Lost Buddy Procedure

The agreed plan when buddies lose contact underwater: search for about 1 minute, then ascend safely and reunite at the surface.

The lost buddy procedure is what you do the moment you realize your buddy is no longer in sight. The standard protocol taught by all major agencies is simple: stop, look around for about 1 minute, including above and below you since divers often separate vertically, and try to attract attention with your dive light or by banging on your tank. If you have not reunited within that minute, make a slow, safe ascent to the surface, where your buddy should be doing the same.

The procedure works only if both divers follow it, which is why it belongs in every pre-dive plan and dive briefing. Discuss it explicitly: how long to search, whether to surface fully or wait at the safety stop depth, and what to do in current, where drifting apart is common and surfacing promptly matters more. In low visibility or night dives, agree on light signals beforehand.

If your buddy does not appear on the surface within a reasonable time, alert the boat or shore support immediately rather than re-descending alone on a low tank. Prevention beats procedure: good positioning, regular eye contact, and matching pace keep most teams together in the first place. A quick debrief afterward about how the separation happened usually reveals an easy fix.