Assessing A Solo Dive

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fndmylove:
You could always present them (quarry, boat, outfit) with an additional solo waiver form.
Now that's an interesting idea. I may have to try that.
 
A couple of things I felt I should reply to:
1) The list is LONG. It was never meant to be a "worry about every last thing" list. I'm sure as most of you have gotten further along in diving things begin to come naturally to you. It's second nature to glance at the surf, sometimes you don't even think about whether it's high or low, just that it's within the tolerable range. My point in bringing about this list is to get other solo divers to think about the special things that they do, or wish they did, when they dive. The truth is that most dives I do solo I simply show up at a familiar site exactly as I would with a buddy, and I go dive. But behind the scenes I have already scoped out the dive site and consider potential problems in the back of my mind. Overanalyzing things can be bad, but it's certainly better than disregarding clear dangers that could have been avoided had a little thought been put forth beforehand.

2) Certainly with acceptance solo diving could see an increase in the number of people who do it to show off, or who do it dangerously. But I think that with added acceptance we could see improvements in gear and techniques associated with solo diving. Many solo dives don't require anything more than the gear you would normally use with a buddy. That doesn't mean that it wouldn't be nice to have equipment that was built specifically to cater to a solo diver's need that everything have a backup. We can look at other fields such as cave and wreck diving. Once people accept it as a potential form of safe diving standards are developed, and the overall safety record is improved because candidates are now preparing themselves before going in, as opposed to diving headfirst into a field with which they have no experience or insight. Solo diving will probably never be okay with everybody, and that's just fine, but it wouldn't hurt to have the industry with us instead of against us.

3) Most dive sites do not have hard and fast laws on solo diving, but many dive operators will refuse to fill tanks or allow divers aboard charters to dive solo. Of course, a "don't ask, don't tell" policy or a small white lie works, but why should we have to? I do like the idea of a waiver form, because liability can be a very big issue, especially when you are solo diving, when you are beyond the legal scope of your training.
 
When I get the chance, I'll try to get a copy of the waiver form to which I refer posted.
 
fndmylove:
Here is a pdf of the waiver to which I refer. Damn attachments have size limits:

http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gte252v/AdditSoloWaiver.pdf

lol... That's the waiver I signed to take the solo class. Just to be a PITA, where it says copy here - with the intent that you rewrite the above paragraph - i simply wrote - Here

Of course that didn't fly for long. and i'm actually okay with waivers. wouldn't it be nice if they were this simple...

I'm diving solo, you're off the hook

I sign here X
You sign here X
today is XX/XX/Xx
 
TomP:
I'm diving solo, you're off the hook

I sign here X
You sign here X
today is XX/XX/Xx
Hmm... the lawyers might not like that. The punctuation's all wrong. It should be a semicolon, not a comma, and there needs to be a period. Also, to make it internationally acceptable, can we use "YYYY-MM-DD" instead?

Hmm... the next draft can be:
I, _[print full name] , of my own free will, have chosen to dive solo. I hereby willfully disregard the advice, recommendations, and/or pleadings of _[dive operation] that I dive only when accompanied by at least one additional diver.

_[sign and date here]

_[first witness signature and date]
_[first witness name]

_[second witness signature and date]
_[second witness name]
(Two witnesses are required on most forms, eh? Obviously, this would just be an addendum to the site's primary waiver.)
 
ClayJar:
Hmm... the lawyers might not like that. The punctuation's all wrong. It should be a semicolon, not a comma, and there needs to be a period.....

lol... Right you are Clay Jar, but you miss the method to my madness!!! I'd rather have the lawyers focused on form and not content.... (not buying it, are you:wink: ).
 
Hehe, I've been told I'd make a good lawyer... not sure whether it was intended as a compliment or an insult. :D
 
Hi all,
Just got back from Pompano beach fla., When the DM was going around the boat checking buddies, one look at my bpw+slung bottle he skipped me alltogether.
Eric
 
waterpirate:
Hi all,
Just got back from Pompano beach fla., When the DM was going around the boat checking buddies, one look at my bpw+slung bottle he skipped me alltogether.
Eric


That's cool.... Wow,,, Refreshing isn't it ?

The Jig is up, the truth is out, they finally found the renegade who has it made ! :wink:

Now we can go about our lives thinking of important things and not worry about Diving PC.

( like we actually did that in the first place :) )

Thanks Eric !!!
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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