Insta-Buddy Checks: A Real-World Alternative to Traditional Buddy Checks
Most recreational divers are taught a buddy check, but almost nobody actually does one, especially with a stranger. This article explores why formal checks fail in real life and how to embed safety into natural conversation without awkward rituals.
Note: This article is written for recreational divers. Technical and team divers often use different protocols. This is not a replacement for those procedures.
The Truth: Most Divers Skip Buddy Checks
Most divers are taught some kind of pre-dive buddy check. Almost nobody actually does one. Especially not with a stranger, what we call an insta-buddy.
In my first 50 non-class dives, across 20 different buddies in multiple countries and dive sites, not a single person initiated a buddy check. This is not a training failure. It is a design failure.
Why Formal Buddy Checks Do Not Work
Agencies teach checklists such as BWARF. The idea is solid in theory. In practice it rarely happens. This is a classic case of Work As Imagined versus Work As Done, a known gap in Human Factors. What looks good on paper often fails in real life.
Four Human Realities That Sabotage the Buddy Check
To understand why formal buddy checks are skipped, consider how humans actually behave.
| Human Behavior | How It Breaks the System |
|---|---|
| People hate formality | A choreographed ritual like BWARF feels awkward on a casual trip. |
| People cut corners | If it does not feel required, it gets skipped, especially under time pressure. |
| Nobody wants to be the outsider | Doing something nobody else is doing creates social tension. |
| Self > Others | Most divers slow down for their own safety, but not for yours. |
If your safety protocol violates these principles, it is unlikely to get followed.
The Better Approach: Embed Checks Into Natural Behavior
A pre-dive check should not be a standalone ceremony outside of a team environment. Recreational divers rarely operate that way. Instead, the process should be built into natural interactions and normal dive prep flow.
| Goal | Human Behavior |
|---|---|
| Happen in the moment | People hate formality |
| Blend into normal prep | People cut corners |
| Feel conversational | Nobody wants to be the outsider |
| Focus on your safety | Self > Others |
The 4G Framework: How I Do an Insta-Buddy Check
This is not a formal checklist. It is a conversational structure that ensures I get the information I need without making it awkward or preachy.
- Goals - What are we doing?
- Gear - What are you using and how does it work?
- Gas - What is in your tank? Is it on? Any leaks?
- Go - What is our dive plan?
These can be slipped into normal conversation during setup, boat ride, or briefing. No ceremony required.
How to Do a Buddy Check with a Stranger
First Contact: Establish Psychological Safety
Start the moment you meet your buddy. You will not achieve full psychological safety instantly, but small steps help.
- “Hey, I’m Tyler. You are…?”
- “What brought you here?”
These quick exchanges build rapport and may reveal their goals or stressors.
Gear Prep: Ask About Their Setup
While they set up, ask:
- “What BCD is that?”
- “Looks like it uses integrated weights and a left shoulder pull dump?”
- “I’m using a back-inflate with cam band weights.”
Talk about their gear first. Then explain yours, pointing to components. This gets them familiar with how to help you and often prompts them to do the same.
- “Looks like you’ve got a spool and SMB - is that just for emergency?”
- “I’m on Nitrox 32. Looks like you’re on air?”
- “I run a long hose config - standard octo for you?”
These naturally hit gear and gas.
After Setup: Watch for Openness
Now you are both geared up. If they have been responsive, I will ask:
- “Mind doing a bubble check when we’re in?”
- “Just checking - my air’s on.”
Simple, direct, and for your safety. No ritual needed. If they are dismissive, I back off. Sometimes you roll the dice and hope for the best or choose to sit it out.
What Not to Say (If You Want Cooperation)
Avoid statements that signal ego, judgment, or superiority:
- “How many dives do you have?”
- “What’s your highest cert?”
- “You really should take [class].”
- “There’s a better way to rig that.”
- “I’ve been here before - just follow me.”
- “Are you with [agency]?”
These kill trust and psychological safety quickly.
Final Thoughts: Make It About You
If you take one thing from this article, let it be this:
Help comes easier when it is about your safety, not their duty.
Ask good questions. Be curious, not critical. Set the tone for safe diving without turning it into a ceremony. Because the best buddy check is the one that actually gets done.