I am the OP, but I just have to report back with a newbie lesson. If you are the newbie, it`s better to find someone with more experience to dive with. Two newbies trying to dive together in OW, no guide? Just don`t do it! I dove with someone recently who had much less experience than I have (only OW and PPB = 15 dives) and the whole time I just kept thinking that we could get into real trouble out here since neither one of us has much experience dealing with unforseen situations. But then I dove with a much more experienced diver in the same place and I learned a great deal.