One of the rules of diving is to never dive alone. Therefore, you need someone to join you.
However, finding the perfect dive buddy is not so easy, after all.
Let’s find out together what a dive buddy is, how to be a good dive buddy, and how to find the one and only for you.
What is a dive buddy?
One of the rules of diving is to never dive alone. Therefore, we form a buddy team underwater with a buddy on all our dives. We can plan our dives together, help out in case of emergency, and have more fun together.
A good dive buddy makes every dive more fun. After all, we want to experience the underwater world together and make new memories.
Most importantly, we need a dive buddy if we ever experience an emergency above or underwater. From sharing the octopus to calling the emergency number of our dive insurance, good dive buddies are there for each other.
Last but not least, most diving operators require people to dive in buddy teams, so you will need one anyway.
How to be a good dive buddy
Here are 10 things that make a good dive buddy stand out among the crowd:
- Fun to be around
- Loves to dive
- Communicates well
- Has good diving skills
- Takes great underwater photos
- Stays calm in case of emergency
- Takes care of their equipment
- Knows how to do a buddy check
- Doesn’t pressure anyone
- Can be trusted
1 Fun to be around
A good dive buddy should be fun to be around, optimistic, and make a dive better than without.
2 Loves to dive
A shared passion for diving is required to be a good dive buddy. After all, that’s why we do it!
3 Communicates well
Communication is key to forming a great buddy team! This applies to the planning before the dive, as well as underwater signals.
Regular pressure and okay checks should be a given.
4 Has good diving skills
Good diving skills make anyone more fun to dive with. As good dive buddies, we make sure that our buoyancy is flawless and that our diving skills are up to date.
You can also take diving courses together to practice your team skills!
5 Takes great underwater photos
This is a nice extra for those who want to move up from good to great dive buddy! 😁
After all, we can always use someone to take great shots of us with their underwater camera.
6 Stays calm in case of emergency
Good emergency management skills are important above and underwater. Knowing how and when to share the octopus, what to do in case of decompression illness, or when to call the ambulance are just a few points to observe here.
7 Takes care of their equipment
Taking care of your scuba gear is crucial for safe diving.
A good dive buddy takes care of their dive equipment, has it serviced regularly, and knows when it’s time to buy something new.
8 Knows how to do a buddy check
A buddy check is more than just patting each other on the shoulder and saying “Let’s go!”. A good dive buddy is easy to spot because they don’t neglect this important part of the dive.
9 Doesn’t pressure anyone
Peer pressure is one of the main reasons why dives go wrong. Especially beginners tend to feel or get pressured by those more experienced and get talked into dives they should not do.
As a good dive buddy you never pressure anyone!
10 Can be trusted
Last but not least, trust is arguably the most important aspect of being and finding a good dive buddy. Only dive with those you trust or find someone else!
How to find a dive buddy
There are many different ways on how and where to find a dive buddy. Some important ones are:
- Friends & family
- Dive club
- During a diving course
- On vacation
- Online
Check out our guide on how to find a dive buddy for more tips and tricks!
Conclusion
This concludes this short post on how to be a good dive buddy.
Have fun together and explore the underwater world, but stay safe doing so!
What makes a good dive buddy in your eyes?
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Always dive with friends and happy bubbles. 😃
Cheers
Julius