I don’t know about you, but when I first started diving, I stuck to my dive buddy like someone had Krazy-Glued us together. Over time, I gained confidence and no longer needed to be only a fin’s-length away — still, I generally checked frequently to make sure my partner was nearby.

So the first time I lost sight of my dive buddy was a bit breath-quickening. It was in Cozumel, and we were diving with a small group led by a divemaster. We had been told to stay with our buddies, including ending the dive together as soon as one of us reached 1,000 psi. During the dive briefing, the divemaster told us we’d make a leisurely drift to a beautiful swim-through. “If you’re not comfortable entering it, just swim over top of the reef and meet us on the other side,” he instructed. We came to the swim-through and entered single-file; I assumed my buddy was just behind me, though I never glanced back. After exiting — excited about the loggerhead turtle we had found napping inside — and turned to high-five my buddy, only to find another happy dive-buddy pair. I waited for everyone to exit, but still no sign of my buddy. I swiveled my head in all directions, searching among our small group, pretty much like a frantic parent whose 2-year-old has wandered off. The divemaster got my attention and pointed up.

There was my buddy, waiting about 20 feet above us, on top of the reef. The divemaster had done a count as we exited, realized immediately he was “missing” a diver and quickly located her. My buddy later told me she had “freaked a bit at how dark it was.”

OK, not a scary story, but I was still a relatively new diver buddying up with an even newer diver. Back on the boat, we reviewed what we could have done better, and finished the week without any further communication snafus.

Losing sight of your dive partner can happen for a lot of reasons — visibility may be poor, your buddy may have gotten distracted by a marine creature and peeled off from your prearranged dive plan, or your buddy may be dealing with an issue that you failed to notice. It can be upsetting, even panic-inducing, especially for a new diver. Whatever the reason, follow our tips for locating him or her so you can continue or end the dive safely.

1) Establish a lost-buddy pre-dive plan. Before you giant-stride into the water, make a lost-buddy plan part of your pre-dive check, especially when diving with a new buddy or a stranger. Agree on how long you’ll search for each other underwater (usually one minute) and then agree to end the dive (making your safety stop) and then reuniting on the surface.

2) Stay in contact. If you stay close to your buddy and remember to check for him or her every few minutes, chances are you won’t get separated.

3) Do a 360˚ spin. If you look up and your buddy is nowhere in sight, make a slow 360˚ spin. Also look above and below you. Look for your buddy’s bubbles — they may be a few yards from you on the other side of a coral ridge, outcrop or formation.

4) Use an audio device. Use your tank-banger or another audio signaling device to get your buddy’s attention. He or she may be able to locate you by following the direction of the sound.

5) Use your dive light. If visibility is low, use your dive light as a signaling device.

6) Be a clock-watcher. Spend only a minute looking for your buddy at depth. Ascend to the surface slowly, looking around for him or her. Make your safety stop and continue to look for your buddy.

7) Deploy your surface marker buoy. Hopefully, you’ve got a DSMB (delayed surface marker buoy) that you can launch while still on your safety stop, but if you have an SMB, deploy it as soon as you break the surface. By using a DSMB or SMB, your buddy can see where you are if he or she has surfaced ahead of you. It also aids the boat crew in locating you, as you’ve probably surfaced in an unexpected place.

8) Continue to look. If your buddy hasn’t surfaced, look for his or her air bubbles or DSMB. Inform the boat crew as soon as possible that your buddy is missing.

In a real emergency — such as a diver who has had a medical emergency underwater and you failed to notice it — the boat crew will have a recall procedure for getting everyone back on board the boat, so that they can begin the process for finding the missing diver. If this ever happens, make sure you follow the crew’s instructions to the letter.

Source: sport diver