The sun is hot, you’re all worked up – fiddling with each other again? Better not.
But you should still do a buddy check.
Buddy check when diving – essential, not just theory
The buddy check, or more generally: the safety check in the team before the dive, is actually a standard. It is taught by all associations, in all courses and at all levels. Nevertheless, the reality at the dive site is often different.
Why? Because it supposedly takes too long. Because it’s hot, you want to get into the water quickly, or because you’re convinced you’ve already thoroughly checked your equipment. Because you always dive with the same people and think you can rely on them blindly. Or because the guide is pushing, the group gets impatient and the check simply goes under.
But what can happen if you skip this step? In harmless cases, it’s just an inconvenience – for example, if the lead is missing and you can’t dive down in the first place. Annoying, but not life-threatening. The situation is different if the bottle is only turned half a turn. In shallow areas, you won’t notice anything, but at a depth of 30 meters, suddenly there is hardly any air. Or if the bottle strap is not positioned correctly and the bottle slips down at the worst possible moment. This is exactly what the Buddy Check is designed to prevent.
My approach for the buddy check
I don’t like excessive fiddling with others. For me, it has to be quick, clearly structured and so simple that it really is done every time – and doesn’t fall asleep again after a few dives.
Everyone checks their own equipment first and foremost, but shows it to the others. This way, the team can see at a glance that everything is in order without anyone turning buckles or valves without being asked. Everyone does this at the same time and the job is done within one or two minutes.
The core elements look like this:
-
Buoyancy control – inflate jacket, deflate, test rapid deflation.
-
Lead – correctly positioned in the belt or jacket, extra lead with you?
-
Buckles & straps – all closed, symmetrical and tight, bottle strap really tight.
-
Breathe from both regulators while looking at the pressure gauge – the needle must not move.
Bottle all the way open – but loose
A classic always causes discussion: Should you open the bottle all the way or turn it back a little? Some believe that you have to turn it back a quarter of a turn so that the valve doesn’t “jam”, and this is often the way it is taught. Technical divers, on the other hand, only know two states: either the cylinder is fully open or fully closed. And for good reasons.
My recommendation is clear: The bottle should be screwed on all the way – and loosely. Don’t tighten it with force, but in such a way that you can wiggle the wheel slightly at the end. This ensures that nothing is jammed and that the bottle is really open.
Why is this so important? Because a bottle that is only half open remains inconspicuous in shallow water, but suddenly no longer lets enough gas through at depth. This can be really dangerous in an emergency. This is explained very well in the article “Old habits die hard” in the Divers Alert Network (DAN).
Buddy check in technical diving
In technical diving – for example in a cave or with complex equipment – the buddy check is taken even more seriously. It’s not just about making sure that everything fits, but also that everyone really knows what the others have and how it works.
This includes a kind of “equipment matching”: long pants free, main and backup lamps tested, knife and spare mask shown, wetnotes, computer and compass, cookies, reels, spools – everything is demonstrated and checked. Equally important is the final review of the dive plan: Gas rules, task allocation, team order.
And while the check in recreational diving usually takes place on land, in technical diving it takes place directly on the surface of the water immediately before the descent.
The first look under water
Whether recreational or technical diving: The first moment under water is another opportunity for a silent check. In recreational diving, a quick glance is often enough: everything is okay, no bubbles where they shouldn’t be.
This is ritualized in the technical area: First the bubble check – everyone turns slowly around their own axis while the buddies check whether gas is escaping anywhere. This is often followed by the S-drill: the controlled testing of the gas release via the long pants. These routines ensure that the team is really ready for action before they go deep.
Conclusion
The buddy check can be annoying and is often skipped. However, it is not an annoying ritual, but the safety net for a relaxed dive. Performing it briefly, clearly and without unnecessary fiddling saves time, avoids stress and massively increases safety.
And when it becomes a real routine – as natural as putting on a mask or putting on fins – then it is no longer ballast, but a small moment of calm before the adventure begins.
