Personal Limits to Solo Diving

[Diver-Drex]

So far it’s 160ffw on mix, with 20 minutes of deco. But 80-100fsw, 20’ vis, no deco dives have been typical for many years. Self reliant, same ocean type dives.

 

[Cdncoldwater]

I bet sidemount made an enormous difference for you. Redundancy, check/tick. Swapping regs, check/tick. Handling gas releases, check/tick! Not to mention looking good and flat in the water and all the other sidemount benefits.

If I have to dive solo on open circuit, it's always sidemount.

I did it because of back issues and have become comfortable with it; definitely a very good platform for solo with gas management already ingrained and entanglement on the back is reduced. Also I have front thigh pockets on my dry suit which makes retrieving my back up mask or my DSMB etc much easier.

 

[100days-a-year]

Wait. You will dive solo to 180 feet on air?

Yes, probably several hundred times. I used to go deeper but the risk/ reward and deco time are less attractive. Several thousand dives deeper than 130' on air or lean nitrox.

 

[AdivingBel]

...

 

[Dsix36]

My golden rule of solo diving - Make sure you are not diving with an idiot!

 

[Wathdoc]

Although I have solo dived to 57m they are generally very shallow 10m or less. Would say why, but given the past year I am not sure that I remember what diving is!

 

[hedonist222]

I would not solo dive any site where the seabed is deeper than 40 meters (130 feet).
And especially won't dive sites where the seabed is hundreds of meters deep.

 

[tarponchik]

As for me, it is the opposite question: what kind of diving will I do when not limited by a buddy?

 

[SlugLife]

I have about 36 total dives, about 30 solo-dives, 4 training dives, and 2 pair dives. Without a redundant air-source, I initially stayed around 30ft, but these days frequently dive 60ft. I've been deeper solo (~110ft) but try to avoid it. I'm currently working on a redundant-air setup, after which I'll be okay with 100ft to 130ft dives solo.

My "dive buddy" who takes off and solo-dives, and has far more experience, will regularly do 100 to 130ft dives solo, without redundant air.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

Having been blown off a Reef by a freak current that held me for a quarter mile or so, I'd probably pass on a solo dive in strong current unless it was a liveaboard where someone was expecting me back or watching my bubbles or smb. Like many of us, I feel more comfortable diving solo than I do with a buddy because then I don't have to worry about anyone else and can truly enjoy the dive. Depth to minimum deco is fine, I dive limited vis to pitch black at home so That's not an issue. No serious penetration or caves. Probably pass on entanglement risks as well.

I think most of us were drawn to solo to eliminate the responsibility of a buddy. I love diving with my wife....I just love diving alone more.

Jay