Confession

[JohnAC]

Hi All

On my first dive after my cert, (same day). I was separated from my buddy (too many people in the water). Unable to find him I was faced with navigating back to the boat alone. It felt a little strange, like I was breakin the rules, but I loved the feeling!

Over several dive trips I soon realized that if you are hunting, your solo! If you turn around and your buddy disappears, your solo! If your more than 30' apart your solo! And your backup better be yourself!!!

On my last trip to Catalina dive park (which I made alone) I made 2 dives.
1. I entered the water with a group, but spent most of the dive solo, 45min.
2. I entered with another diver, but separated after short while, 90min.

I confess, I REALLY ENJOYED diving alone! In those conditions, it was awesome!

 

[redacted]

The real problem is when you find you are solo and you are not prepared for it.

 

[JohnAC]

The real problem is when you find you are solo and you are not prepared for it.

So true!

Being in that situation once or twice has really caused me to rethink backup air supply on deeper dives. For me, thats anything over 60fsw.

 

[oldflounder]

Just surfing the board and came across your thread. I don't like diving alone and I am not a "solo diver" - I just find it difficult to find people to dive with when I want to go so I do most of my diving alone and in the shallows. The depth is irregardless when it comes to a back-up. For me it's all in my head. I get anxiety overthinking the situation. I'm 100 ' from my exit and I have 500 left. I go down and screw up my navigation. Now I'm not much closer and I'm at 200. I start to get anxiety and start breathing faster. If I have a small spare with me I have no anxiety at all. The spare makes all the difference "in the head." If you are going to dive alone get a small bottle.

 

[b1gcountry]

I'm 100 ' from my exit and I have 500 left. I go down and screw up my navigation. Now I'm not much closer and I'm at 200. I start to get anxiety and start breathing faster. If I have a small spare with me I have no anxiety at all.

If you do any of these things, then you should probably not be solo diving. A small spare air also has less air than 100psi in an AL80, so the difference really is "In your head". In reality, you would probably be just as screwed. I don't understand how anyone can have a gas plan that leaves them on the bottom with 500psi. If you're to the point where you're solo diving, you should be smarter than this already.

Tom

 

[ptyx]

Hi All

I was separated from my buddy (too many people in the water). Unable to find him I was faced with navigating back to the boat alone. It felt a little strange, like I was breakin the rules, but I loved the feeling!
...
2. I entered with another diver, but separated after short while, 90min.

I confess, I REALLY ENJOYED diving alone! In those conditions, it was awesome!

Mind the communication gap between you and your budd(ies) if you're "accidentally" solo diving - while you're enjoying the experience - maybe they aren't.

While some insta-buddies just won't care if they loose you - or won't even notice (much to say about the training there, but that's another topic) - some will freak out or waste their dive looking for you/following standard separation procedures ... and be seriously pissed when they find out what happened.

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

Mind the communication gap between you and your budd(ies) if you're "accidentally" solo diving - while you're enjoying the experience - maybe they aren't.

While some insta-buddies just won't care if they loose you - or won't even notice (much to say about the training there, but that's another topic) - some will freak out or waste their dive looking for you/following standard separation procedures ... and be seriously pissed when they find out what happened.

Very welll said...

----------------------------------
To the OP...

I share your love of solo diving. But, there's difference between accidential buddy separation and real solo diving. There's been some very good posts on the subject. (Too much to repeat here.) Do a search on the subject and educate yourself how to do it safely.

 

[JohnAC]

Mind the communication gap between you and your budd(ies) if you're "accidentally" solo diving - while you're enjoying the experience - maybe they aren't.

While some insta-buddies just won't care if they loose you - or won't even notice (much to say about the training there, but that's another topic) - some will freak out or waste their dive looking for you/following standard separation procedures ... and be seriously pissed when they find out what happened.

Yeah, points well taken. If you are buddy diving, then do it right, no pun intended.

 

[DaleC]

I get anxiety overthinking the situation. I'm 100 ' from my exit and I have 500 left. I go down and screw up my navigation. Now I'm not much closer and I'm at 200. I start to get anxiety and start breathing faster. If I have a small spare with me I have no anxiety at all. The spare makes all the difference "in the head." If you are going to dive alone get a small bottle.

Not to pick on your point too much (though it raises a good discussion point) but I don't use my redundant air source to add gas to my dive plan. To do that I use a stage bottle. My gas plan accounts for the correct tank size to hold the gas I will use plus a healthy reserve. I don't violate my dive plan after that when I'm soloing. My redundant air source is there in case I lose that gas at depth.
If you are at depth with 200psi you need to rethink your pre dive gas calculations and/or turn pressures.

Dale.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Just surfing the board and came across your thread. I don't like diving alone and I am not a "solo diver" - I just find it difficult to find people to dive with when I want to go so I do most of my diving alone and in the shallows. The depth is irregardless when it comes to a back-up. For me it's all in my head. I get anxiety overthinking the situation. I'm 100 ' from my exit and I have 500 left. I go down and screw up my navigation. Now I'm not much closer and I'm at 200. I start to get anxiety and start breathing faster. If I have a small spare with me I have no anxiety at all. The spare makes all the difference "in the head." If you are going to dive alone get a small bottle.

No.

If I understand this post correctly, you are simply going through this scenario "in your head" and have concluded a small pony (hopefully NOT a "Spare Air") is required to provide a safety buffer at all depths.

Again: No.

You have to be way beyond having the difficulties with gas planning, navigation, etc.. as outlined in your post before you start to solo. If you are routinely getting lost, having trouble knowing when to turn a dive, etc., you are not ready, and a pony bottle is just offering false security. Having the pony may actually be more dangerous because you may attempt dives you would not do without it.

Best wishes.