how deep max. when diving solo?

[DCBC]

How deep do you dive as max. solo? and the max. decotime?

When it comes down to it, it really depends on the level of risk that you feel comfortable with at the time. For me the level of experience of my Buddy can be a major factor for some of the dives I do. Unless a competent Buddy is on-hand, I prefer to do the dive solo.

Such dives have included solo deep-air and wreck penetrations on mix. You assess the risk and make a judgement call. Personally, I side on the side of safety and despite doing some pretty hairy dives, I tend to reel myself in at the first indication of danger. I'll do this with a Buddy as well, so I guess I readily accept thumbing a dive as a preferable option rather than pushing it too far.

 

[drbill]

In the not-too-distant past I've done many dives to 200 ft solo on air. I wouldn't think of doing that today. When I was doing them it was for a specific purpose (to film for an episode on "deep ecology"). I acclimated myself to increasing depth over a period of a few months. Because of that I was not significantnly impaired by narcosis (but have been narced out of my gourd at 151 fsw and obviously impaired at 107 fsw when I dove those depths without prior preparation). My reason for diving to that depth solo was that no one properly trained was available to dive with me and I would not risk taking someone else down without the proper training. Total dive duration was at times over an hour (on an HP120) with bottom times limited to about 5-10 min and a number of deep stops on the ascent (thanks to Catalina's steep offshore slope). One day I averaged 180 fsw (200, 180 and 160) on three successive dives with a one hour surface interval between each.

I don't do dives like that today because I have no reason to, I am not conditioned to do them and I enjoy much longer dive times to amass more video footage at shallower depths (generally above 100 fsw).

 

[Doc Harry]

I try to stay above 100 feet, so I don't get narc'd, but that's not a hard rule.

When I was soloing in Hawaii on beautiful blue, sunny days, I intentionally went to 120 in order to get really narc'd and enjoy listening to the whale songs.

 

[Tigerman]

24,5m below the surface which is at 250m ASL today..

You know how that tunnel vision can seem like theres a big black darkness closing in on you? The diving here is like that, only its not a feeling, the dark actually DO close in on you quick when you get below 12-14 meters

 

[Dr. Lecter]

When I was soloing in Hawaii on beautiful blue, sunny days, I intentionally went to 120 in order to get really narc'd and enjoy listening to the whale songs.

I've been around 180' or so outside Hanauma Bay during whale season...laid back on the bottom using my doubles as a lounge chair and stayed like that for 10 minutes or so just listening and watching the sunlight filter down. Should have brought some capri suns.

Too bad I can't safely get that narced on my CCR...whales are a lot easier to hear with it.

 

[Doc Harry]

Yeah, Dr. Lecter, off the Kohala coast of the Big Island I went out past the reef and dropped to the sand slope. I laid back on the bottom, all narc'd out, and listened to whale songs. Those were some great dives!

 

[KevinG58]

I found it interesting a couple of weeks ago on my trip to Big Sur (with Truth Aquatics, an op which treats customers as adults qualified to manage their own diving) there were a 3 or 4 other solo divers and a couple very loose buddy teams diving, with report of busting 120 pretty common from those divers. Not judging, just something I observed.

About 90 feet is my personal solo (is that redundant?) depth limit. I know from past experience that unless I've been diving a lot somewhere around 100 is where narcosis starts to nibble at me.

 

[ajduplessis]

Disclaimer: I am not advocating diving solo without the proper training and mentoring, I am advocating a different mindset/approach to your current diving. With that said.....

IMO if you are not prepared to do a 10ft, 60ft, 100ft, 200ft, 300ft or whatever as a solo dive, you should not even attempt this dive with a buddy or team!!!

What divers quickly forget is that when things go wrong, they go wrong very quickly. If you are "relying" on a buddy/team to asisst you, then you are in for a SERIOUS suprise!! When sh1t hits the fan, you can only rely on you own skills, ability and planning.

 

[drbill]

I dive solo about 95% of the time. Normally I keep my solo dives shallow (no more than about 70 fsw) since I know I can do a CESA from depths like that as long as I'm not in deco. In the past I have repeatedly done solo dives to 200 fsw for total dive times of about one hour (on a 120 plus pony). Diving to such depths was to film critters not found in shallower waters and doing it solo was due to not wanting anyone else to risk their lives. It has been about three years since io've gone deeper than about 130 fsw solo since I have no need to do so. I do not recommend such diving to anyone else. Not my call.

 

[Stoo]

I frequently solo within NDL on a wreck at 30M using Nitrox, now that I am Trimix certified I have thought of doing longer dives on that site, but I would probably not do them solo.

If you are diving on nitrox without narcosis, why switch to mix? Much greater expense and much longer deco required.... Just curious...

I agree that in the early stages of any new skill set (in this case, trimix) having a qualified buddy is not a bad idea. Having a second set of eyes to double check gas switches etc. isn't a bad thing in the beginning.