What is your pre-dive accident-prevention check-list when diving with a new buddy ?

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I think people are focusing on boat dives.

I’ll talk about shore dives where I am glad to dive with anyone regardless of skill level. There was a diver named Bruce Bury who often helped out new divers.

For the dive briefing, I like to go over maps, points of interests, hazards, tide/current info. I like to have a look over their gear. As I’ve made the transition to sidemount primarily, I want them to understand how I would donate gas to them. Review hand signals, light signals (as it is always night in the Puget Sound).

Go over the goals, what to see, etc and develop a plan. Discuss turn pressure.

In the water, top to bottom equipment checks, bubble checks and off we go.

 

[caruso]

Your answer implies that you must "know somebody" therefore you must have, at least once in your life, had to dive with somebody you didn't know before -- which is what the OP's question was about.

I'm sorry I don't understand what you're saying. But yes, in the past I have been hooked up with instabuddys and for the most part it's gone well, some were more skilled and experienced than I was, some were about equal and some were clueless, but since I don't know what I'm going to get, and a buddy of equal or lesser skills is to me, a distraction and a potential liability, I'd prefer no buddy rather than hoping for one who is better at diving than I am. Even diving with a buddy with more skill has it's drawbacks in that you still need to pay some attention to them which to me detracts from the prime directive of scuba diving, which is to see stuff. Then again someone could say "well a buddy is a second pair of eyes" and they'd be making an excellent point. Wait I just said that. Never mind.

 

[rabe]

What is your pre-dive accident-prevention check-list when diving with a new buddy ?

When at the surface, what strategies would you want to review with a new buddy to make sure that all the efficient reactions to potential hazards and emergencies are anticipated ?

1) try to understand the level of your buddy: if too different (in both way), is going to be a bad dive
2) go over hand signals, and be sure your buddy doesn't use anything weird
3) be clear and explain how your spare air and weight system work, and get the same info from your buddy
4) be clear on the plan and what is your goal for that dive: if incompatible, change buddy
5) if you're confident, lead the dive
6) if you're not confident, before letting the buddy leading the dive, be sure that he/she will able to do so (does he know the location? does he have good experience, or he's just a cocky diver with no experience? etc.)
7) be sure your buddy won't do anything stupid/leave you alone in case of emergency/freak out/disappear within 1 minute in the dive (unfortunately, I have experienced all of that)
8) be prepared and do not rely 100% on him. In other words, be prepared of being by yourself
9) ...

 

[caruso]

3) be clear and explain how your spare air and weight system work

He said spare air. Here comes another 100 page thread.

 

[northernone]

What is your pre-dive accident-prevention check-list when diving with a new buddy ?

When at the surface, what strategies would you want to review with a new buddy to make sure that all the efficient reactions to potential hazards and emergencies are anticipated ?

Before I get in the water with someone I'll ask about their safety concerns and what factors they have involved. It's a minute conversation. I couldn't anticipate every problem, I'm simply trying to assess their capacity and perspective. The details work out on their own.

How they answer determines how much I anticipate needing to be entirely self reliant and how likely they are to need rescued.

Things like health, equipment and dive background are all interesting. I also try to hear a few dive stories , getting a sense of what their "normal" dive is like.

Cameron

 

[rabe]

He said spare air. Here comes another 100 page thread.

 

[Bob DBF]

I think people are focusing on boat dives.

I did because on my shore dives I rarely run into another diver unless I bring them along, and then pretty much the same conversation but done before the ride to the coast. And the added discussion of conditions, tides, currents, and special supprises some places have waiting for you.


Bob

 

[TMHeimer]

My answers won't probably seem very much like a DM, but...
I rarely take charters (MAYBE once yearly), so I'm just not used to having a buddy, so, I'm very basic.
Top priority is to make sure each of us knows how to release weights.
General dive plan. Depth, bottom time, who leads when. Generally, I like to lead the first part of the dive and look for shells. Then turn it over to the buddy for him/her to do what they want. All within the general plan, of course.
Have to admit I don't discuss much more than that with the instabuddy.
Air share? Maybe, but I assume the buddy knows that procedure and have heard several instructors tell classes it never goes that way anyway, the OOG person just panics and grabs.
Separation? That's a tough one. I just discuss with the buddy that we stay REAL close because we don't want to have to
"search for one minute then surface"--from 80-90' and end the dive after 5 minutes.

Most of the instabuddies I've had have been quite good (maybe by luck?). Then again, most of my diving has been in places where a "vacation" diver is a rarity.

 

[Ojai Diver]

The assumption seems to that the person asking for a buddy is this hopeless, needy accident waiting to happen, and the person receiving the request is some sage explorer of the deep.

I asked to be buddied when I dove in the Atlantic for the first time recently. My motives were partly safety, and partly social. One guy said no, and the other agreed.

The first guy forgot a vital piece of gear, and didn't dive.

The second guy dove but experienced an emergency and had to abort.

I dove solo, happily, while these two sat it out.

Point is, just asking for a buddy is not evidence of incompetence. And being asked to buddy does not mean you will never require assistance yourself.

As Bob noted, we all learned from somebody. We should be willing to give back.

People should get over themselves.

 

[BalekFekete]

As Bob noted, we all learned from somebody. We should be willing to give back.

Want to just chime in with a new divers appreciation for this sort of mentality. Seasoned vets can have a dramatic impact on a new diver and whether he/she takes up the sport hardcore. Be the model diver you'd want us n00bs to turn into, please. /soapbox

Now, back on topic, only thing above and beyond what's been said that I do - I remind my buddy (a.k.a. wife) that life insurance doesn't pay off if we do down diving, so it's in our best interest to keep each other safe. (Granted, don't know if that's true for my policies, but she doesn't know that )