I would like to hear from Solo divers . . . as to why you prefer to solo dive, when you started and any tips and info you have for aspiring solo divers.
Why: a) It is convenient, for those times when I am ready to dive and no one else is available; b) it is practical (do two of us really need to splash to set or release a tie-in to a wreck on a coastal charter); c) it is very relaxing (and almost spiritual, to be the only diver on a wreck, listening to the incredible symphony of underwater sounds at times); d) it is functional, for those times when I have a specific objective for a dive, and my dive buddy has a specific objective, and the two objectives are different, so we agree to become same-ocean buddies (or, actually, same-quarry buddies) in the water, and hook up again on shore afterward, for the all-important post-dive debriefing (beer, jalapenos and peanut butter, and Cuban cigars).
When: the first time I felt like I solo dived was two years ago, at two different places, under different circumstances. But, I look at the combined experience as the point where I walked through the solo dive door. In May 2010, I was CA for a Tec Deep class, off the Florida coast, and was assigned the job of jumping in ahead of the class, with a long piece of lead line attached to a surface float, descending to the wreck (Hydro Atlantic) and tying off the line to the wreck, for the 3 students to use as a reference for the descent. There was more than a little pre-dive anxiety: what if I miss the wreck (there was current and I had to trust that the captain had me splash up current at just the right point, and that I descended at just the right rate, etc.). what if I have a gear problem at 150 ft, etc. But, the feeling of descending, alone, into the green void, and having the massive wreck finally materialize right in front of me was such a rush (there is no other way to describe it)! Then, 4 months later, I was staying at Buddy Dive on Bonaire and I wanted to test some gear rigging. So, I geared up, jumped in and did a dive by myself, on the Buddy Reef. I realized afterward how much I enjoyed it. That very night, I went on a night dive on the reef with some of the other club divers on the trip – it was a group dive without an established buddy pattern. I noticed at one point that I was swimming well ahead of the group and was, essentially, diving solo. – wow, another solo dive, at night! So, I turned off my light and just swam along for the next hour, by myself. What a glorious feeling. After that, I didn’t think about solo vs buddy dives. I now approach essentially every dive as a solo dive, whether I am by myself, with a regular buddy, or with a group.
Tips: It is hard to add much to Andy’s superb post, except personal feelings. I know there was a time – even as recently as three years ago - when I was not yet ready to solo dive. I may have had 400 logged dives, I may have been an instructor, and I may have had technical dive training and experience (yes, every decompression dive is functionally a solo dive). But, I think I did not yet have the comfort, confidence, clarity – I am not sure exactly what the right word is – to safely and enjoyably solo dive. And, I think each person probably knows when they are ready. For some, it may be at 20 dives, for others at 200 dives, and for others, never. And, some will solo dive even though they know, subconsciously perhaps, they are not ready (the cowboys that Andy refers to).
So, how do you prepare for the time when you know you are ready (or, put another way, how do you prepare, in order to make that time a reality)? It is about acquiring a particular skill set, which courses now offered by a number of training agencies help you do. It is about assembling a reliable, familiar, functional equipment set, with appropriate and necessary redundancy - and knowing how to use it. And, it is very much about developing a mindset. That is the tough part, and I wish I could tell you exactly how to do it. But, I am not sure I can. From my perspective, it is using every dive to prepare for 'what ifs' - I don't mean that you shouldn't enjoy each dive, because you are so busy (mentally) 'training'; rather, use every dive as an opportunity to train your mind and body. That may not be helpful. Hopefully, others are more skilled than I in describing how to develop the mindset.
