A Buddy Check is very important before every scuba dive. But the steps are sometimes difficult to remember, especially if you have just completed your Open Water course. This is why we use a BWRAF scuba buddy check acronym to help us remember the steps and the order to complete a safety check before every dive!

The BWRAF is the pre-dive safety procedure to ensure you are familiar with your buddy’s equipment configuration and that their gear is fully functioning. Here are a few of our favorite BWRAF buddy check acronyms.

BWRAF Scuba Meaning

You should only complete the BWRAF buddy check when both you and your buddy have your full kit on, and before you descend for the dive. You and your buddy can check each other’s equipment at the same time using the following steps. The official acronym for BWRAF is:

B – BCD

This is where you check your buddy’s BCD and that it works properly. Buoyancy Control Devices can differ due to different brands and models.

It is important to note where your buddy’s inflator hose is, and the different buttons to inflate and deflate. Check that the BCD can power inflate, deflate, and orally inflate. This is also to ensure there are no holes or leaks in the BCD.

W – Weights

You should note where your buddy’s weights are so that you can release them in an emergency. Most people will wear a weight-belt and it should be a right-hand release. If they are using an integrated weight system and weight pockets, then you should familiarize yourself with their system.

It is very common for beginners and professionals to forget their weights! This can be especially annoying after a long swim to the dive-site so this step is very important!

Read More: Why Do We Need Weights in Scuba Diving?

R – Releases

The clips, buckles, and straps of your buddy’s BCD are also called ‘releases.’ This is because they should be easily ‘released’ in an emergency. You should note where all of the releases are and that they are done up. You should make sure the stomach buckle is attached, the shoulder straps are secure, and the tank band is holding the scuba tank securely.

A – Air

First, you should ensure your buddy’s tank valve is opened fully! You will then check that the regulator can deliver air to two people simultaneously in the event of an ‘out-of-air’ situation.

To do this check, your buddy will breathe from their primary second stage, while you breathe from their secondary alternate (the yellow one) at the same time. You will also check the SPG at the same time to make sure the regulator can sustain two people breathing from it.

If the needle moves up and down, there may be something wrong with the regulator, or the tank valve is partially closed.

F – Final OK

This is where you will make sure your buddy has their mask and fins ready. If they are wearing a dive computer and compass, you will make sure these are secure and set to the right mode.

Learn more about the SCUBA acronyms we use, and what they mean.

Scuba Buddy Check Acronyms To Remember

Here are some of our favorite and funny BWRAF scuba acronyms:

Bruce Willis Ruins All Films

Bruce Willis Rocks All Films

Big White Rabbits Are Fluffy

Because We Really Aren’t Fish

Burger With Relish And Fries

Breakfast with Rice And Fish

Big Whales Release Amazing Farts

Naughty Adult Only BWRAF Acronyms

Big Willies Really Are Fun

Bangkok Women Really Are Fellas

Blowjobs Will Ruin All Foreplay

and there’s a few more that we won’t post here…

Diving Acronyms PADI & Other Agencies

PADI teaches Begin With Review And Friend

RAID teaches B.R.A.I.D (Buoyancy & Weights, Releases & Regulators, Air, Instruments, Diver OK to dive?)

BSAC teaches B.A.R (Buoyancy, Air, Releases)

SDI teaches A.B.C.D (Air, BCD, Computer, Dive Gear)

In scuba diving, you are always told to ‘Plan your dive, and dive your plan.’ This is a step that all divers should be doing for their own safety and knowing how to give a good briefing before a dive is crucial to planning your dive. Especially if you are diving with new people or at a new dive site.

As a good dive buddy once told me, a good briefing is a ‘briefing, not a LONG-ing,’ so let’s take a look at the steps to ensure your briefing is concise, informative, and fun!

How to Give a Good Briefing for Scuba Diving

There is a lot to pack into a scuba dive briefing, so you will need to make it to the point. You will also need to make it fairly entertaining to not lose the interest of your buddy or your dive group!

The easiest way to remember all of the steps to a good dive briefing is to follow the order of what you will do for the dive; from a Buddy Check, then all the way to the end of the dive. Just do a mental run-through in your head and imagine what you will be doing up until you get back onto land.

Steps for a Great Dive Briefing as a Leader

1. Give the dive site name, possible interests, and risks, and the maximum depth for the dive
2. Explain how to gear up, and where. Is it on the boat, on the shore, or in the water?
3. Run through the BWRAF Buddy Check and mention the steps involved
4. Explain how to enter the water. Giant stride, or rolling back into the water?
5. Remind divers to inflate on the surface, and explain where you will be descending (a mooring line at the front of the boat, using a wall as a visual reference, etc.)
6. Talk about equalizing procedures and ask if anyone has problems with their ears
7. Run through all the dive signals; ‘Go down, a problem with ears, ascend slightly, come closer, how much air you have, etc.’
8. Remind new divers to adjust their buoyancy once you have leveled off, no kicking of the coral, and you can include an environmental message here
9. Make it clear when the ‘halfway’ point of the dive is, and how much air is should be left when deciding to end the dive
10. Remind divers about the Safety Stop, and about deploying a Surface Marker Buoy if needed
11. Talk about emergency procedures such as deco stops, or missing buddies
12. Remind divers how to ascend safely and how to get back onto the boat, or on land.

Pro Tip: Try to add a sprinkle of jokes in the briefing. This will keep the interest of your divers, and help them remember the briefing.

Why Do We Need a Briefing?

Planning a dive is important. The briefing ensures you and your buddy have a clear and common objective, that you are both on the same page with diving signals for communication, and that you both know emergency procedures.

A clear dive briefing is especially important if you are the dive leader, divemaster, or instructor, as you may be taking divers that you have not dived with before.

If you have new divers who have little experience, then you should make the briefing very clear and go through it properly.

If you have divers that you have dived with before, then you can omit certain steps in the dive briefing and just touch on the most important elements.

Remember, even with experienced divers, a dive briefing is important. The divers may have trained in a different country, or with different procedures. It is a good idea to run through all the steps again and know how to give a good briefing!

Going scuba diving and don’t want to burp curry into your regulator during the dive? I’ve been there and done that, and it ain’t nice. So here is an instructor’s guide on what to eat before diving to ensure no gassy bubbles from the mouth or from the rear!

What to Eat before Diving

It is normal to feel slightly nervous before a dive, even if you have dived hundreds of times. This is because at the end of the day, it is not normal for people to breathe underwater, and there is always a slight risk when diving. Read more about what divers should do for their own safety here.

If your stomach is giving you trouble or you have some butterflies flying around inside, then you should stick to food that is starchy and solid such as;

• Bread
• Plain pasta
• Rice that is not too oily (avoid fried rice, and stick to plain rice)
• Potatoes
• Boiled Eggs
• Solid fruits such as bananas or apples for energy
• Oats / Porridge
• Nuts
• Meat pie or Sausage Roll

These types of food will usually settle your stomach, and if it does come back out, at least it will be solid!

Food to Avoid Before Diving

A lot of recreational diving is done in warm climates during a tropical holiday. This might mean you will be trying and eating exotic and spicy food that your stomach is not used to. Here are some things to avoid just before a scuba dive;

• Spicy curries and soups
• Heavy meals that take a lot of energy to break down, such as a giant steak or saucy ribs
• Anything that is too oily
• Acidic Fruits such as oranges and pineapples
• Juicy and watery fruits if you already have an upset stomach
• Asparagus, Cauliflower, Brocolli, Brussel Sprouts; as these can cause digestion problems and bloating

Why Am I so Hungry after Scuba Diving?

The best part of the surface interval after a scuba dive is biting into something warm and satisfying. Usually to warm you up after a dive, but also to satisfy that hunger after a dive. So why are we so hungry after scuba diving?

The most logical answer is that we burn a lot of energy and calories when scuba diving. Kicking your fins, swimming in a current, breathing in nitrogen, these are things that can keep the heart rate up. Before and after a dive, you will be lifting a heavy scuba tank, donning and doffing equipment, being in the sun (or the cold), and these will also help you burn energy.

When you burn energy, you will need more fuel, which is food. This is why we are usually hungry after a scuba dive, and why you need to keep your energy levels up!

I’m So Tired After Scuba Diving!

If you’re feeling tired after scuba diving, then you will need food to keep your energy levels up. You should also keep hydrated with a bit of sugar. These foods are great for a surface interval to keep your levels up and ready for the next dive!

• Bananas, which is a great source of energy and potassium (to stop those underwater cramps!)
• Nuts, such as macadamia nuts, almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts (try to avoid salty versions)
• Sandwiches
• Meat Pies / Sausage Rolls / Pizza
• Chips (but be aware these are very salty and will make you even more thirsty)
• COOKIES – sometimes you just need some sugar!

Scuba Fit Meals

Here is my ideal scuba fit and ready meals on a scuba diving trip, and what to eat before each dive;

Before an early morning dive: 2 Boiled Eggs, Toast

AM Surface Interval: Bread with butter/jam. Or a hot veg/meat pie.

Lunch: Sandwich with salad, or Omelette on Rice

PM Surface Interval: Something slightly salty, like nuts or chips

After Dives: A big meal of WHATEVER YOU WANT + Beers!

What is your favorite pre or post-dive food? What meal do you want after a long day of diving? Let me know in the comments below.