First solo dives

[emcbride81]

I think relaxed and alert actually go together. I find it peaceful, yet I am more aware of my surroundings, time that I'm not spending checking on my buddy.

A good dive with a good buddy is super, but sometimes just getting away from it all is nice

I agree with that...well put...I think the relaxing part comes from not being concerned with staying with a buddy, or making sure they are ok. I think we all have a sense of self-confidence that we can handle our own situations if an emergency should arise. If you throw another variable (buddy) in there it does change things. Now, granted, there is something to be said for sharing a memorable dive with someone, especially at the bar that night! I would never turn down a buddy dive, but I like the freedom of diving when I want without looking around for a stranger to pair up with.

I remember reading in an article about tec divers that tec philosophy states that even though you may be diving with a buddy or group, you are expected to be self-reliant. Why leave that kind of discipline to only the hard cores? If we all dove with that mentality we would be better off IMO.

 

[tonka97]

I enjoy solo diving; my 30 cf pony tank is an excellent friend when down under.

My concentration is 3x greater, compared to buddy diving. Navigation skills soar!

Other divers are fear struck when they learn that I solo..."what if you had an aneurysm and NO buddy????" was the last comment I heard in Bonaire. The last time I looked there wasn't a neurosurgeon with an operating suite available as a buddy, anyway!

 

[Cacia]

The last time I looked there wasn't a neurosurgeon with an operating suite available as a buddy, anyway!

lol....that is the way I think too. Or how about when there is no surgeon or operating room period?

 

[Skeeter1097]

I hear others from other places say ,That solo in not a good thing. I dive in S, Fl and I think that 50% or more solo dive. All th ow It is deferent here as most of the diving is drift diving 60 to 100 FT. Most divers have a dive buddy. They dive one up and one down, if they cant fined a driver.
I must say that most of the time they dive with more people. But even when I see that they never come up together. At first it made me novice to see 3 or 4 divers just separate that way. but now it is like the norm.
Sorry got of track, I do enjoy been alone too and I fell very alert. Sometimes a little nerves if I see sharks.

 

[Timeliner]

Hey bolantej

Way to Go !! Now you are a official member of the most Social Anti Social Group at ScubaBoard

Congrats !

 

[bolantej]

Thanks Timeliner! Do they sell solo diver t-shirts?

 

[jvevea]

Navigation skills soar!

Interesting comment. I, too, find that I navigate much better solo. Last week, I had half a tank of air to use up, did a 30-minute out-and-back pattern in about 15 foot viz, and came up within five feet of where I had descended. By contrast, on my last buddy dive, my buddy and I never found the anchor after descending at the other end of the boat because of thick kelp. There's something about knowing that you have only yourself to rely on that makes a huge difference.

I've also noticed the strange more relaxed/more alert dichotomy that others in the thread have raised. I get into a more meditative state solo, but I also startle more easily when something zooms into my peripheral vision.

By the way, does anyone know what happened to all the old threads?

 

[bolantej]

By the way, does anyone know what happened to all the old threads?

just change the options at the bottom of the main solo divers page. it goes as far back as the beginning.

 

[jvevea]

just change the options at the bottom of the main solo divers page. it goes as far back as the beginning.

Hey, thanks. Thought I'd gone on vacation and had half the world wiped out while I was away. I guess when the system went down and came back, options that I had never been aware of were set to different defaults.

 

[uspap]

I did my first truely solo dive about a month and a half ago at North Monastary in Carmel. I loved it. I didn't have to worry about a buddy or anything but myself. I was more alert and into the dive. I will definately do more of these. When I went the beach was deserted. What a cool experience. So peaceful.