Is it okay to be a quasi-solo diver in certain situations?

[tbone1004]

so there is a couple things.

don't carry a spare snorkel, and I'd argue that you probably have no need for one if you are off the coast of NC, but if you want one, which is fine, carry it in your pocket so it isn't annoying and a potential snag hazard for hoses.
Obviously if you're carrying a pony you shouldn't have an octo on your primary tank, so make sure that's the case.

Now, on the solo, semi solo, and buddy diving. I dive firmly in the quasi-solo realm almost exclusively.
1. You have buddy team diving where you are relying on your buddy for things. In OW they are your source of redundancy so you need to be within one kick cycle of them at all times and have good team skills to do that properly. If you want a boot camp in that, take GUE Fundies. I don't believe in this type of diving personally, especially at the recreational level but it is the industry standard so you have to deal with it.
2. You have proper solo diving. You are truly alone and can't rely on anyone but yourself for anything. This is where redundancy, planning, etc. all come in. I'm not entirely sure I believe in a course for this, but if you want to take it, then go for it.
3. Same-Ocean diving. This is my preferred kind of diving for a myriad of reasons, and is essentially "we are solo diving, at the same time, with the same dive plan". First off. I like the social aspect of scuba diving. I do enjoy solo diving because I can get away from everything and everyone, but I like to share the experience with friends, so it's nice to have them around. Second off, I hate relying on people for anything. This alone makes me not want to adopt the buddy system where someone is either relying on me, or I have to rely on them. This means diving with redundancy, and having oh **** plans. Second and a half off, I don't really trust most people to actually assist me in an emergency based off of real world experience, so I don't want to have to. Most people tend to either lock up and not do anything, or botch something and make the whole situation worse as they start to panic. Bad ideas.
My buddies and I have the understanding that there should never be any situation that you can plan for that we actually require assistance from them. We are their to assist and make a situation easier if you ask nicely for it, but we won't intervene until asked. I.e. if for whatever reason one of us gets hung up in a line in a sidemount passage, we will ask for them to untangle our fin since it lowers the risk of a siltout and breaking the line.

 

[halocline]

Solo diving is like pregnancy... either you are, or you aren't... Simple as that. On paper.

Yep, it sure is easy to say. Then there's the reality of being on a dive charter with an insta-buddy. This happens to me frequently. I've mostly had very good experiences with this, but occasional sketchy ones. Fortunately, I only dive this way in easy, forgiving environments like Cozumel.

IMO, it really does come down to overall dive preparedness and risk tolerance. Ultimately we are responsible for our own safety. We have to manage our dive behavior, including interaction with fellow divers, accordingly.

 

[mi000ke]

3. Same-Ocean diving. This is my preferred kind of diving for a myriad of reasons, and is essentially "we are solo diving, at the same time, with the same dive plan". ...This means diving with redundancy, and having oh **** plans.

There has been a lot of talk about this on SB lately (c.f., DM responsibilities thread, and "did I overreact" thread) and something I've been thinking about a lot lately. So on my last couple of dives (group boat dives in Caribbean with top rated dive op) this past week I was more curious about this than usual. And except for two couples that were diving together (a different couple on each day) there was no formal buddying-up. ( I did ask one other single to be my instabudddy and that ended up being totally useless. ) I asked the others about this - some who were together as a group and some other singles - and they all answered with a version of - we just go as a group and stay close and assume someone will help if there is a problem. Now we hung close and visibility was great, so that probably/maybe would have worked OK.

So the reality is that in many cases with these dive ops we end up essentially same-ocean diving, as Tbone describes. And I kind of like it as well So, Tbone - other than a pony (which I am now slinging) what do you do specifically to prepare for same-ocean diving that is different from (less than?) for solo diving? Thanks.

 

[Ojai Diver]

Back in 1992, my Open Water 2 instructor told me, matter of factly, that if I wanted to gain experience as a diver I would have to dive alone sometimes. This with very few dives and no Solo cert (which did not exist at the time.) Nowadays this advice would be considered risky and extreme, but back then it was not.

Diving alone means there's nobody else to blame if things go south. It forces you to work on your fitness, your plan, and to rigorously assess a dive before making it. Forces you to work on navigation, because there is nobody to follow.

While I believe in being a good buddy, too many divers are far too dependent on others, both physically and mentally. Unless one has a super fit, very competent, very solicitous buddy--and after all these years I'm still in search of one--then one is essentially alone in the water anyway.

Given this, one might as well develop the competencies necessary to dive alone--even with others present.

 

[nolatom]

Don't (necessarily) fear the instabuddy. Mine have been numerous, and almost all have been at least okay, some good, some really good.

I have learned from the good ones, and learned even more from the bad ones, meaning what not to do, and when not to follow.

Agree with the good advice above, I don't think semi-solo is really a thing. If you get snuffed and I was your semi-buddy, I'm not going to feel semi-guilty (even if it wasn't my "fault"), I'm going to feel totally guilty and torn up. Don't put me in that place, please.

 

[Kharon]

I have three rules for my dives. The first of which is:

1. You are always diving solo no matter how many divers are in the water, or how many buddies you have, or how much experience they have or what you discussed during the dive plan.

Allways, allways plan to be self sufficient. "Buddies" may be too far away, distracted, etc." Plan to save your own butt. It is the safest thing to do!!!

 

[Steve_C]

Do my new “buddy” and I share the same level of experience?

Why do you want the same level of experience? I often dive with those with more experience.

Do our agendas for this dive match-up?

Talk to them. I instabuddy a lot. We always talk before the dive.

Are they actually comfortable diving with someone they have just met?

They have the option of declining to dive with you if they want to..

Am I inconveniencing them in some way? I don’t want to be “that person” who ruined their $150.00 dive.

You only ruin the dive if you failed to TALK before the dive and you do not follow the plan. Also if you can ruin my dive you have no business being solo.

Am I familiar with their equipment enough to be able to help them in an emergency?

TALK before the dive.

(For example, what if my buddy is using a full face mask and loses consciousness? [I intend for rescue diving to be my next course])

Be thankful they have a full face mask on. Then they have air and you just gently take them up.

And I know that good communication is essential for a dive team to work together, but so many of us will confess to being tactful rather than honest in our daily lives and I would argue that this impulse is felt, if not always adhered to because it is outweighed by our own sense of self-preservation, when we are on a dive boat.

Not sure I followed the point you wanted to make

My question, finally, is, if we are diving a wreck which has a fixed location in which everyone is going to be localized, is it okay for me to go down without a “buddy” given that I have the proper equipment to serve me like a buddy would in the event of an incident?

The agencies require 100 dives before solo. The agencies love to sell certs and are accused by many to be too quick to certify. Yet they all require 100 dives. That should tell you something.


One thing I will comment on. Many of the regulars out of Wilmington who are male dive HP 100s or larger. (Women do too but they often are better on air). On a wreck like the Hyde 65-85 ft some of us will be NDL limited and not air limited. I do not mind new divers but I prefer not to have my 45 minute dive cut to 30 minutes. If you need more air, then dive a bigger tank. Just a thought.

Maybe I will see you on a charter out of Wilmington this summer.

 

[Stoo]

This seems like a good time for an inspirational poster...

 

[lowviz]

You are leading with your chin again, Stoo.

I get the message. Still and all, no finer solo diver to chime in. But I'd bet that you treat both your GF and Mrs. Stoo better than that.

 

[Stoo]

But I'd bet that you treat both your GF and Mrs. Stoo better than that.

Ha! That's a brave guy that dives with both his GF AND his wife. Fortunately, mine are the same person. Being as she is a tiny person, when we dive together, it's like I have an entirely separate air supply. When I'm out of air, she still has a half a tank. It's drives the DMs nuts when we keep diving while I am hanging onto her octopus, leaving to shoot a couple of frames, and then returning. It keeps the skills sharp though. ;-)