It doesn’t matter if you are an Olympic swimmer, the best freediver in the world, or someone who is using breath hold training to improve athletic performance, it is never safe to spend time underwater without a buddy you trust.
Having a good dive buddy can make training more challenging and more fun, but it also makes training (and diving out in the wild) more safe.
Having said that, not all buddies are created equal. When looking for a good dive buddy, it is important to find someone who has educated themselves on what to do in an emergency situation.
Once you have found a buddy you trust, follow these simple rules to keep yourself safe:
1. One up/one down always. The only thing worse than one blackout, is two blackouts. Make sure there is always a specific safety diver breathing on the surface while you are underwater
2. Always be within an arms length distance of your buddy when they reach the surface. 90 percent of blackouts happen at the surface, not underwater, so if you remain within arms length of your buddy, you will always be close enough to grab them if something goes wrong.
3. Monitor your buddy for 30 seconds after they have come up. If they don’t have a loss of motor control or a blackout within that first 20-30 seconds, they probably won’t have one at all.
Consistent training with a partner is the best way to keep each other safe. The more time you spend training with your buddy, the more you learn their patterns and habits, making it that much easier to make sure they are safe.