{"id":1069,"date":"2025-08-04T04:30:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T04:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/divehq.co.nz\/blog\/?p=1069"},"modified":"2025-08-04T04:30:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T04:30:16","slug":"the-importance-of-buddy-checks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/divehq.co.nz\/blog\/the-importance-of-buddy-checks\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of Buddy Checks!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Buddy Checks are so simple, so important and yet so often missed or just glanced over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As new divers you were taught how to set up your scuba gear and to check that your equipment is working properly. That your BCD is inflating and deflating as it should, that your tank is full, your regulator is breathing well and the air tastes good. If you like your dive buddy, you will even check that your \u2018octi\u2019 is functioning as well. \ud83d\ude0a

So why then do we need to do a buddy check?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is your opportunity to familiarise yourself with your buddy\u2019s gear so that you can help them or yourself in an emergency. This is especially important as you go diving with the club or on trips with new dive buddies whose gear may be significantly different than your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a recent trip one of our divers was told by her buddy \u2018that as she wasn\u2019t familiar with Sidemount equipment and configurations it wasn\u2019t worth doing a buddy check\u2019. 
& yet this is exactly when and why a buddy check should be done.
Don\u2019t assume that just because your buddy\u2019s equipment looks technical, fancy or more expensive than yours that they know what they are doing or that they won\u2019t need assistance during the dive. If your equipment is the set that is different then it is your responsibility to highlight what your buddy needs to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do we check?<\/p>\n\n\n\n