Diving without predetermined buddy

[shmuggy]

Is it realistic to go on a dive trip or even a liveaboard if you do not have a buddy with you anymore?
I do not want to be a problem for other divers. I am an experienced female diver with 800 dives so I should not be a problem but I don't know what all the considerations are. Any input/advice is appreciated.

 

[Marie13]

If you’ve got that many dives, I don’t think you’ll have much of an issue. There are many gals talking about solid trips on the Girls that Scuba FB group.

I’d think your issue might be ending up with someone a lot less experienced.

 

[Ghost Diver #]

I do most of my trips alone, I just kinda scope out else might be alone or find a group that’s willing to let me tag along. Some times it works out great and I make new friends sometimes not so much. I don’t mind going solo so if they take off and leave me...so be it. It’s always a bit of a “risk” but for the most part it works out just fine.

 

[Kimela]

We'd be happy to let you tag along with us on a dive - and I'm guessing anyone else would too. With 800 dives you're not going to hold anyone back. Maybe vice versa though. Good luck!

 

[WarrenZ]

With 800 dives you could probably teach most of the boat something. I'd dive with you if we were on the same boat.

 

[AJ]

With that number of dives you're most likely an asset compared to the other divers. On the liveaboards I went there were several woman traveling single. No problem at all. The beauty of a liveaboard is you will always find someone to dive with.

 

[beepbird]

I was on a 2 day boat to an advanced dive site and found I was the senior person (1600 dives) on the boat. The boat had a light load 13/25 max and it was the most frustrating thing. I buddied up with someone on the first dive and he ran out of air at my turnaround point at 20 min. Luckily it was in a protected cove and he was able to surface swim back. I did the next 3 dives solo. Then came the night dive where I agreed to look after 3 others. After the giant stride and swim to the anchor chain, I lost the first guy because he didn't have enough weight. (this was the 5th dive of the day?) The next guy lost a fin. The last one ran out of air halfway through the dive. I dove the next days dives solo. This has caused me to go buy a Spare Air and give up on buddies.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I've been traveling to dive on my own for two decades and haven't had a problem yet.

@shmuggy If there's no equivalent or appropriate buddy for me, I buddy with the dive guide. OK, we're not really buddies but at your level of dives, I'd expect that SOB is something you're pretty familiar with?

 

[markmud]

Hi @shmuggy,

All of my liveaboard trips have been buddy-less. My wife has a habit of bailing on the last day of diving on our vacation trips, so I dive buddy-less in those situations also. I haven't had any problems.

You will meet a range of divers, all with different skill levels. Some are good buddies and some are crappy buddies.

I dive self-reliant on every dive. So, I enjoy the "ride" knowing that I have the training, experience, and tools to extricate myself from all but the worst situations (usually, in the worst situations, a buddy won't help much anyway).

With insta-buddies, try to limit your diving to benign conditions.

If you dive solo, make sure a responsible person knows you are diving, as it is easier for the boat crew to overlook your absence, IMHO.

You will meet lots of nice people.

enjoy,
markm

 

[chillyinCanada]

Just a reminder to the men posting in here, the OP posted in Women's Perspectives. No one has answered inappropriately to that subforum's rules yet and I'm only pointing this out because sometimes y'all haven't noticed which subforum this is. So far so good.