I can barely call myself a diver anymore, since it's been 9 years since my last dive (gotta get back into it). But I will offer the opinion that diving with a pick-up buddy that you know nothing about may not be any safer than diving alone.

On my dives, I've always tried to keep a close eye on my buddy, while also looking out for myself and basically assuming that I can't expect any help at depth. That's one reason I started carrying a Spare Air.

Dan <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />