Diving solo?

[DerrickMcD]

I'm not completely nuts my intention with this post was just to find out if it would be an issues for me with the DOs at a place that offered say 2 boat and unlimited shore dives heading out relatively shallow solo. It sounds like that varies. If I go on a dive holiday I want to be diving as much as possible I'm not a sit on the beach or in the bar kinda guy. I have no issue diving with insta buddies and really did not have intentions to pursue solo diving as my norm it was just a potential back up plan.

Thanks to all the input I'll look for somewhere that provides 3-4 dive a day with a DM and I'll just pair up with another single or the DM. Problem solved.

Thanks all

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I'm not completely nuts my intention with this post was just to find out if it would be an issues for me with the DOs at a place that offered say 2 boat and unlimited shore dives heading out relatively shallow solo. It sounds like that varies. If I go on a dive holiday I want to be diving as much as possible I'm not a sit on the beach or in the bar kinda guy. I have no issue diving with insta buddies and really did not have intentions to pursue solo diving as my norm it was just a potential back up plan.

Thanks to all the input I'll look for somewhere that provides 3-4 dive a day with a DM and I'll just pair up with another single or the DM. Problem solved.

Thanks all

It all depends on where you go. Some places don't have a problem with solo diving, others will only allow it if you have the c-card, and still others strictly forbid it regardless of training or experience. On my recent trip to Indonesia I ran into a bit of each, depending on location and dive op. In my most recent experience in Lembeh Strait, for example, it's strictly forbidden ... no exceptions. But when I mentioned wanting to do dives on the house reef the dive operation supplied me with a guide at no additional cost (it was an all-inclusive resort).

So it's best to ask the question of the specific dive op at the time you're booking the trip. Please do yourself a favor and mention to them your level of training and experience. However much you want to dive, the very best way to wreck a good dive vacation is to get yourself hurt by going out in local conditions you're unfamiliar with without the benefit of someone with local knowledge.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[TMHeimer]

I would not advise solo diving to anyone because A) I'm a DM and wouldn't want anyone taking my opinion as a professional one and therefore an absolute truth and B) I really don't know the diver's ability and mindset unless I've dived with him/her at least a few times. I am curious why no one cautioned the OP about solo snorkelling to such depths, when you're also not supposed to snorkel OR swim alone. I've always felt more vulnerable "free diving" alone to 10' or so to hunt shells while snorkelling. If you ever get entangled you got seconds to get loose with no tank. I snorkelled solo (using hyperventilation, which I later found isn't a great idea) my whole life until OW certified at age 51.

 

[Desert_Pirate]

Lord help us all....AOW seems to be handed out by the lottery system .... 24 min dives and 4 specialty classes is how I go by. Good luck with solo cave and ice diving as you see fit...... safety has been compromised

C

 

[Foxfish]

I'm not completely nuts my intention with this post was just to find out if it would be an issues for me with the DOs at a place that offered say 2 boat and unlimited shore dives heading out relatively shallow solo. It sounds like that varies. If I go on a dive holiday I want to be diving as much as possible I'm not a sit on the beach or in the bar kinda guy. I have no issue diving with insta buddies and really did not have intentions to pursue solo diving as my norm it was just a potential back up plan.

Thanks to all the input I'll look for somewhere that provides 3-4 dive a day with a DM and I'll just pair up with another single or the DM. Problem solved.

Thanks all

I've tried to get an overseas dive charter company to agree with me doing a shallow solo shore dive. They declined even though I am AOW have a few hundred dives and have dived with them over several weeks. Not sure if this is mainly driven by commercial or safety concerns. I'd understand either way. It will be interesting to see if that changes once I have solo accreditation.

As you've probably gathered, solo diving is considered a big no no by all the major diving agencies until you've got a lot of experience which is often translated as a minimum of 100 dives.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

100 dives is hardly a lot of experience ... it's more like a threshold where people begin to realize that there's a lot to learn yet ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Foxfish]

It's all relative.

 

[spoolin01]

Boat operations are going to be concerned about liability and since buddy and/or DM-lead is the near universal practice in charter operations, at least where I've been, it's probably unlikely you'll find it easy to get solo diving approval, especially when you're not known to the operators.

I've only ever once had a dive shop ask me about having a buddy when renting equipment or having tanks filled.

I have yet to have a dive where I absolutely needed a buddy to save my ass - not that they haven't been handy on occasion and not that you can't imagine such a dive - and when I don't have one, I'm fairly capable of picking a time, place, and manner of dive where the likelihood of critically needing one is minimized.

If you dive solo, you'll most likely be at more risk. How that compares to other risks you take daily, and blithely, is an equally pertinent question.

I certainly wouldn't, and don't, let the lack of a buddy stop me from taking a dive vacation if one is not available. You might well be able to find someone fun to dive with once you get there, who's interested in helping or practicing skills with you.

 

[scubadada]

Solo diving safely is a lot more than just not having a buddy close by. Get the SDI training manual for the Solo Diver Course. Read it and plan to put it into practice AFTER you perfect what you were (should have been) introduced to in your OW course. I don't know what kind of course you took but a total of an hour in the pool and five dives wouldn't qualify you for certification with SDI and I doubt with any other certification agency. Was this a resort course? I can't imagine how you got to, let alone through, AOW - but the experience you describe indicates, at least to me, that you've got a lot of skills to perfect before even thinking about solo diving.

As far as being "allowed" to go out alone from shore - it depends where you are. On Bonaire no one would notice. In a lot of other places you might be restricted. If I were you I would limit my practice when alone to 5-10 feet. Then again it's your life.

SDI Solo Diver requires minimum of 100 dives, I look it at 700+. Sorry if this is duplcate informaition in my unread 3 pages of this thread

---------- Post added January 26th, 2014 at 11:52 AM ----------

How do you get AOW with only 20 dives? SSI requires minimum of 24 I believe PADI DOES AS well... dive your experience not your card level. I would challenge your instructor for building false confidence....

No, you can be PADI AOW with 9 dives, 4 OW and 5 AOW. It requires no more dives to add EAN. I dived with a very fit young man in the Navy on the Duane in Key Largo in brisk current with this level of training. The dive did not go very well but he lived to dive another day. I ended up sharing air with him up to the surface after less than 20 minutes of bottom time. This was a last minute insta-buddy assignment and I did not have long to speak to him. He had good equipement, told me he was AOW and confident the dive would go well, and seemed relaxed. Looks can be deceiving, I generally dive solo but do not fail to have longer discussions when diving with someone I do not know.

Addendum: I must admit, years of diving with insta-buddies taught me a lot of things. I was always afraid of what other people might do and, sometimes, this fear became a reality that I was more or less prepared for. It taught me to be an attentive buddy and about the many, many things that can and do go wrong under water. I'm just as glad to not be diving under those conditions any longer

 

[TMHeimer]

Boat operations are going to be concerned about liability and since buddy and/or DM-lead is the near universal practice in charter operations, at least where I've been, it's probably unlikely you'll find it easy to get solo diving approval, especially when you're not known to the operators.

I've only ever once had a dive shop ask me about having a buddy when renting equipment or having tanks filled.

I have yet to have a dive where I absolutely needed a buddy to save my ass - not that they haven't been handy on occasion and not that you can't imagine such a dive - and when I don't have one, I'm fairly capable of picking a time, place, and manner of dive where the likelihood of critically needing one is minimized.

If you dive solo, you'll most likely be at more risk. How that compares to other risks you take daily, and blithely, is an equally pertinent question.

I certainly wouldn't, and don't, let the lack of a buddy stop me from taking a dive vacation if one is not available. You might well be able to find someone fun to dive with once you get there, who's interested in helping or practicing skills with you.

Good points. Assume you mean DM lead dives is the norm in the tropics. As far as finding a buddy when you get there, the key word could be "might". I would be sure of everything--that the Op will get you a buddy, let you dive solo, etc.--all details-- before spending all that $ on a trip.