For those of you who dive solo . . .

[SeaYoda]

I'm short, I'm a little overweight and I ain't exactly easy on the eyes. That's pretty special, no?

No. I'm in the same club - maybe that's why nobody is listening .

Lets form a new set of diving criteria with people like us being the only ones who dive correctly and then post arguments about it --- might be fun.

 

[neophyte]

I, for one, think the initial post was a great one. Look at the thread it's turned into! I feel that I've learned how a whole bunch of people feel about a couple of (at least potentially) quasi-controversial topics: diving solo and DIR.

As for my answer, I've looked forward to diving solo since I got certified. Don't get me wrong, my checkouts were great dives, I've had plenty of great buddies since then, and can't imagine ever eliminating buddies from my underwater activities altogether. There's just something about setting off on your own though.

I try to be honest with myself, and I know that currently I have neither the skills nor the equipment to dive by myself. I can only imagine the serene and meditative quality this amazing activity would take on were it just me and the water. I can also only imagine how much there is to learn about myself, and how much potential growth there is in things going very wrong when it's just me and the water.

Diving solo is not my only goal, but it is very definitely one of them and I can't imagine any number of "perfect buddies" whose being made available to me would change that. For whatever it's worth, since DIR seems to've become an important aspect of this thread, I have opted for GUE training in pursuit of the excellence in diving that I hope to attain. Just today I completed the first (all lecture) day of DIR-F. I guess I'll see where that takes me. I know that I've got A LOT to learn.

Thanks for reading my couple of cents,

Adam

 

[TSandM]

Neophyte, hope you are enjoying your class. It's a good class, no matter where your diving takes you after.

Ted, I love your enthusiasm and your cheerfulness, and a lot of the time you sound a lot like me to me. Except I get snippy and you don't

 

[Diver Dennis]

I'll relate one of my favorite dives in Puerto Vallarta. There is a small group of islands called the Marietas about an hour and twenty minutes out from PV. When the Mantas are around I'll have the boat drop me off at a spot just off shore from where most of the boats drop their divers. There is a shallow spot there, almost a little seamount where there is a cleaning station. It's about 100' at the bottom but comes up to about 25'. I'll look around and play with the Morays until the Mantas come. Hanging there with the dappled sunlight dancing on the coral and seeing the amount of life in this area of maybe 100 square feet is amazing. Out of the hazy blue, they will start coming, some up to 25' and glide to a stop in the light current, floating, so close, sometimes a foot away. Just me... and her, the others circling, waiting for their turn. There is such a feeling of exhilaration, being really one with nature and this huge creature. We will look into each others eyes, both curious. She will leave and another will come in, we can recognize certain individuals from their markings so it's like seeing your neighbor, they have seen me before but do they recognize me? Does she remember my smile behind my regulator?
I have had 5 Mantas at once circling and waiting their turn, not so many with other divers around, maybe one, maybe two. I'll stay for more than an hour and a half, floating, serene. Last year I did 6 days in a row of 2 tank dives on the same spot. It is a special place and that is one of the reasons I solo dive.

 

[neophyte]

I'm enjoying it immensely so far, thanks.

I can already understand why a 30 day moratorium on discussion/proselytizing is suggested though and I'll be trying to, for the most part, stick to it. I'm just enjoying this post a lot and wanted to contribute.

Thanks for starting it.

 

[Nemrod]

Will the Federation of Scuba Free Thinkers ever defeat the Borg Collective of Long Hosers? Stay tuned as the "woman in black" faces off agaisnt a "champion" whose hose cutting skills have been honed to perfection by watching every single episode of Sea Hunt back to back! Will Free Will win the day? Will the Collective prove resistence futile? Now playing on scubaboard.

On second thought, I am so angry about the proposed underwater amusement park and Atlantis theme crematorium on three hundred square acres out of Key Biscayne Florida I must turn my prose to writing letters to every congressman and woman I can think off to stop this madness. What is next, underwater Wal Marts. The Battle with the Collective may have to wait.

Adios woman in black, you are most worthy of battle, good luck and good things upon you.

Now, everyone kiss and make up and then write letters to those idiots in Florida who are bound to pave the entire place from stem to stern, they are the real enemy who must be defeated. N

 

[Dive-aholic]

The initial post was a troll, agenda no matter how sweetly presented is an angenda. N

I don't know Lynne personally, only from reading her posts here on the Board and having some interaction with her, but I highly doubt there was an agenda in her post. I've read lots of Lynne's threads. She posts some very thoughtful questions. It's not an agenda. It's a way to learn. She had an experience and wanted to learn more about it. She was solo for 10 minutes and liked it!!! It concerned her because she does have regularly buddies, so why should she like it. I have a regular buddy in my wife. On the occasions I've gone diving solo, I too have felt some guilt for not being able to share the experiences I'm having with her. But, as I stated in an earlier post, I wouldn't be having that kind of enjoyment if I wasn't alone.

I still don't see the DIR implications, insinuations, agendas....so on, so forth. I'm not DIR. I've never taken DIRF. But I have tried to learn about it. I don't believe in everything DIR, but all of my 1st stages are DIN except the one I take when I have to rent recreational tanks. I use SP jets. I dive a long hose. Etc, etc. I probably look DIR to people who don't know me because of my gear set up. My wife and I even dive identical set ups. But we don't ascribe to everything DIR. We balance our stage bottles, for one. Our dry suits are also not completely black...although they do match!

I'm just not getting it. This isn't directed only at Nemrod, but everyone who's bashing Lynne for asking this question. It was an innocent question asked so she can explore feelings she had during a new (solo) experience. What's wrong with that?!?!?!

 

[Dive-aholic]

Bob I could care less what you think I do or don't know about dir.

And of course your opinions have little value to me, now you've been a wonderful friend to your newbie buddies, please feel free to put me on ignore. No reason to engage me any further.

But I can spot agenda, oops, I just pulled your strings again, you'll have to engage.

You'd be wise to back off and learn the community here. Bob (NWGratefulDiver) has been around here a while and has made a lot of great contributions to discussions here. You could probably learn a thing or 2 from him. I know I have. Yes, he's defending his friends, but he's defending them from unfair attacks.


It's been asked a few times already, but no one seems to be heeding this: Why can't this thread get away from the personal attacks and back to simply answering the question posed in the initial post. I'm surprised no mods have piped in here yet. It does seem to be getting a little out of hand. :14:

 

[Snowbear]

I'm surprised no mods have piped in here yet. It does seem to be getting a little out of hand. :14:

Oh, they have... and *some* of the worst of the bashing has been removed.
They've just kept it to a low growl so far

Trouble is, if a mod comes along and removes the troll and the responses, we are accused of heavy handed censorship. If it's left, we are accused of allowing troll behavior. As a compromise, we try to only remove the worst of it when it includes blatant name-calling or bashing. It's still pretty thankless, but I for one have learned to accept the fact that as long as I am still a mod, some folks will thank me for attempting to do the best I can to keep the peace and some will hate me for it (usually only the case of those whose posts were moderated). Do I make mistakes? All the time. More than a few times I've had a user point out that a post of theirs should not have been removed during a major clean up. I have no problem reviewing my own actions and apologizing for mistakes, though sometimes I won't agree and the post will stay removed

It's too bad a discussion like this, which actually has the potential to be very constructive, often ends up deteriorating to personal bashing because a few folks are so opposed to a certain agency's system that anyone who dares to mention it is automatically labeled with things like "Borg," "collective," "clones" and "cult." It is obviously a deliberate attempt to get a negative response from others and it's almost always successful, as it was here. These same folks then take offense when questioned whether they are trolling. Opposing viewpoints are fine, but just coming in and bashing folks for how they dive is immature and is certainly not constructive.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Thanks for the reply, Snowbear. For what it's worth, I think what the mods do is a tough job, but you all do a great job with it...especially considering the variety of personalities you have to deal with here on the Board. Keep it up!

Hopefully this thread will evolve into its intended focus. However, I won't be holding my breath on that.


How about this? If anyone has anything constructive to say in regards to Lynne's original question, then please post it. If not, don't post anything in this thread. If you have a problem with DIR, then go here. This is a much more appropriate place for that kind of banter.