Buddy Checks: The Two Minutes That Could Save Your Dive

It's easy to see the pre-dive buddy check as a formality, something to rush through before the fun part starts. Ask any experienced instructor and they'll tell you the opposite, a proper buddy check is one of the single most valuable habits you can build into your diving, and it takes less time than it took to read this sentence twice, yet it's one of the first habits that slips once divers get comfortable.

Why the Buddy Check Actually Matters

The buddy check exists because equipment problems are far easier to fix on the surface than 15 metres down. A loose weight belt, an unclipped BCD strap, or a regulator that hasn't been switched on properly are all minor annoyances at the surface and genuinely serious problems underwater. The check also does something less obvious but equally important, it makes sure you and your buddy actually know where each other's key equipment is, so if something does go wrong later in the dive, you're not fumbling around a stranger's kit trying to find their alternate air source.

It's especially valuable this time of year, with quarry sessions and summer training dives bringing together buddy pairs who might not have dived together before, including a lot of junior divers pairing up with parents or instructors for the first time.

The Common Mistakes We See

The most common mistake by far is speed, rushing through the check as a box-ticking exercise rather than genuinely looking at and testing each piece of equipment. A quick glance at a BCD inflator isn't the same as actually pressing it and confirming it inflates and deflates properly.

The second most common mistake is only checking your own kit and assuming your buddy has checked theirs properly, rather than genuinely checking each other's equipment. The whole point of a buddy check is that a second pair of eyes catches what the wearer might miss, precisely because they're too familiar with their own gear to spot a problem.

Junior divers in particular sometimes feel awkward checking an adult's equipment, worried it looks like they're questioning someone more experienced. Good instructors actively encourage the opposite, everyone gets checked properly, regardless of experience level, no exceptions.

A Simple Sequence Worth Memorising

Most training agencies teach some version of a simple memorable sequence covering BCD, weights, releases, air and a final check, working through each buddy's equipment in the same order every time until it becomes automatic. The exact wording varies between agencies, but the structure is always the same, confirm the BCD inflates and deflates correctly, confirm weights are correctly fitted and easily releasable, confirm all releases and straps are secure, confirm air is on and both regulators breathe properly while checking the contents gauge, then a final visual sweep for anything obviously out of place.

Practising this same sequence every single time, even on dives that feel routine, is what turns it into genuine muscle memory rather than something you have to consciously think through under pressure.

How to Actually Practice It

The best way to build the habit is simple repetition in low-stakes settings, which is exactly what quarry diving over the summer is good for. Quarries offer calm, controlled conditions where you can slow down, talk each other through the check properly, and genuinely test each item rather than rushing because a boat is waiting or a current is picking up.

It's also worth occasionally practising with a buddy you don't normally dive with, since that forces you to actually communicate the check out loud rather than relying on familiar shorthand you've built up with a regular dive partner. Both of these are exactly why we build proper buddy check practice into every open water course, rather than treating it as something you'll simply pick up along the way.

What Instructors Are Actually Looking For

When instructors observe buddy checks during training, they're watching for genuine engagement rather than a rehearsed script, are both divers actually touching and testing each piece of kit, or just gesturing at it? Are they communicating clearly rather than mumbling through it? Do they seem to understand why each step matters, not just the order it comes in?

Instructors are also quietly assessing whether a diver would still remember to do this properly without prompting, on a dive where no one's watching and it would be easy to skip. That's the real goal, a habit that survives contact with a normal, unsupervised dive, long after the course itself has finished and no one is grading you anymore.

Buddy Checks for Family and Junior Divers

Quarry sessions over the summer often bring together mixed-experience buddy pairs, parents diving with junior divers, or newly certified family members pairing up for the first time, and buddy checks matter even more in these pairings. An experienced adult diver shouldn't assume a junior diver's kit is fine just because it looks familiar, and a junior diver shouldn't feel intimidated about checking an adult's equipment properly, even if it feels a little backwards at first.

Instructors running family and junior sessions this summer make a point of treating every buddy check as equally serious, regardless of who's involved, precisely because that's the habit you want to stick once formal supervision isn't there anymore and every diver is looking out for themselves and each other.

Questions Divers Often Ask

What if my buddy and I have different levels of experience?

That's completely normal, and it's actually a good reason to slow the check down rather than rush it, since the more experienced diver can talk through what they're looking for as they go.

Should I still do a buddy check if I'm diving with the same person every week?

Yes, without exception. Familiarity is exactly when corners get cut, and it only takes one missed detail, on a day when it happens to matter, to turn a routine dive into a genuine problem.

What's the biggest single thing to check?

If we had to pick one, it would be air, confirming the tank valve is properly open and both regulators are breathing correctly while checking the contents gauge together, since a problem here is the one most likely to become serious quickly.

Building the Habit for Life

The divers who never have equipment surprises underwater are, almost without exception, the ones who never stopped doing proper buddy checks, no matter how experienced they became or how many hundreds of dives they've logged. It's a two-minute habit that costs you nothing and occasionally saves a dive, or more, from going wrong, and instructors notice within seconds which divers still take it seriously.

If you're newer to diving and want more structured practice with buddy procedures and other foundational skills, our course listing has options at every level, and quarry sessions running through the summer are a great low-pressure place to build these habits properly before your next big trip, whether that's a UK weekend away or an international expedition.

Want to sharpen your buddy check and other core skills before your next dive? Explore our courses or get in touch to book a summer quarry session - we're at Bellman Court, Great Knollys Street, Reading, or call +44 (0) 118 9761 729.