Here are some tips on how to stay near your buddy and maintain buddy awareness.Dive in pairs of two only! Unless you are skilled like a Divemaster diving in groups almost always leads to a lost buddy situation.Stay close to your buddy, close enough to get their attention and reach them in a few seconds. A better idea especially for newer divers is make sure that you can reach out and touch them with your hand between the shoulder and waist.Choose the right buddy for you. Someone with similar goals for the dive and with compatible skills. An example could be if you are new diver or not current in your skills then go with an experienced diver but make sure that they can and are willing to help you.Discuss your dive plan and be sure that you both agree with the goals of the dive. Be sure in include any concerns or issues that you feel may arise. For instance if you are not current with the skills with that particular type of dive or have to descend slower than other due to ear equalization troubles.A big way to avoid becoming separated is for the buddy team to choose the side they will dive on. Pick who is on the left and right then stay there at all times during the dive.Decide who will lead and who will follow, who navigate, and other factors that apply to the type of dive.Decide on how to attract each other's attention both above and below water.Be familiar with your buddy's gear and do a full buddy check before entering the water.Review how you will communicate as well as your hand signals before the dive.Always follow the lost diver protocol if you get separated.
