What Kind of Insta-buddy Experience Do You Prefer

[MichaelMc]

#7 - self reliant with frequent check 20’ buddy. It’s more fun to explore together and extra help enhances safety. If you lose them, pop up 20’ and wait, in high vis tropics it should be obvious to find each other. They’re redundant but it would nag at me losing them. Then drop a marker buoy and start checking bubble sources. I expect buddy to show up if I spend a few minutes futzing with being stuck in something. Being vulnerable without buddy seems silly (e.g. OOA failure).

Respondent’s experience level may skew poll. 5 dives total seems unlikely to pick solo/DIR/GUE. I have ~110 Southern and Northern Cal dives plus some tropical high vis. Much of my recent diving has been shadowing advanced Nor Cal students, or tropical non-redundant ’solo’ in a lead dive boat. (Edit to merge paragraphs)

I’m not sure of the subtlety between DIR/GUI and close buddy. I’m not DIR/GUI trained. Does it go to predive prep and level of awareness/training?

 

[Bert van den Berg]

During the winter, when my wife doesn't dive, I dive solo a lot.

The one exception where I asked an "insta buddy" if he would like a dive partner was after he told me he was a retired Marine fighter pilot who had been shot at on a few occasions. Figured he was not likely to panic easily.

 

[drrich2]

I’m not sure of the subtlety between DIR/GUI and close buddy. I’m not DIR/GUI trained. Does it go to predive prep and level of awareness/training?

I'm not DIR-trained either and I'm curious, too. I've seen enough threads where it was discussed to get a sense that the team diving training standardizing on some elements of gear (IIRC?) is over & beyond the 'typical' buddy system as I think it's commonly understood. This comes out more in threads where people discuss dive plans for really advanced dives (e.g.: multi-gas, or cave); I was curious as to how many divers would prefer that 'up gunned' approach even in benign tropical conditions. So far, I'm a bit surprised at how many...

Richard.

 

[kelemvor]

Funny you asked this, I do not know how many times I have asked my new boat buddy ( these same question ) what kind of buddy he wants and I get this deer in the head lights look from him.
Before I get in the water I know if we will be looking for each other and what the course of action will be. I am fine with hand holding to same sea same day, but I will know what it is before I start the dive. I guess "plan the dive and dive the plan".

You've done a lot more diving than I, but I've only had that conversation once with an instabuddy. She wanted me to know it was definitely a same day same ocean situation, which I was quite fine with. That was on a scubaboard trip with another scubaboard member. I've never seen the subject discussed with folks outside of scubaboard ever. I bet most people aren't aware there are other options outside of scubaboard readers and perhaps divers with higher diving certs.

I've spent several dives chasing around inconsiderate buddies who just take off in a random direction as fast as they can kick. T

When I switched to a nonstandard gear configuration (bungeed octo, later replaced with air2) where I didn't have a primary in your mouth and yellow octo at your right hip, I made sure to tell every instabuddy to just grab the reg out of my mouth if they needed it. I think if you're sticking with the configuration that every school (except maybe GUE/DIR) teaches, everything is already standardized.

Luckily for me, I got married and she's a diver. Now I have a permabuddy.

 

[Schwob]

I'm not DIR-trained either and I'm curious, too. I've seen enough threads where it was discussed to get a sense that the team diving training standardizing on some elements of gear (IIRC?) is over & beyond the 'typical' buddy system as I think it's commonly understood. This comes out more in threads where people discuss dive plans for really advanced dives (e.g.: multi-gas, or cave); I was curious as to how many divers would prefer that 'up gunned' approach even in benign tropical conditions. So far, I'm a bit surprised at how many...

Richard.

To me it makes sense for there to be two bigger groups - in the widest sense:

- "laissez faire" (loosey goosey)
&
- "under control & no surprises"

To me, the way I see it, team diving as well as planned solo, both would fall under the latter.
Sort of like it's nice and reassuring to know which side of the road to drive on and to trust others will do so too and it won't change on you just because someone else sits in the car...

#2 already falls off. If you like that, it may be nice that that other, unknown buddy is close, but are the procedures really the same in deed, when it matters or just in pre-dive talk? Yes, we may intent to be driving in the same direction, but are we even on the same side of the road so to speak?

 

[Asteve]

.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

It is totally dependent on the situation. Conditions, dives, objectives, and what I am paying for the dives.
If you are going to be my buddy then you'll be my buddy. Within arms reach at all times. Regardless of conditions unless I know you very well. Then if you want to have 10 ft between us, fine. But that will be communicated before we get in the water. Do it during the dive with asking via hand signals, slate, or wet notes? Ok, you're on your own.
If conditions are really bad vis wise, I'd rather dive alone.
Deep or challenging dives? If I know you well ok. Otherwise, again I'd rather be solo.
Certain dives when I'm taking photos? Alone is better.
If I'm paying for the dives? Not going to babysit a new diver dropped on me by the op without financial compensation.
Ask me to dive with me, be honest about your skill level and experience, 99% of the time I'll say yes.
Unless the dives fall into the previously noted areas. I'm not giving up a 100 ft dive to a place I want to see and spend time at to dive with a new diver. Or give up a photo opportunity on a dive where I spent money to get to the location and then for the boat ride out.

 

[oldschoolto]

When I'm alone in Bonaire and not diving with my wife... I try and find a HOT young 20 something female that is new to diving and looks up to crusty old divers like me...

Jim...

 

[AdivingBel]

When I'm alone in Bonaire and not diving with my wife... I try and find a HOT young 20 something female that is new to diving and looks up to crusty old divers like me...

Jim...

Now that's just creepy...

BTW, gonna be there the first couple weeks of October. (Didn't you say on another thread you're doing an extended visit this fall?) I'm a hot 20 something dude (if you cut me in three pieces ) and my wife looks really hot climbing out of her wetsuit. (There are SO many ways you can interpret that). Maybe we should hookup and do some diving & beverages.

 

[oldschoolto]

Now that's just creepy...

BTW, gonna be there the first couple weeks of October. (Didn't you say on another thread you're doing an extended visit this fall?) I'm a hot 20 something dude (if you cut me in three pieces ) and my wife looks really hot climbing out of her wetsuit. (There are SO many ways you can interpret that). Maybe we should hookup and do some diving & beverages.

I'm arriving in Bonaire on aug 26th and will be there till oct 29th... Would love to meet up for some diving.. Wife get's in for the last 2 weeks.. Have you done Bonaire before ? Keep in touch ..

Jim...