Buddy diving should be an equal and cooperative relationship filled with communication, both in and out of the water, not a competition to see who can go deeper, swim faster or bag more game. Most important, in a completely cooperative relationship, either buddy can decide at any time not to dive or to terminate a dive in progress-and then cooperate in exiting the water. Remember these keys:

1. Dive side-by-side or agree who will lead and who will follow.

2. Stay in the same relative position as much as possible.

3. Head in an agreed-upon direction.

4. Stay aware of each other with frequent use of hand signals.

5. Help maintain contact by looking sideways, listening for bubbles, or giving a slight touch. Stay close enough to reach your buddy within two seconds.

6. Hold hands or hold on to a part of your buddy’s gear.

7. Have an agreed-upon separation procedure.

8. Above all, make it a shared, supportive experience.