A dangerous precedent for divers - Daniel Xerri

The recent court case in which a man was found guilty of having caused the death of his diving buddy through negligence has significant implications for many scuba divers’ enjoyment of this sport. 

Maltese law specifies that anyone certified to dive up to at least 30 metres can do so in the company of another diver without necessarily being guided by an instructor. This means that two independent divers meeting the minimum certification threshold specified in the law can buddy up and go for a dive together. The law does not explicitly state that they are liable to one another in case anything were to happen to one of them. No diver agreeing to buddy up with someone does so on the understanding that they are responsible for that person’s life and decisions.

The buddy system

The reasons why many divers choose to buddy up with someone are varied. One of the most important ones is that the buddy system acts as a safety mechanism for you in the eventuality that you might need another person’s assistance to deal with a problem. This could be a case of equipment malfunction, depleted air supply, a sudden health issue, entanglement, or some other unexpected situation that is best...