First Solo!!!

[jorgie]

I'm so glad I found this area. I dive my local lake solo. I go between 15 and 35 ft. Vis is good and it keeps my breathing skills up for my trips, especially my lobster hunting trips to West Palm.

On the reel issue, I have a couple of times had a stuck reel pull me up. It's scary like h#$@. I now unclip the reel and if it jambs or tangles I let it go. Especialy in an enviroment like has been described.

I take plenty of percautions one is to make sure that I always have my redundant air supply and another that I'm going to add is to pull a float along with me so that my wife sitting on my barge can see where I am and if my dive goes beyond my plan there is a point of reference for rescue.

 

[ucfdiver]

I would also go so far as to say anyone who is not at least a D/M should not solo dive.

Yes, I wish I were as good of a diver as a d/m. I only have BOW and a cave card.

In my opinion, recreational certs are completely irrelevant to solo diving.

 

[zider]

I guess I wasn't the only one to start solo diving this past weekend. I spent my first dive in a small private lake at about 30 foot. Vis was not great due to recent storms, but I did find a late model truck submerged at about 20 ft!! Man was this an exciting find. Spent most of the second dive exploring the truck. Thanks to all for in this board for helping me to make the solo plunge.

 

[Meng_Tze]

Congrats to both. The first solo dive is strange but exciting. Always be safe and have a way out of situations planned.

 

[ektess1]

My first solo was two weeks ago. Loved it. It was the first time that I was not spending most of the dive watching out for my insta-budy. I need to get that piece of paper so that I can dive alone more often.

 

[Tanked]

Did it yesterday, was a little spooked at first, then cooled out. Spent an hour @ 25' in the local quarry. Had a couple of probems; couldn't reach the valves on my H-valve (also first dive on a new HP130); and at the end of the dive I tryed my first deployment of my new lift-bag and got the line tangled on my reel after it let out about 10', and it dragged me up about 10'. Any pointers for tommorows dive?

My first solo dive was setting the anchor on a dive boat. I remember thinking "holy !@#$ im the only human in the ocean right now!" Now i prefer it.
I don't think you need to be a DM to dive solo, but i DO think you should have quite a few dives under your belt.

 

[emcbride81]

You know, I would tend to agree with the others that it is better to solo with a degree of familiarity with your gear...however A) you have already done it and B) I have dived with new gear solo as well...so....congrats and dive safe!!!

 

[rx7diver]

Did it yesterday, was a little spooked at first, then cooled out. Spent an hour @ 25' in the local quarry. Had a couple of probems; couldn't reach the valves on my H-valve (also first dive on a new HP130); and at the end of the dive I tryed my first deployment of my new lift-bag and got the line tangled on my reel after it let out about 10', and it dragged me up about 10'. Any pointers for tommorows dive?

1. I used to dive a single HP 100. Wonderful tank. Perfect, except I couldn't easily reach my valve on this 24" tank. A HP 120 (28+" length, I think) gave more than enough additional length; reaching my valve using this tank was no problem at all. Your PST E-8 has the same length as an Al 80 (26", I think); if you're very tall, it might not be long enough. Note, however, that my OMS LP 125 (29+", I think) is too long to be worn comfortably as a single tank by me; the backs of upper legs bang into it when I swim using a flutter kick. So, too long can be as much of a problem as too short.

2. I'm thinking these days that a single tank with Y- or H-valve should NOT be worn when solo diving. Instead, either independent doubles should be worn, or a large single with a large pony bottle (a buddy bottle) should be worn. (I prefer the independent doubles whenever possible.) This is the only way to guarantee an independent emergency air supply. I'd like to know what others think about this.

FWIW.

 

[BgDadddy]

I probably have 20 solo cave dives. When you are diving in some of these nasty little places I would rather dive without a buddy than one I don't have 100% faith in.

The list of buddies that I have 100% confidence in is quite small.

Rick

I would not recommend cave diving solo, nor penetrating shipwrecks solo.

Therefore I do not see what your wreck qualifications have to do with solo diving??

 

[BgDadddy]

I have to agree. I haven't taken a rec class yet that teaches you to be completely self sufficient. At the same time, I have not taken a tech course yet that did not stress being self sufficient.

DM is a decent class to take, but it doesn't teach you anything close to solo diving.

Rick

Yes, I wish I were as good of a diver as a d/m. I only have BOW and a cave card.

In my opinion, recreational certs are completely irrelevant to solo diving.