Every diver like to have a great dive buddy, but we should also look for being *that* one underwater. From poor awareness to bad habits that ruin a perfect dive, some mistakes are more common than you think.
In Top 7 Dive Buddy Fails, we break down the most frustrating (and avoidable) behaviors divers experience below the surface—so you can spot them, fix them, and be the great buddy everyone wants to dive with.
Top 7 Dive Buddy Fails
These common dive buddy fails can disrupt safety, communication, and the overall dive experience:
- Ignoring your buddy.
- Diverting from the dive plan.
- Diving too close.
- Feeling rushed.
- Dive light in the eyes.
- Decrepit dive gear.
- Not diving together enough.
Ignoring Your Buddy
Underwater, small issues can quickly turn into serious situations, which is why dive buddies should stay close and check on each other regularly.
Diverting From the Dive Plan
For some scuba divers, you may think that it is OK to swim down an extra 6m/20ft to look at a cool coral formation up close or follow a turtle into the blue, but these are considered one of the spontaneous dive buddy fails that can make your buddy to feel stress, and even a little dangerous.
Buddies mainly depend on each other for safety, and it’s a bad act to make your dive buddy chase after you or dive beyond their comfort limit or experience may allow.
Diving Too Close
You can put yourself in a trouble when diving too close to the reef – or another diver. Also avoid diving on top of your dive buddy because they may not be able to see you and think you’ve gone missing, or even ascend right into you.
You can cause damage to marine life when swimming too close to the reef. Even over sandy bottoms, fin kicks can stir up sediment and worsen visibility. Ensure to give some space to both your buddy and the reef. No one enjoys losing a mask to a fin kick or causing damage to coral structures that took decades to grow.
Feeling Rushed
Some scuba divers, especially the beginners, swim constantly leading to having shortened dives and exhausted buddies. To avoid this, try to dive slow and take your time to wait and see what emerges from the reef.
On the other hand, some experienced divers conduct hand signals too fast for beginners to understand. Not everyone has a big underwater vocabulary. For this reason, ensure to agree with your dive buddy on signals before diving. When you communicate with your dive buddy underwater, ensure to use slow, exaggerated gestures.
Dive Light in the Eyes
Modern dive torches are extremely bright, so pointing it accidentally in the face can be uncomfortable. The PADI® Night Diver specialty course from DRAR DIVING Center is highly recommended to learn better ways to signal your buddy in night diving or in case of poor visibility.
Decrepit Dive Gear
There some equipment problems that can’t be fixed. Mask straps can break without warning, and transponders don’t always cooperate. On the other hand, a leaky BCD or a free flowing regulator are issues that can be avoided.
The proper and regular maintenance of your dive equipment, and replacing it when necessary, is very crucial for both your safety and dive buddy harmony. Canceled dives and long surface swims can test the patience of any dive buddy, and faulty equipment puts both you and your dive buddy at risk.
Not Diving Together Enough
On the top of the dive buddy fails? Skipping dives too often!
At the end of the day, you will realize that you and your have a special relationship. You both enjoy spotting incredible things and share the experience together. There may not be a hand signal for OMG did you see that? but, do you really need one?
If you’re looking for a great reason to get together with your dive buddy, why not look for a Dive Against Debris near you? It’s a chance for you and your buddy to have fun and do something important for the underwater world.
