Buddy Checks: The Two Minutes That Prevent Real Problems

Every November, as Movember gets people talking more openly about safety and looking out for each other, it feels like a good moment to revisit one of the simplest, most effective safety habits in diving, and one of the most commonly skipped: the pre-dive buddy check. It takes less than two minutes, costs nothing, and yet it's still one of the first things to get rushed or skipped entirely once divers feel experienced enough to think they don't need it anymore.

Why the Buddy Check Matters More Than It Gets Credit For

Equipment problems rarely announce themselves loudly before a dive. A weight belt that isn't quite secure, a BCD inflator hose that wasn't fully connected, a cylinder valve only half open, none of these are dramatic in a kit room, but every one of them has caused a genuinely dangerous situation at depth. The buddy check exists specifically to catch these small, easy to miss issues before they become someone's actual emergency underwater, at a point where fixing them is trivial rather than frightening.

It also does something less obvious but just as important: it opens a conversation. Running through a buddy check together forces two divers to actually talk before a dive, confirm hand signals, agree on a maximum depth and turn pressure, and generally check in with each other's state of mind, not just their equipment. A lot of near misses in diving trace back not to a single equipment fault but to two buddies who never quite agreed on the plan in the first place.

What a Proper Buddy Check Actually Covers

Most training agencies teach some version of the same structure, working through BCD, weights, releases, air, and a final check, often remembered with a simple mnemonic. In practice that means confirming your buddy's BCD inflates and deflates properly and that the low-pressure inflator hose is securely connected, checking that weights are correctly positioned and that you both know how your buddy's weight release works, confirming that harness releases and buckles are secure and that you know how to help release them in an emergency, checking that air is turned fully on, breathing correctly through the primary and backup regulator, and confirming pressure reads correctly on the gauge, and finally doing an overall look over, mask, fins, computer, torch, and anything specific to that dive.

None of this is complicated. What makes it effective is doing it properly, every single time, rather than treating it as a formality to get through quickly.

Common Mistakes Divers Make

The single biggest mistake is simply skipping it, usually because a group is diving with familiar buddies and everyone assumes everything is fine. Familiarity is exactly when checks slip, not when they stop mattering. A close second is rushing through it as a scripted routine without actually looking, glancing at a BCD without testing the inflator, or asking about weights without physically checking the release mechanism.

Another common issue is checking equipment but skipping the conversation part entirely, confirming gear is fine but never actually agreeing on the dive plan, signals, or what to do if you get separated. And on group or guided dives, divers sometimes assume the guide has effectively done the check for everyone, which isn't the case, your buddy check is still your responsibility, not something you can outsource to someone else in the water.

How to Actually Practice It

The best way to build a genuinely reliable buddy check habit is to practice it deliberately with a regular buddy until it becomes second nature rather than something you have to consciously remember. Run through it slowly and out loud at first, actually saying what you're checking and why, rather than mumbling through the motions. Swap roles so you get comfortable both checking someone else's kit and being checked yourself, since the habit works best when it flows naturally in both directions.

It's also worth practising the check on unfamiliar equipment occasionally, borrowed kit, a rental BCD, a different weight system, since a buddy check you can only do on your own familiar gear isn't as useful when it actually matters.

What Instructors Look For

When we're assessing divers, whether during initial training or on a Rescue Diver or Divemaster course, a properly run buddy check is one of the clearest signals of a genuinely safety-conscious diver. We're watching for whether checks are done thoroughly rather than performed for show, whether divers communicate clearly rather than just nodding along, and whether the habit holds up under mild time pressure, like a boat crew waiting to get everyone in the water.

Divers working towards a Rescue Diver certification in particular spend real time on exactly this kind of prevention-focused thinking, since so much of rescue diving is really about stopping small problems from becoming big ones in the first place.

Making It a Habit, Not a Chore

The divers who keep this habit long term tend to be the ones who understand it isn't really about distrust of their buddy's competence, it's simply good practice, the same way a pilot runs through a pre-flight checklist regardless of how experienced they are. Two minutes, every dive, no exceptions, is a small price for the peace of mind it buys both of you once you're underwater and genuinely relying on each other.

Common Questions About Buddy Checks

What if my buddy is far more experienced than me? The check still applies both ways. Experience reduces the chance of a mistake, it doesn't remove it, and a more experienced diver missing a step is just as capable of ending up with a genuine equipment problem underwater as anyone else.

Do I still need to do this when diving with a guide? Yes. A guide is generally focused on navigation, the group as a whole, and site-specific hazards, not verifying that your individual weight release or inflator hose is properly connected. That responsibility stays with you and your buddy.

What's the difference between a buddy check and a general gear check? A gear check is something you do alone before kitting up, confirming your own equipment is present and assembled correctly. A buddy check happens afterwards, together, and specifically covers things you can't easily verify on yourself, like whether your own weight belt release is accessible and correctly threaded.

How do instructors teach this without it feeling like a chore? Mostly by explaining the reasoning behind each step rather than just having students memorise a mnemonic. Divers who understand why a check matters tend to keep doing it properly long after certification, while divers who only memorised the acronym often let it slide within a season.

Does this matter for shore dives as much as boat dives? If anything, more so. On a boat, crew are often on hand to help spot an obvious problem before you roll in. On a shore dive, it's usually just you and your buddy, so a thorough check before you wade in is one of the few safety nets you actually have.

Want to sharpen your safety skills further? Browse our course listing for Rescue Diver and other skills-focused courses, or get in touch to talk through what would help your diving most. Call us on +44 (0) 118 9761 729 or visit us at Bellman Court, Great Knollys Street, Reading, RG1 7HN.