diving alone

[dbg40]

not every dive I do is solo. If im on a job my partner is in sight. If im in a cave I have a TRIED AND TRUE partner. If im on wrecks I keep the overheads simple. Most everything else, im on my own. Quality well maintained gear and and experience is my usual buddy and I have learned to trust both. And I never let my wife anywhere NEAR my stuff,im not sure how to read those ''I swear im going to kill you for being stupid'' remarks.

 

[Wijbrandus]

You get those too?

Lately it's been, "I can't believe you talked me into getting certified. I'm going to kill you for hooking me on SCUBA."

I'm going to have to learn to sleep with one eye open. She's pretty good with a gun.

Maybe I would be safer diving solo...

 

[mccabejc]

I'm curious: do those who dive solo sit down and list all the possible risks, and look at them and make a conscious decision to dive, or is it really just a matter of convenience? I'm not making a judgement here, but recently have had thoughts of doing a solo shore dive, and found myself thinking seriously about the possible risks.

I found myself listing things like:

Getting caught in fishing line or kelp with nobody to help get me out
Getting DCI upon surfacing, and being unable to help myself or go for help
Losing my mask, and being unable to see my guages to ensure a safe/slow ascent
Getting injured by being slammed into the rocks on a shore dive, unable to get help

Those seem to be the more likely scenarios, and those alone give me good reason to reconsider. I try to have backup plans for everything, but with those I'm pretty well stuck.

 

[BIGSAGE136]

I'm curious: do those who dive solo sit down and list all the possible risks, and look at them and make a conscious decision to dive, or is it really just a matter of convenience? I'm not making a judgement here, but recently have had thoughts of doing a solo shore dive, and found myself thinking seriously about the possible risks.

I found myself listing things like:

Getting caught in fishing line or kelp with nobody to help get me out
Getting DCI upon surfacing, and being unable to help myself or go for help
Losing my mask, and being unable to see my guages to ensure a safe/slow ascent
Getting injured by being slammed into the rocks on a shore dive, unable to get help

Those seem to be the more likely scenarios, and those alone give me good reason to reconsider. I try to have backup plans for everything, but with those I'm pretty well stuck.

Dont forget about Sea Monsters!

 

[Charlie99]

Dont forget about Sea Monsters!

I was just writing a post to add "marine life injury", but your post phrases it much better.

Another way to look at it is that there are many different reasons you might become incapacitated. When solo diving, incapacitation is much more likely to be fatal than if you have a buddy around to assist.

I'm curious: do those who dive solo sit down and list all the possible risks, and look at them and make a conscious decision to dive, or is it really just a matter of convenience?

Yes to both questions. The real question for me is "Is the risk acceptable?" The reason I'm solo is mostly a matter of convenience.

I am much more risk adverse on a solo dive. I'm less likely to cut away and gather up monofilament hung up on the reef. My solo diving is general shallow. I don't go through swimthroughs or caverns where it's a tight fit.

Of course, the risk most likely to get you is the one that you are ignorant of.

Charlie

 

[MASS-Diver]

I'm curious: do those who dive solo sit down and list all the possible risks, and look at them and make a conscious decision to dive, or is it really just a matter of convenience? I'm not making a judgement here, but recently have had thoughts of doing a solo shore dive, and found myself thinking seriously about the possible risks.

I found myself listing things like:

Getting caught in fishing line or kelp with nobody to help get me out
Getting DCI upon surfacing, and being unable to help myself or go for help
Losing my mask, and being unable to see my guages to ensure a safe/slow ascent
Getting injured by being slammed into the rocks on a shore dive, unable to get help

Those seem to be the more likely scenarios, and those alone give me good reason to reconsider. I try to have backup plans for everything, but with those I'm pretty well stuck.

For starters, you could just carry a backup mask?

 

[wedivebc]

Getting caught in fishing line or kelp with nobody to help get me out
Getting DCI upon surfacing, and being unable to help myself or go for help
Losing my mask, and being unable to see my guages to ensure a safe/slow ascent
Getting injured by being slammed into the rocks on a shore dive, unable to get help

.

- carry at least 2 cutting devices. I use a knife and a pair of those medical shears for cutting wire and such
- have a cell phone and O2 bottle in your car or boat
- I always carry a spare mask even when with a buddy.
- just be careful around surf entrys. Also you should let someone know where you are and when you expect to return. Some people even leave a note on their car when shore diving.

If you approach this aspect of diving with caution it should be no riskier than buddy diving. It just requires a little pre thought and preparation.

 

[scubafool]

Guilty on quite a number of dives. That being said, I acknowledge that there are some situations that would be likely to kill me solo that I would probably survive if I were with an attentive buddy who had their stuff together. Take for example the case of Micheal Barnette(I think he is a member here). He was doing a cave dive, & started suffering from a sort of disorientation. His buddy(s) escorted him out, & it seems as though his breathing gas was tainted. Imagine getting stuck in a wreck or cave by yourself. Wouldn't your chance of survival be heightened if you had someone to help you extricate yourself? What about losing your gas supply at 50'? While I personally KNOW that I can make it to the surface, I would much prefer to swim 10' to my buddy & make a slow, calm ascent. And the list could continue.

Yes, some buddies are no better or maybe even worse than no buddy. Yes, for MOST problems a thinking diver can work out a solution on their own. But there exists the potential for a situation that you WILL die solo that you probably would survive with a good buddy. The end answer lies in a person's own preference, skill level, equipment, & risk tolerance.

 

[amaze]

I dive solo more than i would like. There are not enough buddies to go arround if you want to do 2 cave dives every day for a month or two. So when the choice comes down to don't dive at all or go solo, i clip on the al 80 buddy and do a nice simple dive. Having much redundency is de rigour for this kind of diving. I even carry a nice little camping mirror in my pouch for the initial bubble check sans buddy and to assist with other issues.

 

[MASS-Diver]

I don't dive solo too much anymore (although I do miss it sometimes) but my main rule was to only do (what for me were) easy dives. If there was anything tricky about the dive (the sea was kicked up, the entry was difficult) I would not do the dive.