A depth solow

[ScubaSixString]

Curious to know what most of you think about depth limits for solo diving. Many essay authors reccommend twice your free diving depth as the self-imposed max depth. Yet other accounts, mainly stories of technical divers at deep depths, seem to have no problem going solo even given deco, overhead and mixed gas considerations.

For myself, doing non-decompression dives, I believe right now that there is no compelling reason - other than personal preference - not to go deeper than the free diving rule. This is why: First, because of a redundant air supply large enough to get me to the surface, including safety stops, I would have no problem safely surfacing in an OOA situation. Second, in my mind, an emergency ascent doesn't necessarily have to be a swimming ascent. Dropping a weight belt or over inflating a BC is just as viable an option because it is an emergency. And third, an underwater atmosphere at fifty feet is just as liquid at one-hundred thirty - you can drown in both and the only thing that will save you is air. So refering back to the fact that solo divers keep a completely redundant air supply, there really is no reason why the surface is your only choice. (Maybe some people limit depth because they don't carry a redundant. I don't know?)

So what is your reason for choosing depth limits? What kind of diving are you doing? Are you really carrying a redundant? If not, have you practiced an emergency ascent from your self-imposed depth. And who really knows what their free diving depth is? Seriously. Am I off base in my reasoning?

I'm not brow beating my reasons on y'all, I just want know your thoughts. Who knows, you might change mine.

I have a SERIOUS problem with basing depth on a free diving depth. Whats the record free dive? 400 something? That puts the record holders depth for solo at over 800ft. Hardly safe.

I would tend to go with others here, base it on 1> your redundant gas capacity, 2> your skill level and 3> the purpose of the dive. Why dive to 150ft to see something you can see at 30?

Just my 2 cents.....

 

[Nemrod]

"Why dive to 150ft to see something you can see at 30?"

Why ask why? Why climb a mountain to see the same rock you can see at the base--but then miss the view. Sometimes there are reasons to go deep and as for the world record free diving stuff that is a bit beyond the scope of the "rules" being discussed especially since they use weight sleds and on top of that I don't think they are much safer at 400 feet than 800!! Any thing can be taken to an extreme. If you can lung dive to 400 feet then feel free to have at scuba at 800--lol--holy cow! N

 

[ScubaSixString]

"Why dive to 150ft to see something you can see at 30?"

Why ask why? Why climb a mountain to see the same rock you can see at the base--but then miss the view. Sometimes there are reasons to go deep and as for the world record free diving stuff that is a bit beyond the scope of the "rules" being discussed especially since they use weight sleds and on top of that I don't think they are much safer at 400 feet than 800!! Any thing can be taken to an extreme. If you can lung dive to 400 feet then feel free to have at scuba at 800--lol--holy cow! N

I was obviously being extreme about it. My point was free diving and scuba are different types of diving. Using your free diving depth as a guage for how deep you can scuba solo would appear a bit foolish.

 

[Tod]

Update: Oddly enough, at my Solo dive class last night, the instructor went off on this tangent about not liking that "double your free dive depth" rule for various reasons, not too much like what is going on here. As I was listening to him, I was sort of taken aback by the fact that the book where this particular recommendation came from probably only stated it for legal reasons (basic safety rules). Even in doing so, the book did note that it was only a guideline for people who are first considering solo diving (and who may be unsure of what, if any, limits to place on themselves). I use the term "rule" loosely, as I think it was mearly a guideline.

Those of you with tons of dives logged can obviously skip over this discussion, as your time-learned skills probably will better point out what your safe limits are given the particular conditions. The whole point is that any solo diver needs to be thinking at all times in the water, and that includes knowing what is safe and what is too risky for the particular dive.

 

[lamont]

the freediving rule clearly assumes that the emergency you're dealing with is accidentally going OOA without having noticed. that assumes that you either did not have a gas plan, or screwed it up badly. which further suggests that you really shouldn't be solo diving.

 

[wedivebc]

the freediving rule clearly assumes that the emergency you're dealing with is accidentally going OOA without having noticed. that assumes that you either did not have a gas plan, or screwed it up badly. which further suggests that you really shouldn't be solo diving.

Or had a reg failure or had a valve failure or had a spg failure or had a hose burst or had a o-ring let go or had a burst disk go or had....
My point is stuff happens that is outside the divers control. Just be prepared for contingencies and you can deal with any of it.

 

[Nemrod]

"I was obviously being extreme about it. My point was free diving and scuba are different types of diving. Using your free diving depth as a guage for how deep you can scuba solo would appear a bit foolish."

In this context the freediving depth rule from the Book Solo Diving and several other places, intends that the solo diver not exceed twice his free dive depth in order that he/she should be able to return to the surface should an OOA problem occur. It is stated as twice your free dive depth because the round trip is twice that free dice capability. The book explains it better than me. It is a rule of thumb. It gives several others as well. Obviously it is not intended as anything other than a guide line for solo divers and I apply it only when diving with no redundancy (other than returning to the surface as my redundancy). If I am diving a rig with other redundant air sources then there is no real need to follow that rule. Do as you wish, the book and those who have taught me this only intended it as a simple rule of thumb and I have used only as such.
I imagine my dive rig is considerably different from yours since it consist of me, a tank and a double hose regulator, a spg, a knife, a depth guage, a watch and an exposure suit if needed and that is about it 70 percent of the time. N

 

[SDAnderson]

Acknowledging that the lack of a buddy has an impact on the safety factor of any dive, I tend to stay shallower on solo dives than I otherwise might. That said, I don't follow the 2X rule - it's too conservative for me. I've only gone solo a few times much below recreational limits, mostly because gas reserve concerns make deeper dives logistically difficult.

Most of my diving is in water below 45F and below 150ft, most of my solo diving is in water above 70F and above 100ft.

I don't need to practice to know that I'm pooched if I have to do an OOA swim from 150 these depths. That risk is part of the bargain I assume when I decide to solo.

I have no idea what my free diving depth is and don't have any particular interest in finding out. It's not relevant to the diving that I do.

I don't think you're off base in your thinking, but don't make the leap that what makes sense for you makes sense for others. Skills levels, logistics and risk tolerance are all critical factors influencing the decisions that each of us make about solo diving and only rarely would all of these line up the same for the same diver on two different days, let alone two different divers.

 

[Mandy3206]

I would Solo any dive that I would go with a buddy, unless it's the first time diving the site.

My deepest Solo up to date, 105 fsw.

Most of my Solo dives are in the 50-80 fsw range.

I dive only NDL.

 

[gratefuldiver2]

I think personal depth limits are much safer than a broad this for everyone limit. I enjoy deep deco diving by myself. I am redundant, and thorough in my dive planning. I had a rather enjoyable dive yesterday morning on a fantastic wall. I did 225 for 25 min with a 1:10 runtime. I've enjoyed many shallow dives in rec gear as well. I love to take photo's and that is a very solo activity. I think diving solo NDL or Deco are both safe and enjoyable. If the diver is!