6 to 10' Solo Dive

[TMHeimer]

I'm not going to tell you it's safe, but I do think it's interesting that many people would think nothing of snorkeling in such a lake, but take issue with scuba diving. The way I see it, when I snorkel/freedive, I have a matter of seconds to free myself if I get entangled underwater. If I don't, then I die. While on scuba, I have perhaps an hour or more to do the same thing. Solo or buddy diving, I tend to regard scuba as much safer than snorkeling/freediving.

Also, as a beginning diver, if you're diving with other beginning divers, then in reality most of your dives are probably solo anyway. Most beginning divers just don't have good buddy skills, and if your buddy's not there when you need him it's actually worse than no buddy at all. When you dive solo, at least it's clear right from the start that there's no one but yourself to save you.

Excellent post. That part about snorkelling/free diving solo vs. scuba solo is a point that is rarely mentioned. I snorkelled for decades solo before getting scuba certified. No one ever said going alone was dangerous (though it probably was). Same idea as swimming alone. How many people do that without giving it a second thought. I've mentioned often that swimming/snorkelling in water over my head still gives me the creeps, though I've done a fair bit of deep diving and am Deep Diver Cert.

I also like your part about beginners buddying up and being basically two soloists. We need at least some very basic Rescue techniques taught in OW (some may say "as they used to").

 

[txapacheguy]

The excellent range of advice I have seen in the last four pages is the reason I read these threads. I subscribe to the belief that diving is an individual activity that is normally done in pairs. Too few of the non-technically minded divers I run into seem to share the solo diver's self-reliant mindset.

I try to be a good dive buddy to anyone I enter the water with although I equip and conduct myself as though no one will be within reach or looking my way when I have a problem.

ccx2: The main thing about your posts that jump out at me is that you claim that this lake is free of entanglements, but you then say that you have not been in there in years. I have no reason to disagree, but I also did not see anything in any of your posts pertaining to your plan to have one or preferably more than one cutting devices on your person for your dive.

FYI, my normal kit includes a knife and a strap cutter on my harness, a knife tucked inside my drysuit gaiter strap on the front of my left leg, and a pair of shears secured in my right pocket. I might be OCD and paranoid, but I hope to be able to deal with entanglement in rope, monofilament fishing line, wire, lightweight cable, vegetation, and hopefully deal with dropping at least one cutting device in a zero visibility situation. I take these items whether solo, or with a buddy.

If I were planning to dive a small lake such as yours, I would certainly place higher priority on having a few cutting tools with me than I would place on taking a dive buoy out with me that might indeed contribute to the entanglement issue we want to be able to deal with. (unless you have heavy boat traffic in your lake, of course).

Don't forget to check out the solo diving forum on this board for more wisdom on this subject.

Safe Diving!!!

Will

 

[ccx2]

The excellent range of advice I have seen in the last four pages is the reason I read these threads. I subscribe to the belief that diving is an individual activity that is normally done in pairs. Too few of the non-technically minded divers I run into seem to share the solo diver's self-reliant mindset.

I try to be a good dive buddy to anyone I enter the water with although I equip and conduct myself as though no one will be within reach or looking my way when I have a problem.

ccx2: The main thing about your posts that jump out at me is that you claim that this lake is free of entanglements, but you then say that you have not been in there in years. I have no reason to disagree, but I also did not see anything in any of your posts pertaining to your plan to have one or preferably more than one cutting devices on your person for your dive.

FYI, my normal kit includes a knife and a strap cutter on my harness, a knife tucked inside my drysuit gaiter strap on the front of my left leg, and a pair of shears secured in my right pocket. I might be OCD and paranoid, but I hope to be able to deal with entanglement in rope, monofilament fishing line, wire, lightweight cable, vegetation, and hopefully deal with dropping at least one cutting device in a zero visibility situation. I take these items whether solo, or with a buddy.

If I were planning to dive a small lake such as yours, I would certainly place higher priority on having a few cutting tools with me than I would place on taking a dive buoy out with me that might indeed contribute to the entanglement issue we want to be able to deal with. (unless you have heavy boat traffic in your lake, of course).

Don't forget to check out the solo diving forum on this board for more wisdom on this subject.

Safe Diving!!!

Will

Will, I think I did mention I would have a dive knife,but also a hooked tool of some sort that I got a a dive shop (I don't know it's name) for cutting up to prob 3/8 dia material by hooking over and pulling to cut,like a roofers razor knife blade.
I will check the Solo site also ,thanks .

 

[txapacheguy]

Will, I think I did mention I would have a dive knife,but also a hooked tool of some sort that I got a a dive shop (I don't know it's name) for cutting up to prob 3/8 dia material by hooking over and pulling to cut,like a roofers razor knife blade.
I will check the Solo site also ,thanks .

Must have missed it. Either way, I am glad you are thus equipped... Be careful out there!!!

Will

 

[elmer fudd]

Excellent post. That part about snorkelling/free diving solo vs. scuba solo is a point that is rarely mentioned. I snorkelled for decades solo before getting scuba certified. No one ever said going alone was dangerous (though it probably was). Same idea as swimming alone. How many people do that without giving it a second thought. I've mentioned often that swimming/snorkelling in water over my head still gives me the creeps, though I've done a fair bit of deep diving and am Deep Diver Cert.

I also like your part about beginners buddying up and being basically two soloists. We need at least some very basic Rescue techniques taught in OW (some may say "as they used to").

I had a close call a year or two ago that made me realize just how dangerous entanglements are when snorkeling. The place where I was at had a spit with a bridge at the end of it. On either side of the spit the currents were mild, but around the point going under the bridge they were whipping. In the shallow water, kicking hard and occasionally pulling myself along the rocks with my hands I could move against it. There were a lot of perch, crabs and flounder there and I was having a good time fighting against the current and then letting it sweep me for 50' or so before doing it again. On one drift under the bridge however, my foot got wrapped around a rope that a boater had tied to one of the bridge supports as an anchor. Tied by my foot, the current instantly sucked me under. I was trying to reach my foot and free myself and the current was trying to prevent me from doing it when thankfully my fin fell off and I was free.

The whole thing happened in about 20 seconds and that really drove home to me just how quickly things can go bad when you're snorkeling. Another 30 seconds and I probably would have died. I can hold my breath for far longer than that of course, but at the time I had been exerting myself and I didn't have a chance to fill my lungs before I was sucked under.