The buddy system is the system we teach and use in our courses. It is a “safety net” for each diver as this article talks about, but even more than that, it gives you someone with whom you can share the cool things you see! Happy Diving!
Buddy system
When using the Buddy System, two or more SCUBA divers dive together and co-operate with each other, so that they can help or rescue each other in the event of an emergency. It's a safety procedure that improves the divers' chances of avoiding or surviving accidents in or underwater. The system is likely to be effective in mitigating out-of-air emergencies, non-diving medical emergencies and entrapment in ropes or nets. When used with the buddy check it can help avoid equipment omission, misuse and failure.
In buddy diving each of the divers is presumed to have a responsibility to the other. The "buddies" are expected to monitor each other, to stay close enough together to be able to help in an emergency, to behave safely and to follow the plan agreed by the pair before the dive. When the system fails, it is generally because one of the divers does not live up to his or her responsibilities as a buddy.
The two alternatives, solo diving and diving as an individual in a large group, have disadvantages when compared to the Buddy System especially for the novice. Although solo diving is used by some divers in technical diving, it is only effective if the diver is totally self-sufficient. This is not possible in some cases, such as entrapment in ropes and nets and in non-diving medical emergencies.
In group diving, especially in large groups, poor visibility or currents, individual divers can easily become detached from the group and lose the protection of any experienced divers in the group.
A pair of divers is the best combination in buddy diving: with threesomes, one of the divers easily loses the attention of the other two.
Reprinted by permission of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
** Remember, being a buddy does not mean "same ocean, same day."
It means being close enough to be able to assist each other if needed!
