First Solo Dives

[wreckless1]

Since people seem to post about their first solo dives, I guess I may as well do the same. I did 3 solo dives this weekend at Wazee Lake in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. They were somewhat premeditated, in that I've been lurking on this section of ScubaBoard and am planning to take the SDI class when I reach 100 dives. Of course, I wouldn't have refused to dive with someone else who needed a buddy if he or she asked, but I was excited about being able to do this (can't solo dive at my usual quarry without the cert) and it went very well. (My fourth dive at the lake was with a buddy who happened to be in the area.)

The dives were at a shallow site along the lake which I dove last weekend, so I was familiar with it. On the third dive, yesterday morning, I did check out a couple of the deeper ledges, but most of what I did is just cruise along the slope at 30' or practice buoyancy and kicks at a shallow platform and sunken cabin cruiser. I managed to make some progress on my back kick, which I'm definitely happy about because it's my nemesis. At least I'm actually moving backwards now

Part of the appeal of diving solo was being able to get my "revenge"--it's not the right word, but it's the first word that comes to mind --for some bad dives I had recently with an insta-buddy, and it worked great. I do know some great people I look forward to diving with regularly, but it is refreshing and enjoyable just being in sync with your own dive and taking things at your own pace. This is definitely something I'm going to keep doing when the mood strikes me (and the site allows it) in the future.

Enjoy your dives,
Peter

 

[dave4868]

Part of the appeal of diving solo was being able to get my "revenge"--it's not the right word, but it's the first word that comes to mind --for some bad dives I had recently with an insta-buddy, and it worked great. I do know some great people I look forward to diving with regularly, but it is refreshing and enjoyable just being in sync with your own dive and taking things at your own pace. This is definitely something I'm going to keep doing when the mood strikes me (and the site allows it) in the future.

Enjoy your dives,
Peter

Good description of some of the benefits of diving solo! Sounds like you're pretty comfortable with the experience.

Solitude can allow one to really focus on one's own senses and experiences. Some might prefer to call it "centering"....

For me, buddy diving often brings with it some distracting "noise" or "static" that interferes with the wonderful background music....

Of course, if diving solo makes one anxious, the background music can sound awfully out of tune....

I usually keep my solo dives well within my capabilities, adjusting on the fly if needed to keep the music mellow.

Just curious, do you plan to increase your solo range and will you prepare or dive differently?

Dave C

 

[gypsyjim]

I do most of my diving with buddies, and have had both great and not at all good experiences with both insta-buddies and members of my own large group.
Three of the 20 dives last week on Bonaire were my dawn solos, with the camera as my only "buddy". These are the "my time" dives that keep me sane when I am diving all week with a large group of divers of mixed skill levels.

The gf is a nervious diver, and will only dive with me, so I dedicate many dives just for her. We dive at her pace and the camera is just along for the quick shot, but seldom can I really stop and hunt.
Then my nephews both completed their OW last week, and my brother and I swapped buddy-ing with the boys all week as they were gaining their first real open water and shore diving experience.

Come early morning just as the sky is graying I slip out with a camera and spend an hour or so diving solo, while everyone else is still asleep, just poking along at MY own pace, watching the reef wake up.

 

[wreckless1]

Just curious, do you plan to increase your solo range and will you prepare or dive differently?

Dave C

Dave, I will have to see. I don't think I would ever solo dive beyond recreational limits even though I would like to get into tech diving in the next year or so. Also, I'm sure everyone has a psychological threshold and I would either back off during the dive or not do it at all if I felt it was too close to what I was psychologically capable of. No peer pressure diving solo after all This site itself was very easy with no underwater hazards. I wouldn't dive by myself where there was a risk of being entangled or where penetration was involved. I guess the best answer would be, that I will increase my range as long as I am confident that I can solve any problem underwater without a buddy. Still, I don't think it'll be my primary means of diving.

I slung an AL40 for these dives and carried a spare mask. I've practiced switching to the pony many times so I'm pretty confident I could do so in a real OOG situation.

Come early morning just as the sky is graying I slip out with a camera and spend an hour or so diving solo, while everyone else is still asleep, just poking along at MY own pace, watching the reef wake up.

Sounds idyllic to me! I'm really looking forward to warm-water reef diving this coming weekend...

 

[TheScubaBOB]

Woot Peter!!

Who says I "just happened to be in the area"? There's a thread here that proves you knew exactly where I was!

Ha ha, seriously I'm not too shy to admit that you're in my circle of Dive Buddies and I take that title very seriously.

I have not yet gone Solo but am definitely planning to take the plunge. I'm also planning to take the SDI Solo Diver Course at Haigh once my skills & dive count are sufficient.

I'm already getting geared-up for it with the pony and spare mask (just don't carry the mask with me u/w yet).

Enjoy your warm water diving this week...

 

[wreckless1]

Who says I "just happened to be in the area"? There's a thread here that proves you knew exactly where I was!

All I meant was that you had another motive. Unless diving was your ulterior motive for being in the area in the first place. That's gonna be the case when I go up to visit my GF's brother in September

Ha ha, seriously I'm not too shy to admit that you're in my circle of Dive Buddies and I take that title very seriously.

As do I.

I have not yet gone Solo but am definitely planning to take the plunge. I'm also planning to take the SDI Solo Diver Course at Haigh once my skills & dive count are sufficient.

I'm already getting geared-up for it with the pony and spare mask (just don't carry the mask with me u/w yet).

I actually wore a weight belt to make space for a pocket :depressed: I just need more circumference I guess

 

[gypsyjim]

This site itself was very easy with no underwater hazards. I wouldn't dive by myself where there was a risk of being entangled or where penetration was involved. I guess the best answer would be, that I will increase my range as long as I am confident that I can solve any problem underwater without a buddy.
QUOTE]

Exactly.
On one of my dawn solos last week on Bonaire I came across one of those buoyancy course triangles that my two teens and I can never resist playing with, as practice. For about 2 seconds I thought about swimming threw, but that is just the sort of thing that can get one in trouble going solo; simple, stupid little things where there is a possibility of entanglement. A safe Solo is all about assessing and avoiding unnecessary any risk.

 

[TheScubaBOB]

All I meant was that you had another motive. Unless diving was your ulterior motive for being in the area in the first place. That's gonna be the case when I go up to visit my GF's brother in September

Diving is always my ulterior motive

I was just giving you S#!t Peter, you know CJ will always consider you BigD___Peter!

 

[gypsyjim]

I posted a couple of pics from some of my predawn solos in the following link and in my photos, and will post a few more solo diving pics, as I get them sorted out
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/abc-islands/297547-bonaire-trip-report.html

 

[wreckless1]

Diving is always my ulterior motive

I was just giving you S#!t Peter, you know CJ will always consider you BigD___Peter!

She made me change my handle... :depressed::depressed::depressed: