Are UW-Photogs solo divers?

[nwdiver2]

Once you get past the point-shoot-swim on type of underwater photography, boring your buddy becomes a problem as you hover over the critter waiting for the perfect shot or shooting and reviewing if digital. 15 minutes in one place is very common. I have spent an entire dive at 90 ft within 10 feet of where I dropped in.

How do you get around or deal with the fact that two photographers diving together as buddies are essentially (often anyway) solo divers. Yes I know, look at buddy shoot, look at buddy, move to buddy etc. Good theory but not practical nor does it work well.

So are you diving solo as a UW photographer? If you are diving solo are you planning your and your buddy’s safety? If so what are you doing?

 

[chippy]

I do:-

1) Only dive if i'm 100% comfortable with the conditions

2) Let the girlfriend (very reliable) know my maximum exit time, and my location.

3) Limit my dives to a max of 15m - most of mine are <10m.

4) Set my dive computer to alarm at 45mins (supply = 90mins), and repeat the alarm every 5mins (reminds me to check air supply).

5) keep all my kit regularly serviced.

6) Only dive sites I've dived previously (with a buddy).

7) No night diving!


Probably more checks than I've seen a lot of "buddyed" pairs do. For yourself to be a good buddy for anyone, you have to be self reliant yourself, but there's a whole host of threads on this board about solo diving.

Not that I wholeheartedly agree with going solo, I feel that in escence only the diver/photographer themselves knows whether they feel comfortable with it. Besides, diving with a buddy can be fun too!!

 

[ssra30]

Some of my friends actually went ahead and took solo diving course, carry alternative airsource etc for exactly that reason. Photographers are very poor buddies and put 2 together are not always practical as they can lose each other just as quickly.

When I dive with a group of non photographers with diveguide, depending on visibility, I do try to at least keep track of the direction that they go and if visibility is not good, I end up not spending as much time as I would have like on some subjects that I find so that I still can kind of keep up with other people.
Sometimes I do stay longer if I happen to have a diveguide and DM assistance with the group as at least one of them tend to hang back a bit so I know where to follow. Of course this is with the understanding that the rest of the group don't mind. Luckily most people that I dive with do take their times looking at all the little critters and tend to dive at slow pace anyway.

It really depend on your buddy or the group you dive with. It is easier if you dive with the same person or same group regularly as you tend to know more about them and they know your habit so all the detail can be hammered out and nobody gets upset.

One time I dove with someone new, who just recently got certified and of course a whale shark came by. She got pretty upset afterward because I lost her in a mad rush to follow the whale sharks and the DM did exactly the same thing. Visibility was very good and they were lots of other divers in water. Took us awhile to regroup afterward.

If I dive with someone new, go to new places, new DM etc, I try to talk to them before the dive, let them know and ask if they mind if I hang back sometimes, etc. Generally when they see the camera, they kind of know what's coming anyhow

For me, night diving is actually quite fun as a photographers. I find most people don't swim nearly as far at night and it is relatively easy to spot other divers. I do keep myself well lit with a little signal light on my tank, on my bc front and most people pretty much know where I am most of the time because of the strobe.

I guess I did not talk much about precaution I take when diving wiht camera but chippy already pretty much stated a lot of the essential things, now its just a matter of not getting other people upset with my style of diving

 

[Gilligan]

I am an avid kayak solo diving amateur photographer. Probably 95% or more of my dives are solo. Because I have a camera and spend my time looking for subjects I don't want a dive buddy. The times I do dive with the GF or a friend, they are well aware of my picture taking priority and do not rely on me as a dive buddy. In reality, they too are solo diving.
:shades:

 

[pipedope]

Two photogs dive together.

One take photos of the sealife.
The other takes pictures of the first.

Next dive, switch roles.

This way both divers are close together and attentive.

We also then get interesting pics of divers that are a bit different from the mainstream pictures that have been done many times over already.

 

[Genesis]

I am effectively solo while shooting either still or video.

I carry the proper gear to do that.

If you come up to me with a problem, I'll offer you some gas or help you, but I will not promise to notice the problem before you bring it to my attention.

I cannot possibly give you the attention that a "normal buddy" would while shooting either video or still pictures. No way.

 

[d33ps1x]

ssra30

Some phenomenal shots on your members galleries page!

 

[Virus]FSLR2[]

Primarily solo diver here, with or without a camera. I dive H-Valves, 4 regs (3 + Air2) if it's more than 40' or so, for shallower dives or travel dives, I may dive with a regular valve (Rental tanks) and use 3 second stages. It's just me, but they're part of my kit, and I'm used to them, and I feel nekkid without them all. Also, I dive with a light at all times (call me paranoid) but I've been on a day dive and found myself in a situation where a signal at night would have been a really nice though. Diving solo, I keep them pretty shallow, and someone always knows where I am, when I go in, and when I get out. I call like clockwork, and they know when I'm supposed to be back up. I've had the local Sheriff's Office show up here one time when my battery died, and I didn't have a charger in the car. It was pretty funny, but it was a nice test of the system.

My feelings on it are this...

If I think I may need it, I bring it. If I know I need it, I bring 2

I think I'm a good buddy when it's a regular dive. You'll always find me back behind your right leg, between 1 and 3 yards away. I look at my buddy every 45 seconds or so, and I do pre-dive planning with whoever I'm with. If I have my camera, all bets are off. I won't even volunteer to be a buddy. I've often asked the DM and Captain for a seperate dive marker from the rest of the group. Sometimes they say yes, sometimes, no. I try not to piss anyone off, but if I'm taking pictures, my priorities are personal safety, photos, and then taking care of whoever I see when I see them. I think it's pretty much the same with others, hence the solo dives.

well, that's my $.02

 

[ssra30]

d33ps1x once bubbled...
ssra30

Some phenomenal shots on your members galleries page!

Thanks to the compliment, personally I think most of those phenomenal shots belong to my friends rather than my own
They do frequent scubaboard as well so I am sure they appreciate your kind words as well.

 

[MantaRey]

I always dive with someone, especially when filming. it helps to have a spotter. it's easy to get fixated on something so much that you could miss a whale swimming behind you. so I like to have someone on the lookout for anything interesting that I might miss.

plus regardless of what some might say there are obvious safety benefits (I know from experience)