For those of you who dive solo . . .

[MaxBottomtime]

I'm finding myself luckier and luckier these days, in that I'm acquiring a nice circle of excellent dive buddies. In thinking about this, and thinking about WHY they're excellent dive buddies, it occurred to me to wonder -- Those of you who dive solo, would you do it if you had a dive buddy who:

Had skills equal to or better than yours;

Had equipment similar to yours and properly maintained;

Was on the same page you are with respect to the way a dive should be planned and conducted;

Had excellent buddy skills and underwater communication;

Had excellent training in emergency response, and kept those skills sharp by regular practice;

And, of course, was regularly available to dive

I have some great dive buddies. Most understand the most important rule in diving, It is supposed to be fun. I also have many DIR buddies and others who are excellent wreck divers. That being said, I love my solo dives just as much. The tranquility, solitude and the feeling of being one with nature is as peaceful as anything in my life. It's also nice not having to wonder where my buddy is, what their spg reads or wondering if they're bored while I take pictures. Anyone can get seperated, have problems or make mistakes, even DIR divers.

 

[SwimJim]

I'm finding myself luckier and luckier these days, in that I'm acquiring a nice circle of excellent dive buddies. In thinking about this, and thinking about WHY they're excellent dive buddies, it occurred to me to wonder -- Those of you who dive solo, would you do it if you had a dive buddy who:

Had skills equal to or better than yours;

Had equipment similar to yours and properly maintained;

Was on the same page you are with respect to the way a dive should be planned and conducted;

Had excellent buddy skills and underwater communication;

Had excellent training in emergency response, and kept those skills sharp by regular practice;

And, of course, was regularly available to dive

You miss the point.

 

[Diver Dennis]

I don't want to be considered just a solo or just a buddy diver. I'm sure most all solo divers rarely do JUST solo. What is the big deal about categorizing? I do both and will continue to do both. MaxBottomtime is right. Diving is supposed to be fun.

 

[Diver Dennis]

TSandM, you asked why would anyone dive alone when they can dive with friends like yours? I don't know who your dive friends are or how they dive. Not everyone can dive with your friends. As far as diving with a buddy who dives like me, it really doesn't matter if they are my clone, as long as they are safe and diving within their limits.

 

[PaulChristenson]

He had a fully functioning regulator in his mouth he could have donated.

Just out of curiosity do any dive organizations teach buddy-breathing off one regulator at the Open Water Level anymore???

 

[Adobo]

Lynne,

I think the questions you ask are valid. But somehow I think it has more to do with how people are wired. You and I are team oriented. Even if you take away a lot of the things you have in your list, people like you and me would still gravitate towards a team oriented approach.

Similarly, people who have a "self reliance" orientation seem like they will still gravitate towards that approach even when presented with all the things that make team diving more appealing. No absolutes here, just some gross generalizations.

As a side note..Does it strike you as odd that folks are taking pot shots at you for being DIR? It seemed like an innocent enough question to me. I guess I am just bad at a reading between the lines. Are you trying to assimilate everyone into the collective?

P.S. As you know, dive instructors are a dime a dozen. Robin Williams types are one of a kind. He teaches how to become proficient as an individual and how to become proficient as a team. Just because some would mischaracterize that as being reliant on others to save your a55, it doesn't mean that it is so.

 

[Adobo]

You miss the point.

Wow, you put out the effort to criticize. Would you care to put in just a little more and educate?

 

[SeaYoda]

I find it amusing to watch the discussions on types of diving, who does them, and why. There is one fact that escapes these conversations - people differ on likes and dislikes. Above water I may have things I like to do that others don't and vice versa, underwater is no different.

I can walk in caves on land that have plenty of air and be happy. I have no desire to swim up in some crack in the earth just to say I've been there first. There are folks that love to do that stuff underwater. They better be well prepared for what they do. As long as they do what is necessary to prepare, who am I to say they aren't doing something right? I just don't like doing what they are doing.

I love to take pictures underwater, I can't pay as much attention to a buddy when I do this. I love to enjoy the underwater world alone sometimes, it's hard to do with a buddy nearby. I have had my share of bad "rent-a-buddies" on boat dives. I love to dive with friends in the same place but not holding hands. I like not being dependent on others because I'm usually the one they depend on. I want to be ready to get out of a jam underwater, even if my buddy can't help me. All of these things make me who I am as a diver. Force me to be something else and I'll no longer enjoy diving. I prepare in the best ways I know how for the increased risks and I continue to learn, what more could you ask?

Wreck divers, Cave divers, Cold Water divers, Tech divers, Solo divers, and even recreational vacation divers all enter a hostile environment when they dive. I say let everybody enjoy diving in their own way as long as they understand the risks and prepare for them. If you find your favorite type of diving, go do it and do it safe!

Let's stop beating each other over the head because we like the same thing in different ways. I don't know everything and neither do you so let's try to help each other be safer instead of arguing about gear or who's going to kill themselves. If we lose the attitudes we might even find a lot of common ground to enjoy.

End of rant - off soapbox now - YMMV

 

[TSandM]

Adobo, after a half hour of good-natured argument between me and my husband in my kitchen tonight, I think we came to the same conclusion. Different people are wired differently.

One of the most wonderful things I've ever done in my life was to operate with a well-schooled team. When you put your hand out, and the scrub tech puts the instrument you want in it without you saying ANYTHING, the grace and elegance of the procedure begins to approach art. Ballroom dance, one of my other pleasures, has the same quality. And I begin to see that develop with diving.

My husband is entirely other. He bends as much as he HAS to to cooperate with others, but the act of cooperating gives him no joy. He will never perceive the turnkey operation of a well-oiled team as an end in itself. That's okay. He sees things differently.

What is really sad is that I may well enjoy diving with other people more than I enjoy diving with my own husband . . . because neither of us is capable of changing our basic temperament. And what I'm hearing from people on this thread is that we are wired the way we're wired . . . what I view as a guilty pleasure, and feel mildly apprehensive about, may be somebody else's greatest goal in diving. And vice versa.

 

[ThatsSomeBadHatHarry]

ditto.

I never knew there were so many solo divers living quiet lives of desperation!

diving in their own Walden Pond.