Anyone ever have a close call going solo?

[sunserious1984]

Anyone ever have a close call going solo?

If so, what did you learn from it?

Thanks

No not yet !! But I wish I would go one day for solo diving !! I am afraid of going for it.I have to still learn many things regarding diving.Whenever I am capable I wil go fot it.

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[enjoyingthesun]

Nope, nearest was a rather tight exit from a swim through but I solved that by taking my BC off and pushing it through first.

However, as other have said, plenty of near misses with people on guided dives, students and buddies, including other instructors.

 

[divenutny]

No close calls. Once you learn the skills and practice them, you should be fine. I do not do penetrations that I can not handle solo. Since some of my dives are in 3-4 ft vis, on the occasion I dive with a buddy, we wind up diving solo. I use tag lines on most dives. Knowing where the boat/ anchor is reduces the stress level.

 

[Cacia]

Lately, getting out of the long hose and BP/W in rough water has been sketchy for me, but I cannot climb on (no ladder) unless I can pull up, so I keep my necklace reg in until the last minute. I would not recomend this to anyone who would be upset if they sunk to the bottom and had to sort themselves out, worst case scenario.

I keep thinking if those chubby guys on that inflatable can do it with steel doubles, so can I. But if nobody is in the water with you, it's dangerous.

I have not come up with a solution except more practice. Even then a big wave could change everything in a second. I like somebody to hold my first stage from the boat..but then I have the props coming at my head...

course my new inflator is bound to help.

 

[Walter]

i'd feel if you would have the experience, training and reduncancy, it'd be fine.

Even more important is the right attitude. October 13, 1990, I had a major attitude adjustment diving solo. I was damned good and I knew it. It was my 760th dive, my 208th solo dive, all of them without a problem I couldn't easily solve. I'd been cutting corners and taking chances for months. Why not? I was so damned good I could get away with it. Before the dive was over I knew being good was no substitute for being careful. Before the dive was over I thought I was dead. I was able to keep my head, solve the many problems I encountered (all of them my own stupid fault) and surface safely. That one dive changed me. It changed me more than all the dives before or since. I've made over 1000 dives since that day, over 300 of them solo, but through all those dives, I've remembered not to cut corners, not to take stupid chances, that attitude is essential to coming back alive.

Rick, you ask, "Why would you tell on yourself?" Because it might keep someone else from making the same stupid mistakes.

 

[mdb]

Anyone ever have a close call going solo?
If so, what did you learn from it? Thanks

I've made many solo dives, had folks who I did not know come over my head for air, pull on my primary etc. No real problems.

The only "close call" was one early morning off Farnsworth bank in SoCal. I enjoy an early morning dive, wakes me right up, rarely anyone else on deck, i get up just when the galley crew is getting up. One nice morning I quickly geared up w/o taking time to check the conditions. The current was raging, I tucked in behind the bank and realized it was time to go. I took a compass heading and went down, trying to get below the current, and headed for the anchor line. I made my way back realizing how dumb I had been. I still most enjoy solo diving, since then I have been quite a bit more careful.

 

[nereas]

Even more important is the right attitude. October 13, 1990, I had a major attitude adjustment diving solo. I was damned good and I knew it. It was my 760th dive, my 208th solo dive, all of them without a problem I couldn't easily solve. I'd been cutting corners and taking chances for months. Why not? I was so damned good I could get away with it. Before the dive was over I knew being good was no substitute for being careful. Before the dive was over I thought I was dead. I was able to keep my head, solve the many problems I encountered (all of them my own stupid fault) and surface safely. That one dive changed me. It changed me more than all the dives before or since. I've made over 1000 dives since that day, over 300 of them solo, but through all those dives, I've remembered not to cut corners, not to take stupid chances, that attitude is essential to coming back alive.

Rick, you ask, "Why would you tell on yourself?" Because it might keep someone else from making the same stupid mistakes.

Good story, Walter.

I had something like that happen around Dive #75 which was approximately Solo#20, so relatively early on. Now I therefore adhere religiously to Von Maier's ideas in his book about conservative solo diving. I read his book long afterwards, and it was startling to me that had I been following all of his procedures, there would have been no problem in the first place. Therefore I feel it is a fabulous book.

 

[nereas]

I've made many solo dives, had folks who I did not know come over my head for air, pull on my primary etc. No real problems.

The only "close call" was one early morning off Farnsworth bank in SoCal. I like a first dive early, just when the galley is getting up. I made one w/o taking time to check the conditions. The current was raging, I tucked in behind the bank and realized it was time to go. I took a compass heading and went down trying to get below the current and headed for the anchor line. I made my way back realizing how dumb I had been. I still most enjoy solo diving, since then I have been quite a bit more careful.

This is when a DPV comes in nicely. There are several nice user friendly models available now. The really good ones are in the range of $3500+ however. Similar to a motorized mini-cycle, but for underwater.

 

[nereas]

Lately, getting out of the long hose and BP/W in rough water has been sketchy for me, but I cannot climb on (no ladder) unless I can pull up, so I keep my necklace reg in until the last minute. I would not recomend this to anyone who would be upset if they sunk to the bottom and had to sort themselves out, worst case scenario.

I keep thinking if those chubby guys on that inflatable can do it with steel doubles, so can I. But if nobody is in the water with you, it's dangerous.

I have not come up with a solution except more practice. Even then a big wave could change everything in a second. I like somebody to hold my first stage from the boat..but then I have the props coming at my head...

course my new inflator is bound to help.

How do you mean, Catherine? I dont follow you.

Do you mean ditching your backplate/harness rig in the water before climbing back into a boat? If that is hard, then just loosen your shoulder straps by adjusting them.

I keep mine really loose, so this is easy. I do not like to be straight-jacketed into a scuba rig. In case I have to ditch, underwater or at the surface, I want to be able to easily and quickly ditch.

 

[pickens_46929]

Lately, getting out of the long hose and BP/W in rough water has been sketchy for me, but I cannot climb on (no ladder) unless I can pull up, so I keep my necklace reg in until the last minute. I would not recomend this to anyone who would be upset if they sunk to the bottom and had to sort themselves out, worst case scenario.

I keep thinking if those chubby guys on that inflatable can do it with steel doubles, so can I. But if nobody is in the water with you, it's dangerous.

I have not come up with a solution except more practice. Even then a big wave could change everything in a second. I like somebody to hold my first stage from the boat..but then I have the props coming at my head...

course my new inflator is bound to help.

Catherine,

A couple trips this year I ended up using the necklace for entry and exit, switching to the long hose underwater at 15 ft. or so. Gave me some good practice on the skills to switch back and forth.

The two situations?

1) small 6-pack with limited space and the fact you needed to do a back entry over the side... my long hose just got in the way many times... once I switched to using my regulator on the necklace... big difference both getting in and out of the water

2) blackbeard liveaboard... 20 people trying to gear up and exit all at the same time... consistently the last one on the boat so my gear was closest to the exit... rather than fiddle around with unclipping and deploying the long hose each and every time on deck... got in the habit of just using the bungied backup... let me get out of everyone's way that much faster...

Oh, are you talking about the entire rig?

DM on both of these trips routinely did that... the first one was in Ft. Lauderdale in 80 ft. of water... the second generally in 40 ft. or less on the Blackbeard's trip...