was also.

Long story short...the dive ended and we all surfaced..I was getting to the edge of the pool and MR DM arse hubby was giving his wife crap all the way to the edge of the pool kept telling her she was adjusting too much her BC...not paying attention to her trim...not doing what she was told..as he explained to her????

as we were cleaning up....I just leaned towards his wife and said to forget about it and she was doing fine in the water..( I was keepign an eye on her...out of habit ) the one having issues was her husband...she did fine. Made her smile and off we went. The guy did not even look at me as he passed by...I just smiled as they walked away.

This is why we do Discreet buddy checks..to avoid possible embarrassments.

 

[b1gcountry]

Nice story. That guy goes way beyond discrete or not. I'm pretty obvious when I'm doing my buddy check, but I try to be discrete when I find something wrong.

Tom

 

[mts0628]

In our training, we are all taught to do an inspection of our buddy's gear to make sure that there won't be any problems durring the dive.
Since I got certified, I have dove w/ several different buddies of different experience levels. It seems that only the newly certified divers will initiate a buddy check. I am ussually the one to initiate the check at the last minute. I realize that I am responsible for my own safety and I have no problem with setting up my gear. I am just curious as to how many of you actually perform a pre-dive check prior to decending.

I do on every dive.

An excellent and interesting question to which I hope to see many good replies...

Personally, as I usually dive SOLO, I don't do many buddy checks anymore... but when I'm diving with my ultimate buddy (my wife,) I discreetly - as a husband I think should, check her gear for leaks, make sure her air is on etc... and I always ask her if she's done her own checks.

When I dive with others in my business... students are always checked and as for my DM's and other Instructors... I usually do a verbal verification with them such as " Everybody got your weights and air on?"

Buddy checks are always encouraged... and I hope that everyone is out there doint what they learned... there is a reason it is taught... Cheers!

Happy Diving

I can understand what offthewall1 is saying here: not making a scene in front of other divers while making sure your buddy is squared away, low key fashion, and especially if you're related- it may be a source of contention after the dive (but the seed will have been set long before). This in turn could make for a long trip home! Overt interaction on both parts works best though: you check me out then I check you out. Demonstrating a systematic approach instills confidence in your buddy and you and also reinforces what needs to be done. The more you do it, the less chance something will be overlooked.

To me, discreet is best saved for signaling my female dive buddie that she has a boogie under her nose post dive. This prevents immediate embarrassment on her part and future hardship on your part and ultimately everyone is pretty and happy!

With kindest regards,
Thomas

 

[DiveMaven]

My husband (buddy) and I always do gear and bubble checks. We've never had anyone give us a hard time about it, and frankly wouldn't care if they tried. Guess I'd have some snarky remark depending on what they said, and if it were a DM, it wouldn't be me that was embarrassed.

As to people who say it's better to be discreet....personally I think it's simply better to be respectful.