DO engage your brain.
DON'T go with someone else.... that isn't solo diving!!
DON'T go with someone else.... that isn't solo diving!!
Do's and Don'ts of Solo Diving
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Lately I have been taking a friend, who sits on the waters edge and reads.
I set my phone alarm, if it goes off before I get back they know which no. to call.
I have also stopped doing double dives in the cold water solo, as I find I have issues holding my concentration. If I am with a buddy, I can focus for the second dive.
I set my phone alarm, if it goes off before I get back they know which no. to call.
I have also stopped doing double dives in the cold water solo, as I find I have issues holding my concentration. If I am with a buddy, I can focus for the second dive.
Okay, I've been soloing for 30 years - but only recently started solo diving.
I've been climbing solo for 30 years, free-soloing 1,000-foot cliffs without ropes and even soloing muti-day roped climbs. I've been know to disppear underground for some solo technical caving. Solo whatewater kayaking spooks me a bit and so I don't do much of that except on nice warm summer days. I hike solo through the mountains for weeks at a time. And I do a lot of backcountry skiing solo.
Most of the time I solo only because I can't find partners who can join me, especially during weekdays. I've only had a few accident in 30 years (dislocated shoulders, broken legs, etc.), but I've always extracted myself (sometimes on hands and knees!).
So here's my solo philosophy. May be unorthodox, but I guess that's why I solo.
-I don't tell anyone where I'm going, it's none of their business
-I alone am responsible for myself
-Eliminate all stupid risks
-Explore your boundaries and know where they are
-Always work on your basic skills every time
-Keep your gear well-maintained
-Solo only for your own enjoyment, not to prove anything to anyone
-Never be afraid to call it quits at anytime for any reason
-Make sure you have proper redundancy, but also remember that by definition ("solo") you are missing a redundant brain
I've been climbing solo for 30 years, free-soloing 1,000-foot cliffs without ropes and even soloing muti-day roped climbs. I've been know to disppear underground for some solo technical caving. Solo whatewater kayaking spooks me a bit and so I don't do much of that except on nice warm summer days. I hike solo through the mountains for weeks at a time. And I do a lot of backcountry skiing solo.
Most of the time I solo only because I can't find partners who can join me, especially during weekdays. I've only had a few accident in 30 years (dislocated shoulders, broken legs, etc.), but I've always extracted myself (sometimes on hands and knees!).
So here's my solo philosophy. May be unorthodox, but I guess that's why I solo.
-I don't tell anyone where I'm going, it's none of their business
-I alone am responsible for myself
-Eliminate all stupid risks
-Explore your boundaries and know where they are
-Always work on your basic skills every time
-Keep your gear well-maintained
-Solo only for your own enjoyment, not to prove anything to anyone
-Never be afraid to call it quits at anytime for any reason
-Make sure you have proper redundancy, but also remember that by definition ("solo") you are missing a redundant brain
Do plan your dive.
Do tell someone where your diving and be sure to tell them when you're out.
Do insure redundancy and check/maintain all equipment.
Don't forget to have an emergency plan.
Don't exceed your diving envelope.
Don't make mistakes; you have no assistance.
Do tell someone where your diving and be sure to tell them when you're out.
Do insure redundancy and check/maintain all equipment.
Don't forget to have an emergency plan.
Don't exceed your diving envelope.
Don't make mistakes; you have no assistance.
I guess this is one that many people may have an issue with... but to my mind, too many people say "I'm going here", then change their mind and go somewhere else but don't tell anyone that they've changed plans.
Have been looking for people in the wrong place too many times for me to suffer these fools kindly.
I guess this is one that many people may have an issue with... but to my mind, too many people say "I'm going here", then change their mind and go somewhere else but don't tell anyone that they've changed plans.
Have been looking for people in the wrong place too many times for me to suffer these fools kindly.
Yes, it is controversial, whether or not to tell anyone.
I've made up my mind what I'm going to do, and everyone who knows me knows that.
One winter I left my home in San Jose, California, without telling anyone that I was even leaving. I drove to Yosemite Valley and started solo climbing a big wall. (Took me a total of 4 days to climb the wall, The Leaning Tower.) My girlfriend discovered that I had turned up missing in San Jose, so she drove to Yosemite to look for me, which she did, in her binoculars.
It also helps to have someone who knows you inside and out.
Another advantage of not telling anyone is that you don't have to worry if you change your plans. I broke my leg once in the wilderness and it took me an extra day to crawl out to the road. I didn't have to worry about someone worrying about me because I didn't tell anyone that I would be back at a certain time.
Some other Do's:
1. Do realize that back zip drysuits are as self-donning as other zipper placements. (If you can reach your valves, you can do this trick!)
2. Do a gear check in the water, especially your back-up regulator or redundant air source in the water. (Especially if you are entering an overhead!)
3. Do a bubble check by looking into your facemask (lens held at an angle) or a mirror. (Send money to my website address if you like this!)
4. Do place an oxygen bottle in the water where you can reach it if you are doing a dive in which DCS is a risk. (We'd often leave O2 in the truck in the jungle. Duh! What if we couldn't make it to the truck?)
5. Do mentally run through, "What if?" situations for your planned dive. Get your head in the game by visualizing how you will handle each scenario. (How can you treat yourself for bleeding? Shock? DCS? Stings? What will you do if you get a piece of gear caught? Entangled? Stuck?)
6. Do carry food, water, survival and signaling gear if there is any chance of becoming lost at sea. (Snickers really satisfies!)
7. Do carry at least 3 cutting tools for any nasty line, wire, or other entanglement hazard. (Spider wire - bad!)
8. Do realize that sidemount configurations are a solo diver's best friend if you are not in a unified team.
9. Do treat your redundant gas as your buddy and maintain good awareness of yourself, your equipment, your environment and your "team" (You & your reserve gas).
10. Do enjoy the adventure!
11. Do carry that redudant gas where you can reach it and easily remove an entanglement.
12. Do mount pony bottles on tanks inverted so that you can reach the valve if you choose to not carry your pony as a stage.
13. Do carry your reserve regulator in such a way so that it can be found immediately and placed into your mouth with a very high chance of it being there such as bungied around your neck.
14. Do be able to remove and replace your scuba unit on the bottom, hovering off the bottom, hovering in mid-water, and at the surface.
15. Do realize that there are pros and cons to different gases and use the gas that is safest for you based upon potential for oxygen toxicity and DCS.
16. Do have a plan for self-rescue when diving in remote areas which might mean leaving a radio or satellite phone where you can reach it once you've reached the surface. (I came up with this after a DCS incident happened to another cave diver in a remote area.)
17. Do imagine how your mom or your wife would feel about you doing something risky? Okay, just imagine how your mom would feel about it.
18. Do take a solo diving course from a very experienced technical instructor if you have any doubts about your capabilities.
19. Do realize that marine and aquatic life treats solo divers differently than those in teams or groups.
20. Do please read all of these. A couple are actually good!
A couple Do Not's:
1. Don't scare Andy by changing your dive plan.
2. Don't get caught if you are DIR.
1. Do realize that back zip drysuits are as self-donning as other zipper placements. (If you can reach your valves, you can do this trick!)
2. Do a gear check in the water, especially your back-up regulator or redundant air source in the water. (Especially if you are entering an overhead!)
3. Do a bubble check by looking into your facemask (lens held at an angle) or a mirror. (Send money to my website address if you like this!)
4. Do place an oxygen bottle in the water where you can reach it if you are doing a dive in which DCS is a risk. (We'd often leave O2 in the truck in the jungle. Duh! What if we couldn't make it to the truck?)
5. Do mentally run through, "What if?" situations for your planned dive. Get your head in the game by visualizing how you will handle each scenario. (How can you treat yourself for bleeding? Shock? DCS? Stings? What will you do if you get a piece of gear caught? Entangled? Stuck?)
6. Do carry food, water, survival and signaling gear if there is any chance of becoming lost at sea. (Snickers really satisfies!)
7. Do carry at least 3 cutting tools for any nasty line, wire, or other entanglement hazard. (Spider wire - bad!)
8. Do realize that sidemount configurations are a solo diver's best friend if you are not in a unified team.
9. Do treat your redundant gas as your buddy and maintain good awareness of yourself, your equipment, your environment and your "team" (You & your reserve gas).
10. Do enjoy the adventure!
11. Do carry that redudant gas where you can reach it and easily remove an entanglement.
12. Do mount pony bottles on tanks inverted so that you can reach the valve if you choose to not carry your pony as a stage.
13. Do carry your reserve regulator in such a way so that it can be found immediately and placed into your mouth with a very high chance of it being there such as bungied around your neck.
14. Do be able to remove and replace your scuba unit on the bottom, hovering off the bottom, hovering in mid-water, and at the surface.
15. Do realize that there are pros and cons to different gases and use the gas that is safest for you based upon potential for oxygen toxicity and DCS.
16. Do have a plan for self-rescue when diving in remote areas which might mean leaving a radio or satellite phone where you can reach it once you've reached the surface. (I came up with this after a DCS incident happened to another cave diver in a remote area.)
17. Do imagine how your mom or your wife would feel about you doing something risky? Okay, just imagine how your mom would feel about it.
18. Do take a solo diving course from a very experienced technical instructor if you have any doubts about your capabilities.
19. Do realize that marine and aquatic life treats solo divers differently than those in teams or groups.
20. Do please read all of these. A couple are actually good!
A couple Do Not's:
1. Don't scare Andy by changing your dive plan.
2. Don't get caught if you are DIR.
Don't go anywhere you couldn't get back from if all your equipment suddenly disappeared.
Yes, I solo dive very conservatively and have only that one rule.
- with a tip of the hat to Robert Von Maier's rules 1 and 2.
Like drbill, my first dives were solo (and in the same time frame) – although I haven't done nearly as many, nor nearly as aggressively.
edit: Von Maier's rules:
Yes, I solo dive very conservatively and have only that one rule.
- with a tip of the hat to Robert Von Maier's rules 1 and 2.
Like drbill, my first dives were solo (and in the same time frame) – although I haven't done nearly as many, nor nearly as aggressively.
edit: Von Maier's rules:
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Hey TC, I use e-mail... no envelope required!
Obviously solo diving is not something to be taken lightly. However, although many believe it increases the risk involved in diving (and there is truth to that), my personal statistics suggest I'm 20 times more likely to have an incident when diving with a buddy than when diving solo.
One thing I find is that diving solo makes me focus more on my own equipment. I'm more likely to check my SPG frequently when solo (although with many of my dives, I know my profiles and don't need to check often).
I used to have a rule that I'd never dive without a redundant air source unless I planned to go to no more than 40 feet (I've done CESAs from almost twice that depth). I changed that "rule" when I planned a shallow dive, but ended up near 80 ft due to a video opportunity and the debris tube in my tank plugged up leaving me... ah... breathless.
Some feel that using an H-valve is an option re: redundancy. However, my understanding is that the H-valves generally have only a single air pathway from the tank. Y-valves to the best of my knowledge have redundant pathways. Personally, I prefer a totally redundant system... and use a 19 cu ft pony on every dive (unless I'm traveling and I am then buddied up).
Almost forgot... I never recommend solo diving to anyone else. It's not a decision I can make for another person.
IMHO, one of the primary factors in terms of preparation for solo diving is knowledge of how YOU react under emergency situations. If you are prone to panic, I would suggest solo diving is NOT for you. If you respond to them with a degree of calm and reason, that bodes well.
IMHO, one of the primary factors in terms of preparation for solo diving is knowledge of how YOU react under emergency situations. If you are prone to panic, I would suggest solo diving is NOT for you. If you respond to them with a degree of calm and reason, that bodes well.
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