biz_nate
Contributor
Last Saturday (11/22/08) I found myself without a single dive buddy. Amazing. The excuses ran the gamut from sickness to a recent robbery (he was robbed, not the robber). I've been toying with the idea of soloing since I stepped into doubles, so I decided this was the perfect opportunity to give it a shot.
I decided that Breakwater (BW) Cove in Monterey would be an appropriate site for a first dive. It's a fairly popular place, which inspired confidence that if something dire happened, chances were high that I'd be discovered sooner or later. I've done a fair share of diving there, and was familiar with the site. Finally, it's a fairly shallow dive, making a quick, safe ascent possible should I encounter any insurmountable problems.
High level details-
Equipment: double steel 100s, EAN32, drysuit, hog setup
Max Depth: 55ft
Time: 75 minutes (I had plenty of gas and NDL at the end, but was running late for an event that night)
Vizibility: around 15 feet
In short, the experience was bliss. Being alone that day was exactly what I needed. Solitude is comforting, and it's hard to find greater solitude than alone under the waves. The experience imparted a peace difficult to rival.
Ok, enough of the zen stuff. I also appreciated that I was free to go where I wanted, when I wanted, at whatever pace suited me. I had a depth/time/gas plan, but no constraints apart from that. When I unwittingly ascended 10 feet while trying to back kick over an interesting looking rock, there was nobody to call me out. Perhaps most importantly- when I wanted to stop and pee, I stopped and peed. My relief valve is still kind of new to me, and I've not yet worked out the mechanics of utilizing the technology while kicking.
I'm not about to abandon my buddies. I've made some great friends out here: people that I love spending time with both above and under the water. I certainly appreciate the contribution another set of eyes can make, especially given my utter blindness to anything of interest. I generally like people, and am actually toying with the idea of renewing my DM specifically so that I can spend time underwater with students. I like it.
That said, I view this dive as the first step in a longer journey. I intend to continue diving this way when I feel the need, and I suspect it will become a somewhat regular discipline for me. Few experiences inspire a greater peace and satisfaction than quiet isolation under the waves. I expect that exploring the kelp forests on my own will only enhance those feelings.
So there it is.
I decided that Breakwater (BW) Cove in Monterey would be an appropriate site for a first dive. It's a fairly popular place, which inspired confidence that if something dire happened, chances were high that I'd be discovered sooner or later. I've done a fair share of diving there, and was familiar with the site. Finally, it's a fairly shallow dive, making a quick, safe ascent possible should I encounter any insurmountable problems.
High level details-
Equipment: double steel 100s, EAN32, drysuit, hog setup
Max Depth: 55ft
Time: 75 minutes (I had plenty of gas and NDL at the end, but was running late for an event that night)
Vizibility: around 15 feet
In short, the experience was bliss. Being alone that day was exactly what I needed. Solitude is comforting, and it's hard to find greater solitude than alone under the waves. The experience imparted a peace difficult to rival.
Ok, enough of the zen stuff. I also appreciated that I was free to go where I wanted, when I wanted, at whatever pace suited me. I had a depth/time/gas plan, but no constraints apart from that. When I unwittingly ascended 10 feet while trying to back kick over an interesting looking rock, there was nobody to call me out. Perhaps most importantly- when I wanted to stop and pee, I stopped and peed. My relief valve is still kind of new to me, and I've not yet worked out the mechanics of utilizing the technology while kicking.
I'm not about to abandon my buddies. I've made some great friends out here: people that I love spending time with both above and under the water. I certainly appreciate the contribution another set of eyes can make, especially given my utter blindness to anything of interest. I generally like people, and am actually toying with the idea of renewing my DM specifically so that I can spend time underwater with students. I like it.
That said, I view this dive as the first step in a longer journey. I intend to continue diving this way when I feel the need, and I suspect it will become a somewhat regular discipline for me. Few experiences inspire a greater peace and satisfaction than quiet isolation under the waves. I expect that exploring the kelp forests on my own will only enhance those feelings.
So there it is.