Anyone ever have a close call going solo?

[nereas]

No close calls. Once you learn the skills and practice them, you should be fine. I do not do penetrations that I can not handle solo. Since some of my dives are in 3-4 ft vis, on the occasion I dive with a buddy, we wind up diving solo. I use tag lines on most dives. Knowing where the boat/ anchor is reduces the stress level.

There can always be surprises. I am surprised that you have never been surprised.

 

[chefchris]

Another story came from a famous book (can't remember which one) where the boat diver forgot to tun on their air, had tons of tanks, drysuit and gear on for a tech wreck dive and sank to the bottom after entry and died.

Deep Descent

 

[nereas]

...

I never new about leaving someone in the boat until I heard a few stories about divers / or unattended boats drifting away with currents.

Another story came from a famous book (can't remember which one) where the boat diver forgot to tun on their air, had tons of tanks, drysuit and gear on for a tech wreck dive and sank to the bottom after entry and died.

...

Leaving someone in the boat is definitely nice. Not always possible, but definitely nice.

Turning on your own air/gas I consider a basic skill. It is normally the last thing you do, before you climb into your shoulder straps. This is not really a solo issue.

I had a DM on a dive boat once turn off my air, after I had turned it on. When I did my last check, breathing on my reg and watching my SPG, before jumping in, it was clear to me what he had done. He thought he was helping, when really he was being a major hazard himself. There was air in my wing, so I would have noticed it even had I jumped in without checking. But you are always supposed to check, before jumping in.

The procedure on our tech boat is that nobody touches your tanks, unless you ask them to do so. I like that a lot better than the cattle boats, where other people tend to fondle your tanks ad nauseum, and without being asked to do so.

 

[Cacia]

yea, be careful as you stride off...often thats where the "helper" helps you and you might not even know it, until you are at depth. For me, it was almoist 70 ft. and the door closed. Big Shocker. Now, I watch my gauge when testing, but I did not before, I just purged both regs.

 

[ArcticDiver]

Gotta confess these repetitive questions about solo diving dangers are getting tiresome. Maybe it has to do with the old Perception of Risk vs. Actual Risk, eh?

 

[tropicaledit]

I've not had an issue during any solo dives, and true to what others have said, I've had some with buddies. At around 40-50 dives under my belt, with approx 65% being solo. Also I started going solo around my 10 - 20th dive. Additional points, I carry a pony EVERY dive, dont care if I'm in 15' or 35', I carry for the practice of always using. During every dive, I'll take a second and practice if I lose air on my primary, I switch over to my pony - go through the procedure, then switch back. Practice for that dive is complete. Routine, routine ...etc... By the way, here's another test for some confident divers out there to do .... because I did this INTENTIONALLY and it was surprisingly NOT easy. With your buddy, say in a pool, try starting from around 10' away from you buddy, purposely take out your regulator and begin to swim towards your partner to retrieve his octo, or second air source. Take in mind this is with the both of you PRACTICING THIS, you might be surprised. In a real situation, I doubt things will be that prepared, especially ones mental status. I can't say how many times I've glanced at a group of divers and the distance between them exceeds much greater than 10'.

 

[tonka97]

... For me, it was almost 70 ft. and the door closed. Big Shocker. Now, I watch my gauge when testing, but I did not before, I just purged both regs.

Same thing happened to me. Quite a few of the '24/7' tanks in Bonaire are pretty beat. A common problem was slipping valve knobs. You had to tightly squeeze the rubber to get a purchase to turn the valve on and off. I 'turned' mine on until I felt a strong 'stop', checked my gauge...2800 psi...easy breathing...inflated bc 1/2 way...no problem.

75-80 feet no problem, 2600 psi...then no air...checked gauge..0000!...flashing alarm...

immediately switched to necklace regulator connected to my 40 cf pony.

Thanked God for redundancy....gentle return to dock.

Redundancy! Redundancy!

 

[Rick Inman]

The closest I've ever come to dieing was on a solo dive in 15' of water.

About 3 years ago. I was doing a drift dive in fast water in a local river. We can travel about 4 miles in 20 mins. It's impossible for two divers to stay together, but I was solo that day. The law in the river is that you have to have a dive flag with you, so I did - 20' of line clipped off to my D ring. I also had my wife follow the flag along the river by car.

There is a place where the current has dug big holes around huge rock structure (about 10' around and 25' high), which actually break the surface. As I came roaring into the hole and by the rock, the flag got stuck on the rock at the surface. The current started buffeting me against the stone face at about 15' deep. I unclipped the flag rope, but the line had tangled around my valve as I was being tossed and banged against the rock. I was fighting hard, trying to reach the valve and find the rope, over-breathing the reg, unable to get a good breath and being smashed over and over against the rock.

I could feel myself losing consciousness, slipping away...and I had this sudden moment of calm clarity, and it seemed so funny all at once that I was about to bite it here in 15' feet of water about 4 blocks from my house with my wife in the car watching the flag. For some reason it seemed really funny, and I couldn't see anything and I didn't have any strength left so I just let the current bang me into the rock over and over...

And then the rope came free from the rock and I tumbled downstream. I'm guessing that I was only there a minute or two, but it seemed like forever.

I managed to get to shore, and my wife picked me up. I really down-played the event to her, but she kept asking me if I was alright because I was so quiet.

Even though it was a solo dive, even a buddy would not have been able to stay near enough to help.

I've done that dive a few times since, but without the flag, law or not.

 

[Coldiver1]

Over 1200 dives solo and no close calls. I don't consider a buddy a piece of safety equipment. When I am alone I stay in my comfort range and am not rushed while setting up my gear. I solo at night also.

 

[Cacia]

Even though it was a solo dive, even a buddy would not have been able to stay near enough to help.

I've done that dive a few times since, but without the flag, law or not.

whoa...close one. what is the viz there when that happened?
yes, I think its the little things that get divers quite often. Kind of like the vast numbers of children that die in mop buckets every year...well back when women mopped.