Buddy Checks and your Habits.

[Allan Carr]

My most frequent diving buddies are my wife and my sons. I obviously know their gear totally but I always make sure we do a function check and I carry out a quick visual check to make sure everything is OK.

[StuP]

As most of my diving revolves around novices at the moment i always carry out a full buddy check. Especially as some of the dives involve long walks from the car park to entry point. So there's a full check done in the car park to make sure they've got all there kit together and another one done prior to entry. I know this seems a lot but after you've spent 10 - 15 mins walking across a cliff top the last thing you want is someone forgetting a mask or glove.

Stuart

[nigelH]

Originally Posted by Stuart Percival

As most of my diving revolves around novices at the moment i always carry out a full buddy check.

Definitely. Novices, the DO and anybody I haven't dived with before get the works.

However I use the PADI BWRAF to check myself and if I'm diving with my son it normally comes down to "Ready to go then?". Everybody else somewhere in between.

[Janos]

I always do a full buddy check. It helps me make sure that I haven't forgotton anything such as my weightbelt (a personal favourite ).

I pay extra attention when diving with trainees or people who are doing (say) the first dive of the year as I think it has a psychological benefits. If I go through my buddy check clearly and confidently I find it can help settle people's nerves.

Laters,
Janos

[Paul Oliver]

Very much the same as Janos, it helps me avoid getting in the water with something missing.

Also i do most of my diving with new or inexperienced divers so it is very important within that. I don't have a regular buddy as such but if i did i would probably slacken off a little but still go through one myself, if you see what i mean.

[Chris Bone]

I have found that recently I will do a full buddy check with rec divers but tend to do a full self check when tec diving as this is normally with the same buddy.

[Scuby]

When teaching or diving with inexperienced people, then i'll ALWAYS do a full buddy check. When i'm diving with people of a similar level to me that I know, then generally won't bother too much.
If they want to do one then i'm happy to, but some people spend far too long over it - when i'm diving with someone for the millionth time I really don't want to be told "this is my regulator and this is my octopus" and that "to release my weightbelt just pull on this". I know that already - just tell me if anything is different or unusual, otherwise just satisfy **yourself** that **your** own kit works.

I will always know that all of my own kit works before I jump in, it takes a couple of seconds to check myself without explaining it in minute detail to someone who really isn't paying attention anyway - although as long as i've got air i'm happy.

David

[Dinner Lady]

Originally Posted by Janos

I always do a full buddy check. It helps me make sure that I haven't forgotton anything

I agree with this, not only does it stop me from forgetting anything but I think it also gets me more focused on what's going on, but then I'm a newbie and my Instructor has anal tendencies (but brilliant with it!)

[dry suit diver]

I do a self check on my own kit using BWRAF every dive and check my buddy if they are a new buddy or they have new kit and I need to know how to release things.

[The Duck]

Most of the time I do a buddy check (BWRAF) and it has picked up the unconnected dry-suit feed once or twice.