On Wednesday, May 29, 2002 7:24 PM, Kuty wrote:

> >Mate!  An "assigned" buddy can take all of the fun out of diving - and,
to
> >my way of thinking, *can* be potentially far more hazardous than diving
> >solo! :-)

> >It seems to me that far too many operators, hung up on the "buddy
system",
> >overlook exactly what the term means and put an unfair onus of
> >responsibility on one or other of the divers in order to pad out the
bottom
> >line in their cash till!  :-)

> That's a great point.  The problem as I see it is how can we put an end to
> this fiasco.  Should we declare a divers' boycott on any operation which
> force the buddy system?  Should we support PADI's "solo diver"
certification?

> A tough call.

G'Day, Mate!  It is, indeed, a 'tough call' and one that, in a sense, begins
at entry level training when people - usually willingly - accept an
Instructor's decision to buddy them with somebody that they may not know.
With that sort of mindset already in place, it becomes almost a matter of
course to accept a dive leader's right to assign a buddy and - apart,
perhaps, from a few grumbles and mental qualms - dive with them.  Regardless
of the level of experience.

(This tends to happen a lot when you're travelling alone and the operator
knows that you hold an Instructor rating! )

> Besides there is another angle.  Most of the novice divers learn a lot by
> diving with experienced divers.  The forced buddy system helps them find
an
> experienced buddy from time to time.  We can't knock this advantage for
the
> newbies.

I usually have little problem with that situation and in fact would prefer
to dive with a novice who admits to relative inexperience.  In those
situations, I tend to work out a dive plan *with* them, (rather than
*telling* them!) and then allow them to lead the dive.  :-)

In the case of a complete stranger who claims 'experience' and who is
determined to lead the dive, I tend to be more cautious.  (Overlooking
pre-dive buddy checks etc. is something that probably a lot of us do when
we're comfortable - and have been diving often - with a particular buddy.
When diving with strangers, it's essential to go back to Diving 101 and
discussing together exactly what the "Buddy System" means in its entirety!)
:-)

Strike