The solo diving movement, a good idea?

[DCBC]

I guess there are several mitigating factors. If you dive with a Buddy:

- What is their level of competence and confidence?
- Are they prepared to dive in the conditions present?
- What is the condition of their equipment? Has it been maintained properly?
- If you need assistance, are they trained / prepared to rescue you?
- Will they be a help or a hazard to your diving plan?
- What's their attitude towards the dive? Can you communicate?
- How about your level of training?
- Do you accept the consequences?

If you dive alone:

- Are you trained and prepared to do so?
- What is the condition of your equipment?
- Do you have full redundancy?
- Do you accept the consequences?

Personally, I prefer to dive with a competent Buddy. That said, if I do have a question about Buddy competence, I dive solo.

I'm not too pleased with the level of diver competence typically found in today's diver. Consequently, I find myself diving alone more than I've done in the past.

Dive within the confines of your training and experience. I encourage redundancy even if you dive with a Buddy.

 

[Kharon]

Anyone that thinks that they aren't diving solo on almost every dive is kidding themselves. Moreover, buddy diving can be though of as more dangerous because of two factors:

First, task loading is increased significantly - for some (many?) to the point of task overload. Are we not told incessantly to limit task loading? Don't add anything new till you've mastered that last piece added. That having too many tasks is dangerous. I can't think of anything more task saturated than the buddy system.

Added to all that is the difficulty of communication which complicates everything. Question - how many of you know all/most of the underwater signals? Is it completely second nature for you to interpret which fingers, how many, pointing up or down to indicate remaining air? If I signal OK am I saying "I'm OK" or asking "Are you OK"? I've heard it both ways.

Second, with double the equipment (and not knowing the state of your buddies rig) there are twice the failure points.

LOL - do either of those factors worry me? Yes and no.

As far as the second I'll simply ask (because I have no idea) how many have experienced (you or your buddy, not simply heard about) a serious failure on a dive? My gut tells me that it just doesn't happen much. Most deaths seem to be operator error.

The first issue, though, does affect me. I find that when I dive alone I take everything, from getting suited up, the entire dive, through exiting at the end of the dive much more sedately. I don't forget anything and the entire experience is much more fun. When diving with someone else I worry that I'm holding them back so I hurry to don my equipment. I become self-concious about my diving style. So I sometimes make mistakes that I wouldn't make if not worrying about the other person and do not enjoy the dive much. Admittedly, that's my problem not one of the buddy system. Still it impacts my dive.

BUT - the honest reason that I dive solo is that I'm selfish! I spent and spend a ton of money on training, on equipment, on travel and I don't want to have my dives impacted by someone else. I'm not particularly a social creature. I enjoy solitude much more than company. I do not want the burden of all the responsibilities involved in buddy diving. Sorry. I didn't start diving to be a babysitter. I'm self sufficient and if I run into something I can't handle on my own - well guess what - I'm good with that. Chances are if something like that happened a buddy wouldn't be any help anyway and I'd maybe get them into trouble as well.

 

[AfterDark]

I dive solo because buddy or nobody I'm going diving! It's an option. I like options.

 

[DCBC]

Anyone that thinks that they aren't diving solo on almost every dive is kidding themselves.

If I dive with a Buddy, I'm never diving alone.

Moreover, buddy diving can be though of as more dangerous because of two factors:

First, task loading is increased significantly - for some (many?) to the point of task overload. Are we not told incessantly to limit task loading? Don't add anything new till you've mastered that last piece added. That having too many tasks is dangerous. I can't think of anything more task saturated than the buddy system.

If you dive with a Buddy properly (and they with you) task loading isn't a factor. If you can't handle the level of task loading to dive with a Buddy, you shouldn't be in the water in the first place.

Added to all that is the difficulty of communication which complicates everything. Question - how many of you know all/most of the underwater signals? Is it completely second nature for you to interpret which fingers, how many, pointing up or down to indicate remaining air? If I signal OK am I saying "I'm OK" or asking "Are you OK"? I've heard it both ways.

It doesn't matter how many signals you know or don't know as long as you can communicate with your Buddy. Whatever signals you use are covered in the predive. You both dive prepared.

Second, with double the equipment (and not knowing the state of your buddies rig) there are twice the failure points.

You don't dive without answering these and other concerns.

As far as the second I'll simply ask (because I have no idea) how many have experienced (you or your buddy, not simply heard about) a serious failure on a dive? My gut tells me that it just doesn't happen much. Most deaths seem to be operator error.

I have personally experienced system malfunctions on several occasions with properly maintained equipment (including running OOA when my SPG registered 800 psi). If it's mechanical, it's just a matter of time before it breaks. That's just a fact of life.

BUT - the honest reason that I dive solo is that I'm selfish!

As is your right. When it comes down to it, it all comes down to personal preference.

 

[mala]

even the most aware buddy in the world will be doing well to be actively observing you for 50% of the time.

set up for solo diving and anything else is a bonus.

 

[DCBC]

even the most aware buddy in the world will be doing well to be actively observing you for 50% of the time.

set up for solo diving and anything else is a bonus.

Yes, but at the same time I wouldn't be typing this without having had someone come to my assistance. If given a choice, I'd rather have a good buddy paying any level of attention to me, than none at all...

Being "set-up for solo-diving" doesn't replace a good Buddy anymore than a good Buddy replaces training, experience, redundancy and properly serviced equipment.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

This year Lembeh Resort was kind enough to provide me with a pony bottle to use for my solo shore dives, never had to use it but it was nice to have that redundancy available, and it will be a destination that I ail return to also.

Lucky you ... KBR told me absolutely, positively no solo diving ... period.

Fortunately I had three good dive buddies to dive with ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[DCBC]

I agree with what Jim was saying earlier about Buddy training. Several years ago, some diving certification agencies changed their diver training programs surrounding diver rescue (although in many agencies, diver rescue [surface and sub-surface] are still required). Although the "Buddy System" is still adopted, it's hard to depend upon someone that hasn't been trained to help you underwater.

Although these Agencies encourage their OW divers to take further training in diver rescue, many do not. It would seem that many new divers don't feel prepared to assist their Buddy underwater and turn to equipment redundancy as an alternative.

When I was a Navy and Commercial Diver, being in the water alone was more often than not the norm. However as far as recreation is concerned, I prefer to share the experience with someone else. It never ceases to amaze me that two people can dive together and experience it quite differently. I guess I enjoy talking about what I saw and what I failed to see... That doesn't mean however that when I'm not with a student, that I want to dive with an incompetent Buddy as a matter of enjoyment.

 

[Searcaigh]

Lucky you ... KBR told me absolutely, positively no solo diving ... period.

Fortunately I had three good dive buddies to dive with ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Now you know which resort to dive with the next time you go to Lembeh then Bob

 

[Nemrod]

Here is my theory - all the divers who beat the drum of solo as their alternative because they were driven to it by all the bad buddies they had, I cry bs, and point the finger back at yourself.

Uh, excuse me, I have had very few bad buddies and my wife is an excellent diver. I am also an excellent buddy to team with. I simply like being alone. So you are mistaken as this is the motivation of most solo divers, not bad buddies or even lack of buddies.

N