The Buddy System

During your confined water dives, you'll start practicing the buddy system - always diving with a buddy who stays nearby at all times. Your buddy assists you with things like putting on and checking your equipment before the dive, helps remind you to check your depth, time and air supply limits, and provides emergency assistance in the unlikely event you need it.

Hopefully it goes without saying that you do the same for your buddy. With a proper buddy system, you both benefit in terms of convenience, safety and fun.

Diving is a social activity, so the buddy system is more than one of diving's safety rules - though it is that. Diving with someone adds to the fun. Together, you and your buddy share experiences and underwater adventures, sometimes seeing things that no one else ever will. You may be surprised how many new friends you meet through diving and the buddy system.

Three general reasons apply to diving with a buddy: 1) practicality, 2) safety and 3) fun.You and your buddy have a responsibility to each other. For the buddy sys-tem to work, you and your buddy must take it seriously (but still have fun) and work at staying together underwater. So, develop the habit and start practicing the buddy system during your con-fined water dives.

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