''Forced''into solo diving at a young age?

[redacted]

Could be a fair explaination of why diving fatalities have steadily reduced each decade since the '60s...despite exponentially higher numbers of people enjoying scuba diving.

The growth of the scuba industry and increased proliferation of divers in the community, particularly since the 1980's, has meant that few people now have the need to dive solo, or without adequate formal training/certification.

Maybe it also had something to do with the invention and use of SPGs, depth gauges and timing devices.

Yep, one set of gear, no training, and two kids sharing it. Worked for me.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Started soloing as a teenager (18 years old). Mainly due to my friends all being on different weekend work schedules.

I don't know if solo is less common now than it was then... people did it then, people do it now, and I'm sure there will always be solo divers.

Best wishes.

 

[Bob DBF]

What do you mean no training, a "how to" SCUBA book came with the tank and reg. Also I will bet you were all accomplished free-divers before you started SCUBA. I had my dads OK at 16 when I took the car to get the SCUBA tank filled and head out for a solo dive. I remember his words to this day "Don't wreck the f'n car". Got my c-card after 17 years of solo and buddy diving.

Solo still goes on, but the "your gonna die" crowd keeps it low key. As long as a DM sets up and breaks down gear, alone, for an instructor there will be solo divers.


Bob
--------------------------------
I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

"the future is uncertain and the end is always near"
Jim Morrison

 

[porgyhunter]

I LOVE IT! ''Don't wreck the flippin car" Thats how it was. I remember my dad seeing us scuba in a pond behind our house. ''Hey do you guys know what your doing with that equipment?'' reply ''Yeah'' ''Don't be late for dinner'' Big difference now,I'am a nervous nellie teaching my kids!

 

[captain]

My parents didn't have a clue about what scuba involved, they never studied it, I did.

 

[Zodiacdiverdave]

Started in 1990 when I started bottle diving, if you had a buddie with you, you might have to fight him for the good ones so we keep enouph seperation so we couldn't see each other or get into one enother's silt. Same ocean same day buddie system. Now almost every dive I do is considered a solo dive.

 

[petrieps]

A Solo diver is not something I ever aspired to be. It was natural. My first experience with water was when my dad tossed me in the swimming pool in the back yard at 6 months of age. I went under and tumbled into the middle of the pool, pushed by the jet. When he grabbed me I was laughing. From then on I was always in the pool. At 9 I tried to make a set of doubles out of 2 liter coke bottles and a garden hose. I'm glad my dad saw me standing on the diving board with the old plastic covered lifting weights tied around my waste.
As a boy I spent most of the summer at the family cottage on an island in Maine. There was no electricity and we got our water from an outdoor hand pump. I don't think I ever wore shoes the whole time I was there. Fins were all I wore on my feet. Nearly every day was spent snorkeling and free diving in cold Maine water. When I wasn’t in the water I was checking my crab traps, or in the tide pools, discovering every creature in plain sight or hidden. Those are the best memories of my childhood, and set the foundation of my future.
I don’t why it took so long to become certified. I was 24, It was after a 3 year stint as stearn man on a high-lining Cape ann lobster boat. Summer was lobster, winter was offshore long lining. I realized early It was not the life for me, I loved it but it would be a hard life. I took a different route professionally and never looked back. Diving is what re-connected me with the ocean.
I’ll never forget the first breath I took out of a regulator that first night of scuba class. I knew I would be doing this the rest of my life. I took the class in the winter but couldn’t get the ocean dives in until mid May. Needless to say I was chomping at the bit. Until there was a big sale and wow I had all my gear but it was only March. So off I went to Magnolia Rocks with my mix of new and used gear. The dive was solo, my ancient beaver tail suit kept me warm, although I doubt I would have felt the cold anyway, that first ocean dive. I was at home, everything was right in my world now. I went back to the dive shop that same day. My instructor was there, he filled my tanks! I Couldn’t believe it, I thought I was in trouble. My first fill card of 20 was used up before I was certified.
After certification I started diving with a grizzled 30 year diving veteran from work. We went out his boat with his two equally grizzled friends. He came with me on the first dive off his boat. He was surprised when I dove under a rock and came up with a two pound lobster. My mask was completely flooded. I put the lobster in the bag then fixed my mask and swam on. Back on the boat he said “your on your own kid”. We solo dove together for years on his boat.

 

[waterpirate]

Sad but true....
My freind and I started solo diving sharing his dads unit to do prop work in the marina, when his dad was to tanked to do it. We did it to raise money for beer, I mean soda. Then it was for the car, girls, and ultimately more gear.
Eric

 

[AnnSul]

So off I went to Magnolia Rocks . . . I dove under a rock and came up with a two pound lobster. . .

New England diving is AWESOME! Lobstermen are a bit, uh, frighteningly possessive when it comes to bags of lobsters, though.

Thanks for the reminiscing. We spent many hours under the Maine shoreline. Gorgeous in green, maroon and purple. The Wolf fish were gorgeous top level predators that would just- watch. First time I saw a monk fish (guitar fish or all-mouth) was up there.

I hope to return!

Cheers!

 

[scuba=dude]

I'm always blowen out of the water by people thinking that one can not train themselfs how to do something! Just how dumb do these people think the rest of use are? Just becuse there are PADI's out there selling C-cards now people are much to stupid to learn with out them. Well there are 100's of 1,000sd of dummys with C-cards that should not be in the water at all let alone with scuba gear. Anyone with $300 can get a c-card.....anyone! Putting all those c-card holders in the same boat as those out there that have the brains,gear and the will and good sence to know how to self school is just plain stupid.
Now I know that Most folk's will never take the time or buy all the gear to be a safe solo diver........Good!
Now I know that Some people out there think there needs to be laws about solo diving.......Go find something to save and stay away from me please.