Once you find a "prospect" (buddy), if the 2 of you took a rescue diver course,then the both of you would get to see how they would react in a PANIC situation. The rescue course will alow 2-buddies to bond and mature together. Until you get to that point its kind of a crapshoot,been on many dives where I have been "set up" on the boat cause I showed up alone and they would not allow solo diving,sometimes you can tell by there gear and how smotth they are up until its time to plop over boad but then its too late.Good luck! know how you feel, we are in the same boat (LOL@ the dumb pun)