diving without buddy

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Solo diving is NOT for the inexperienced diver, and if you're to go to any real depth, that being anything deeper than the surface being a few fin strokes away, then IMO you need to have the proper gear with you, and know how to set it up and use it. This would include a backup air system and other critical gear.
Solo diving is about more than just gear. Grabbing a pony bottle and going diving alone isn't going to solve most of the problems you can encounter when at depth alone. Whether the diver will be able to recognize the onset of a problem and deal with it will depend a great deal on how they think about problem-solving, how well they can manage stress and task-loading, and whether or not they're even experienced enough to recognize the developing situation in time to do something about it. None of those have anything to do with gear.

Solo diving is more about how you THINK about diving than it is the equipment you bring with you.

If solo diving is done conservatively, sticking to dive sites you know well, with proper experience and training, and proper gear, it can be done. Certification agencies have been weary in recommending it, or even mentioning it as an option for novice divers, partly to avoid divers going into it before their skill levels are adequate, and partly to avoid the risk of law suits.
If certification agencies did a better job of training divers how to be a decent dive buddy, a lot fewer new divers would consider solo diving as an alternative to getting stuck with the "buddy from hell". Lack of decent buddy skills is really the wrong reason to consider diving alone ... and is more an indication that you are in no way prepared to be a solo diver. Awareness and the ability to solve problems underwater ... particularly while task-loaded (which is when most problems become problems) are critical skills for solo diving. It's the very rare new diver who will have acquired those skills, since they mostly come with practice ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
 
Solo diving is about more than just gear. Grabbing a pony bottle and going diving alone isn't going to solve most of the problems you can encounter when at depth alone. Whether the diver will be able to recognize the onset of a problem and deal with it will depend a great deal on how they think about problem-solving, how well they can manage stress and task-loading, and whether or not they're even experienced enough to recognize the developing situation in time to do something about it. None of those have anything to do with gear.

Solo diving is more about how you THINK about diving than it is the equipment you bring with you.


If certification agencies did a better job of training divers how to be a decent dive buddy, a lot fewer new divers would consider solo diving as an alternative to getting stuck with the "buddy from hell". Lack of decent buddy skills is really the wrong reason to consider diving alone ... and is more an indication that you are in no way prepared to be a solo diver. Awareness and the ability to solve problems underwater ... particularly while task-loaded (which is when most problems become problems) are critical skills for solo diving. It's the very rare new diver who will have acquired those skills, since they mostly come with practice ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I fully agree with Bob's statements here.

I would also say that if you need to take a course on how to be a solo diver, then you're probably not ready to be solo diving. It is about experience, and not just the experience you get in a few dives with an instructor and then get a card for it.

Unfortunately, so many people don't learn about some of the exceptional instruction that is available to them (that is more like mentoring) or even have the ability to dive with mentors until after they've connected via social networks like ScubaBoard. Sometimes, they've already invested hundreds of dollars in courses that will not make them better divers, but make them c-card holders.

DTm:
Well, one of commercial divers on the group took that and gave his opinion that all recreational certifications are Fufu certifications.

I assume this is me??

I have to respond.

1) I said most - and I'd like to qualify that. Most of the recreational c-cards available to students are jokes. Is paying $xx for a boat diver specialty, equipment specialist, night diver, etc worth it? (apparently, you agree with this statement... yes?) Wouldn't you be better off to find an instructor you like, and just dive with them without getting a BS card for it? How many multi card holders are just thumping their chests about it? The point is... Solo diving is something that requires EXPERIENCE... Real experience and comfort in the water, as a diver before you dive alone. The thing that kills more people than equipment failure is PANIC.

2) FWIW... I was a recreational diver long before I ever dove a hardhat. Actually, I had over 500 recreational dives before I did a planned staged decompression dive. I had almost 1000 dives before I got into a hat. I am a recreational diver, tech diver, and working diver... I dive a lot, and love it. After working 80 hours on the bottom (last month)... I spent yesterday diving on the Spiegel Grove with friends for fun. I love diving, and only got into being a working diver through that.
 
The belief that an animal such as solo diving can be trained
or, that it even exists, in todays world is a complete furphy


The acceptance by those training, and trained by, in not considering
the implications of having no understanding, of the machinations or
the basic operation of diving gear is where upon the root incapacity
lay
 
A misspelling of Fiji????

I am sure that from his prospective and yours, given your id and number of dives, that the training covered in rec courses is barely adequate.

I do not think that at all.
I know several scuba instructors who are 1st class.
BTW I do not think I am a great diver by rec diving standards.
I would never do a cave penetration. I simply do do not have the skill and training for it.
I have done plenty of wreck penetration, but mostly with plasma cutters in hand :D so you do not have to worry about finding your way out. Also OOG is not much of a concern when you have surface supply :wink:
Very different skill sets required for what I do.
 
Personally I would like to comment that I took SCUBA lessons with my mind fixed on solo diving from the very beginning. What I seek in diving cannot be achieved while a different-minded buddy is around. Freedom, peace and thrill of exploring this alien environment go away when buddy checks, buddy lookout, and individual diving preferences come up.

That is your decision to make - is it advise that really experienced divers, professionals, instructors would give you or any new diver asking the question? - While there seems to be lots of disagreement and discussion - the message I am hearing over all is; probably need to get more experience before attempting it.
I do disagree with your buddy comment though – if you made an attempt to I think it would be very easy to find a like mind buddy. I think you are also missing out on the social aspect of diving.

I would like to address the “I can always do an ESA (Emergency Swimming Accent)” that has been said a couple of times. If you remain at a depth that you can do that, for an equipment failure, or the more likely the diver was just not paying attention and ran out of air, that is fine. Where I dive regularly there is just never great viz ever.. We think 10 ft. is good, 20 is the best we can expect. At times it can be zero literally having to hold your gauge against you mask to see it. It is also full of fishing line, nets, boat anchor lines, trees, even some overzealous "guidelines", and other thing that can cause entanglement. With that kind of viz the stuff sometimes comes out of nowhere... Equipment failure is rear; Running out of air for experienced divers is rear (not the case for new divers - number one catalyst for diving related accidents in new divers, at least that is what I got out of the summery on DANs annual report); My real danger is that entanglement and I cannot do an ESA from that. To solo dive I have to have the experience, mindset, skills and tools to be able to handle that event underwater without panic and without being able to see. If you are not prepared handle that do not solo dive.

…
(apparently, you agree with this statement... yes?) .
Think this was rhetorical but, YES.
Wouldn't you be better off to find an instructor you like, and just dive with them without getting a BS card for it?
I would not limit this to just instructors or include all instructors – there are a lot of really good divers that are not instructors – there are some instructors that just have the card and run through a checklist without teaching anything,- never have dove with them, or worked with them but I have witnessed it. I am very fortunate to know many divers. All (but one) are very good and experienced – some are instructors others are not. Some that are not- are better divers than the instructors. Not saying the instructors I know and dive with are bad, just that some of the non-instructors are better. I am probably the weakest diver in the group that I know and dive with… but I am practicing and having fun with it.. By far I have gotten my best learning from just diving with these guys.
How many multi card holders are just thumping their chests about it? The point is... Solo diving is something that requires EXPERIENCE... Real experience and comfort in the water, as a diver before you dive alone. The thing that kills more people than equipment failure is PANIC.
I think we are saying the same thing.
 
the fact is, most divers are not good divers. solo diving is not a good idea because of the many things that can go wrong. Add in other factors such lack of skill, lack of proper experience and/or training, and the recipe for disaster is prime.

Last month I did my first solo dive. I was in Key Largo, dove in 25 feet of water, was surrounded by tons of divers from our boat and from the several other boats moored in the area. I took no risks such as swim throughs, and just did a very leisurely glide over a shallow reef enjoying the beauty and splendor of the many fish.
I must admit it was a bit exciting and frightening because like all of you, I have been ingrained with the Never Solo Dive Rule and certainly understand the reasoning.
Still, in 25 feet, I felt safe, did not have to check my buddy every few minutes and was only concerned with getting close enough to the next fish. My dive lasted one hour and could have lasted much longer but the boat captain and deckhand want us back on the boat in one hour so, being one who almost always follows the rules, I was back on the boat.
 
…If certification agencies did a better job of training divers how to be a decent dive buddy, a lot fewer new divers would consider solo diving as an alternative to getting stuck with the "buddy from hell"…

Maybe, but that is not consistent with my experience. A lot of activities don’t lend themselves well to buddy diving. A macro photographer may spend 30 minutes with their face planted behind their camera in one spot waiting for a shy animal. I have spent whole dives coaxing a lobster out of a hole. Observing small critters is often impossible with two heads stuck in the same crevice. Unless divers are fortunate enough to have identical interests and good visibility you can spend more of your dive looking at each other than the environment.
 
I think every diver has to find his or her comfort level. For some it's reefs and tropical waters, for others it's cold and deep wrecks, for others it's something else. It takes time to get there, whatever your preference is, but serious divers do. It's expensive, it takes a lot of diving, and it takes constant changes to your gear and configurations.

Solo diving is just like that. You start out on the "regular" dives and, if you really like it, progress to your next level.

I started years ago offshore on our local dives and then into caves. Today a normal solo cave dive will last between 3 and 7 hours, and I'll be back a mile or so at times in some caves. It's not stressful. Actually, I really enjoy it. And yes, things do go wrong from time to time, but it's usually something I've thought about and am prepared to deal with.

It's all about following what you like and having the confidence in yourself and your gear. You will always have people telling you that it's dumb and you're insane, whether going deep, penetrating a wreck, cave diving, etc., but you have to go for what works for you.

If you're being personally pulled to solo dive, then start perparing yourself for it. If you get the bug, as many people on this thread have, then spend your time preparing you head and your gear to be self-sufficient. Then you won't find yourself asking for other people's opinions as you will have confidence in your own.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DTm
the thing that i didn't read (i apologize if i missed yours) with diving with a buddy is practicing your buddy skills. when i did my cave training, we started every dive with air sharing exercises... i've done a lot of technical diving, and even with my training, lots of preparedness, solo dives have to be planned and emergency skills practiced. knowing where all your gear is, being able to reach it, and making a decision that can save your life only works if you do that technique or know how to do it in a crisis. practicing relaxation skills underwater is a good idea too. taking just a few seconds to calm down, let your mind go over your options and then execute them is what self-sufficiency is all about! solo diving isn't any more dangerous than diving with a buddy that bails on you or doesn't know how to help... next time you're on a dive, share air... next time, take off your mask and have your buddy take you to the surface (while you are maintain buoyancy), and so on... cheers, --carlos
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

Back
Top Bottom