BUDDY DIVING BEST PRACTICE

Buddy Diving can save you during catastrophic gear failure, out-of-air emergencies, entanglement, disorientation including but not restricted to cave and wreck diving, and underwater medical emergencies.

As a rule, the buddy system applies to pairs of divers. Even when diving in groups, members of the group should always pair up.

• Both divers should be fit to dive the conditions
• A dive plan should be formulated and agreed on including provisions for separation
• All gear and equipment should be checked before entering the water
• Both divers should be familiar with the operation of each other equipment
• Both divers should be aware of their responsibility to assist the other diver in an emergency
• Divers need to maintain a degree of contact throughout the dive
• Divers should ascend together whenever possible
• Always tell a third party about your dive trip - preferably someone shore-based

FIND A DIVE BUDDY

New Zealand Underwater would be delighted to help you find a dive buddy. The best place to start would be to make contact with one of our member clubs.