Diving alone?

[highlandfarmwv]

Funny thing...When I got to Bonaire in December, the divemaster said, "Go do your checkout dive and then come back for the paperwork." So I did a solo dive for an hour and came back and did the paperwork. Enjoyable.

 

[diver_pirate]

When I travel to FLorida as a single I dive with whoever the capt or crew selects. More often than not I get some pretty unskilled buddies. I could not expect much help fixing a problem I'm having when they have struggled to get their gear on before the dive and are not sure how to read a compass.

In the midatlantic the trash, crab pots, fishing lines and low vis along with contaminated water do not make me want to dive there especially solo. And tow a dive flag? What an invite to every slalom skier and jet skier to practice cuts and turns.

Get training, a 100 dives sounds like you have a little experience by then. Then ask yourself the same question.
--DP

 

[Nemrod]

Well TomP I do have a staff photographer (wife) but in this case the photogrpaher was indeed a self timer and the fence post. Poor camera did not fare well on that trip, I have had few photos since then because of shall I say saltwater induced malfunction. Shopping for new splash resistant model.

Which, brings up another point that is on topic, as much as I prefer solo, it is nice to have a buddy who can take pictures, fence posts are not much fun to talk with or about the dive but they can take good pics.

N

 

[MikeFerrara]

Well, I was referring to Von Maier's book, so he can best answer the question, you would have to ask him. But I'll take a guess:

there exists the possibility of a catastrophic disaster in which all primary and redundant equipment has failed, in which case a "best controlled" ascent is the only solution. This ascent, while obviously should not be done as a breathe hold, has similarities to free diving. But perhaps it's more about knowing that you are comfortable ascending from such depths without air, than the ability itself. This knowledge might help you relax in a bad situation. Yes, in reality, this scenario should never happen, the probability is lower than a snake's gonads.

I think that concepts like that just display a lack of understanding of what's really different about solo diving . If the probability of equipment failure is the problem, we can stack up redundant systems as deep as we'd like and reduce the probability as close to zero as we want.

However, regardless of what you do equipment wise, you only have two eyes, two hands, and only one brain. In camparison to diving with a capable team, you have a reduced capacity for thinking and doing. If you get thinking "wrong" there isn't anyone to argue with you. If you get in a situation that requires three hands, you are out of luck. Going free diving my not be of any help.

 

[Walter]

Shark attack: Oh, please...more likely to hit the lottery...twice...in the same week...while wearing a powder blue tux. Statistically not a valid cause of death of separated divers. Again, if it happened, being separated from your buddy just saved a life if the shark felt like having "seconds".

Yes, it's extremely unlikely (although not as unlikely as your powder blue example), but it does happen. When it does happen, the shark almost never bites the second person, sometimes trying to nudge the second person out of the way to get back to the victim. Short of carrying a bang stick or shark dart, a buddy is the best shark defense one can have. Buddies have rescued shark attack victims who would otherwise have died.

 

[WarrenZ]

You need to check with the local authorities rangers lifeguards or whoever will be in place to hassle you. I have been in two places so far that had problems with solo divers and got away with it in both places.

 

[ShallowDiverDave]

I think that concepts like that just display a lack of understanding of what's really different about solo diving .

The key word here is "think"

If the probability of equipment failure is the problem, we can stack up redundant systems as deep as we'd like and reduce the probability as close to zero as we want.

Yes. Reread my last post regarding snake's gonads.

However, regardless of what you do equipment wise, you only have two eyes, two hands, and only one brain. In camparison to diving with a capable team, you have a reduced capacity for thinking and doing. If you get thinking "wrong" there isn't anyone to argue with you. If you get in a situation that requires three hands, you are out of luck. Going free diving my not be of any help.

Yes again, i agree.

My original post, was a simple statement that I found in a book, it was wasnt meant to define solo diving with a blanket statment or anything. But Mike, why is a CESA ever talked about in classes?

 

[Diver-Sixx]

A CESA is a go0d thing to know trust me, If your Buddy isnt right next to you or lo0king at you, You may need to do a CESA. I dont Know but did I read someone say a Breath Hold Ascent!?! Ahhh, Wow, NO, whats the #1 rule of diving?
Oh, how would he know better if he was`nt trained? And getting trained is less then gear, unless ya got it on ebay for nothing, Then I would`nt want to dive with it anyway. If he is untrained or a green ow diver get trained and, or find a divemaster to dive with you, there is alot to think about, po0r dive site conditions, TIDES, (more people die from tides every year than in hurricanes) Currents and any number of other things.

 

[ShallowDiverDave]

I dont Know but did I read someone say a Breath Hold Ascent!?! Ahhh, Wow, NO, whats the #1 rule of diving?

If you are referring to my post, then you read it wrong:

This ascent, while obviously should not be done as a breathe hold

As to your comments about a CESA, I agree, and that was the point I was trying to make. The question that I proposed to Mike was meant to be sarcastic and even rhetorical.

 

[Diver-Sixx]

Co0l, and no I think I seen that some where by the start of the thread. I`ll have to go back and see if I can find it again.