The Power of Dive Buddies
A blog by Tim Wells
Probably one of the most important rules when exploring the ocean is to have some sort of buddy or lookout system. Beaches have lifeguards for swimmers and children, and surfers generally head out in pairs or groups if not at a reliably busy spot. Freediving 101 will teach you a dive-buddy system that involves one person staying on the surface while the other dives down - often even meeting the returning diver near the end of their dive to ensure they make it past the real danger zone, the last 5 metres to the surface. I could go into the scary stories around shallow water blackouts and the stress of dealing with it, but that’s a story for another day. While this rule of always diving with a buddy may sound like it is only relevant if you are doing deep drops or diving through dangerous swim-throughs, it is relevant for divers of every skill level. It is important for safety, but it is also a really amazing way to further your connection with the experience. An experience shared is all the more special! So, it's important to always dive with a buddy, but that’s not what I want to talk about today…
The point I’d like to address is the other side of diving with a buddy, or perhaps a few! Sure, a good dive buddy has your back in the water, but there is so much more to be said about the people you share the water with. Some of my closest, most trusted people are people that I dive/snorkel with. Beyond the safety measures, you are forced to spend time exploring and exercising together - all with a snorkel in your mouth that limits conversation. It’s a silent excursion broken only by giggles through snorkels or hollers to call you over to something noteworthy… and when you get the call and you kick over to the source, not knowing if it’s a shark, rare nudibranch or a fish doing something silly, you have full faith in that person's judgement. Particularly here in Cape Town, you face the cold together, pushing yourself to be there for the other person or people you have with you and not be the one to call the end to the adventure too soon. Diving with others also increases your chances of seeing that special sighting - not only because of the extra set of eyes but because we all perceive things so differently - for example I can find many of the larger things in a kelp forest, even the most camouflaged octopus, but often overlook the weird and wonderful little critters floating in the water column.
Once you start diving more regularly with someone, like I do with my partner Katherine, you get to know what excites them and what they love to see. She’s a jellyfish fanatic and I’ll always call her over for one of them… and she knows what nudibranchs I have yet to cross off my bucket list so she will always call me over to help expand my list of sightings. You start to develop routines too… Katherine always forgets a towel and often needs a hot-water bottle after a dive… which I pack or check she has. I have a big, clumsy camera housing and she has fancy carbon fins - we help each other get in and out the water often without a need for asking. There is an undeniably deep connection you form when using the ocean with people, and I’m confident I can identify most of my friends purely based on their kicking style underwater. There’s comfort and unity in snorkelling together and it need not limit the individual experience - you can still take your time to have a slow, silent breath up before dropping down for a solo glide through the unknown.
Grab a friend, experienced or not, and get them out there with you because sharing experiences with people you care about will make those experiences significantly better. Alexander Supertramp had the right idea when he said, “Happiness is only real when shared.”
