Let’s look at a friend check in detail…
Why do a friend verification in the first place? Answer… For your peace of mind. You may have dived with this particular buddy hundreds of times, with the same gear and setup or this is your first time diving together, in either case I advise you to do the same check. The buddy you’ve dived with hundreds of times before may have forgotten something this time. The buddy you have never dived with may not have set up their gear correctly or have equipment you are not familiar with, ie the weight system or the BCD inflation system. You need to know how this equipment works or is disposed of in an emergency.
If you are PADI trained you were taught the “BWRAF” check or if you were BSAC trained you were taught the “BARE” check or a variation of that, both methods cover the same checks but in a different order and aim to satisfy the same . criteria… So let’s do a “Buddy Check”.
B stands for “BUOYANCY”. You check your friends buoyancy device, how does it inflate? Inflate it, just a little, how do you deflate? deflate it. Where are fast air dumps located and how are they operated? Are there any obvious leaks that could cause a problem later in the dive?
W on the PADI check stands for weights, this comes under E for extras on the BSAC checks. You check your friends weight system, are they using a belt or built-in weights? If it’s a belt, is it tight? (If it’s a little loose, it could cause a problem by slipping down when they hit the water or when they descend and compress the wetsuit/drysuit.) Is the buckle closed properly? i.e. no straps caught in the clasp preventing the buckle from closing all the way (I’ve seen this many times on dive boats, the loose end of the belt hangs at an angle when the buckle is closed and gets caught on the bottom of the buckle that allows the buckle to open when the diver hits the water, resulting in weight loss of the belt at the surface or worse when the diver is at 30 meters). Is it turned on properly? That is, release of the left hand. Is the buckle easily accessible? It must not be obstructed by the BCD cumberband, for example. For integrated weight systems, check that they are fully secured with whatever safety devices they have, i.e. clips, straps, Velcro, etc. Make sure you know how to release them in an emergency. (Personally, I hate integrated weight systems, any method of securing them never seems very safe or foolproof to me.)
R for releases. Check the tosses on your friend’s buoyancy device, how many tosses are there? Where they are located? Are they all safe? How are they disposed of in an emergency?
for air I start with the tank band, is it tight? If the clip is closed properly, one important thing is to make sure that the loose end of the strap goes through the third slot in the buckle, this ensures that the buckle doesn’t hit and come loose, which many experienced divers don’t do. locking the tank straps this way, I have seen several incidents where a diver’s tank has come loose mid dive, upon close inspection the tank strap has not been secured and closed this way . Is the band wet? If the tank band has been tightened to the cylinder when dry, it will appear tight, but as soon as you get in the water and get wet, the strap will expand, resulting in a loose tank band.
Then make sure the air is on, check the SPG to make sure there is enough air in the cylinder for your planned dive. Then check the second stages, both of you should take a few breaths simultaneously, your main 2nd stage partner, you alternate 2nd stage, take 3-4 deep breaths together while looking at the SPG, if there is any flickering or movement of the needle SPG is a problem with the listed regulators and they should not be used until the problem has been found and fixed, this is usually something as simple as turning the air on full.
F is for “final” just like E is for “extras”, check that everything is secure in place and streamlined, that there is nothing loose that could snag and cause the diver to become trapped or drag along the bottom and damage the piece of equipment. or marine life. The fins and the mask are ready to be delivered and the straps are in good condition.
This may seem long and time consuming, but in practice it only takes 2-4 minutes tops, time well spent if you find a problem or the potential cause of a problem and fix it before it happens.
You are now ready to get in the water, but just one more check once you are in the water, go down to 3-6 meters and just watch others for any unwanted bubbles coming from hoses, fittings, inflators, etc.
Enjoy your dive being as sure as possible that neither of you will experience any unexpected equipment problems during the dive.
