Does it ever get old/annoying? I have mentioned it to people before, and mentioned that its something i might be interested in down the road, and so far EVERYONE ive mentioned it to has just flipped out. So im not even a solo diver (yet) and its already getting old. I havent had one person say to me "well you know, it does have its benefits", or "i can see why youd wanna do that". No. Its just a bunch of people freaking out. So what do you guys do when someone freaks out over the fact that you solo dive? Or is it just more accepted wherever you guys are? I dont live in a big dive community, so that might play a part... Idk.
Well, I'm gonna play a bit of devil's advocate for a moment.
If your dive profile is accurate, perhaps they're freaking out because you're a pretty inexperienced diver talking about doing something that's best left to those with a lot more experience. In that respect, their reaction is justified ... even if their methods are not.
I've been solo diving for about four years now ... and with over 2,700 dives I still get people sometimes chiding me for doing it. Often it's people with far less knowledge, skill and experience than I have. Mostly I listen to what they have to say, tell them "thanks for your concern", and go do what I want to do anyway. It never hurts to assume that people have your best interest at heart and treat them accordingly. After all ... only you have any real control over your decisions. So why should what they think matter anyway?
And keeping that last question in mind, I'm gonna offer you my advice ... take it for what you think it's worth ...
First off, don't worry too much about what other people think. You know what you want. Go for it. Just do so responsibly and don't give them any legitimate reasons for concern.
Which leads me to my second piece of advice ... slow down. People need to learn to dive before they learn to solo dive ... that's why the only agency that offers a recreational solo class requires a minimum of 100 dives first. Solo diving is really all about understanding the risks, preparation, and anticipation of potential problems. Those are things you won't get by taking a class or reading about it on the Internet ... sure, you'll get exposure to those factors that way, but only through experience will you truly develop an understanding of what it really means. And by far the most important skill a solo diver needs is a well-honed awareness of what's going on around you while you're diving. Newer divers tend to develop tunnel-vision, and focus on singular things. That'll get you in trouble as a solo diver.
Often when people express to me their concern over solo diving, I advise them to go put in a few hundred dives, then come back and we'll talk about it. That's my advice to you as well. There's nothing wrong with solo diving ... but there's everything wrong with jumping into something without the experience and background to do it responsibly. At less than 50 dives, I don't think I've ever met anyone I'd feel comfortable recommending solo diving to ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)