Insta-Buddy Checks:
A Real-World Alternative to Traditional Buddy Checks
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 isn’t a training failure. It’s a design failure.
Why Formal Buddy Checks Don’t Work
Agencies teach checklists like BWARF. The idea is great in theory. In practice? It rarely happens. This is a classic case of Work As Imagined versus Work As Done—a known failure point in Human Factors thinking. What looks good on paper often fails in real life.
Four Human Realities That Sabotage the Buddy Check
To understand why formal buddy checks don't get used, 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 dive trip. |
| People cut corners | If it doesn’t 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 will slow down for their own safety, but not for yours. |
If your safety protocol violates one or more of these principles, it’s unlikely to get followed.
The Better Approach: Embed Checks Into Natural Behavior
A pre-dive check shouldn’t be a standalone ceremony outside of a team diving environment. That’s not how real divers operate—especially in recreational settings.
Instead, it should:
| Goal | Human Behavior |
|---|---|
| Happen in the moment | People hate formality |
| Blend into normal dive prep flow | People cut corners |
| Feel natural and conversational | Nobody wants to be the outsider |
| Focus on your safety, not theirs | Self > Others |
The 4G Framework: How I Do an Insta-Buddy Check
This isn’t a formal checklist. It’s a conversational structure I use to make sure 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’s in your tank? Is it on? Any leaks?
- Go – What’s our dive plan?
These can be slipped into normal conversation during gear setup, boat ride, or pre-dive 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.
- “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’re setting 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, while pointing to components. This gets them familiar with how to help you, and may prompt 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’re both geared up. If they’ve been responsive, I’ll 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’ve been closed off or dismissive, I back off. Sometimes you roll the dice and hope for the best—or opt 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 instantly.
Final Thoughts: Make It About You
If you take one thing from this article, let it be this:
The best way to get someone to help with your safety is to make it about your safety—not their responsibility.
Ask good questions. Be curious, not critical. Set the tone for safe diving without making it a ceremony.
Because the best buddy check is the one that actually gets done.