How did you feel

[Jim Lapenta]

Clayjar hit it right on the head. Asking for advice in the terms of perhaps what size redundant gas, number of back up whatevers, I have no problem with. This is the kind of thing I would expect from someone anticipating or preparing for their first solo dive. But to if one were to come on and ask "I think I wanna solo, what do i need?" In that case my opinion is that the person has not done enough homework or does not have the experience or mindset to try it. Just from your post you seem to have done the preliminary leg work, made the preparations and may be ready. I only say may be because I would NEVER tell anyone they are ready for it. That is a personal decision and now that I'm a "pro" (DiveMaster) I won't open myself up for any of the fallout from that kind of call. If you were to come to me and say you had 500 dives with a buddy, numerous specialties, environments from clear calm water to blackwater and asked me if you were ready to solo in order to get my ok, I would tell you no. If you asked me the same question in a different way like, I have that experience, I've decided to solo, what would you suggest specifically I might also consider? I'd do my best to make sure you had as much info as I could give you. But I would never tell you you are ready. Again only you can make that call. There is nothing wrong with asking for advice. But be prepared to take it whatever it is. I don't BS people. I'd rather have someone pissed at me for telling them they are not ready than tell them they are and then they get hurt or worse.

 

[uspap]

Jim,
I understand now. I feel the same way when I give advice to people who want to dive an advanced site. I don't recommend it but here are the facts.
I only posted because I am really looking forward to this and have been preparing for some time. I also wanted to know if others were as excited about the prospect like me or if I'm just weird. I like being alone at times and most people don't understand that. It's hard to convince them that it's okay. I appraoch diving like it's up to me to be safe and careful and I need to be able to handle situations myself. (which I've always done) I am ready and am going to do this tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.
Thanks for the feed back. I'm sure solo diving can only be understood by those who do it. I want to be part of that.

 

[hilti]

Well, to be honest, I didn't know s__t on the first dive,(first dive after the C card) found myself in 40 plus feet of water with no line management skills and decided to play it safe in the shallows for awhile. Most of my dives are solo, I mean 99.9%, I'll go to 100 feet on occasion as long as I'm comfortable and have never regreted a dve, no matter how bad the visibility is. I would advise shallow water (less than 20 feet) for the first few dives until you get a sense of "self". The parameters you choose are yours, and as Gentile says, "so are the consequences" just stay comfortable and enjoy your free time and diving. Be Careful, and NEVER PUSH IT. Safe diving, Jim

 

[SwimJim]

Considering my first solo dive was also my first dive there was a little apprehension but that was probably more because it was my first dive rather than because it was a solo dive.

I have my first dive in common with Captain. My first dive was solo. That was 29 years ago. I'd gotten away from diving and didn't solo again until about four years ago. Now there was some apprehension while gearing up, followed by total release on my way down to the wreck. What a wonderful dive it was. When I dive solo I see and enjoy so much more. I find even a good dive buddy somewhat distracting. This is not to say I don't like diving with a buddy. I am fortuneate to have a whole bunch of really good ones. Moneysavr for one who frequents this board. But on the right day, when Lake Michigan is flat as glass and everything is just right, I really enjoy taking my boat out alone and diving a few select places alone. True solo diving. Not jumping off with a bunch of others and going off on my own, but finding a wreck, hooking it, diving it, by myself. That is real solo diving. There is nothing else that compares to it. Nothing that gives you more of a feeling of freedom. What more can I say.

jim

 

[redrover]

Gearing up, entering and swimming out was no big deal, nothing different other than the serenity of my own pace and choices. Committing was hard. From all I’d read; it was an absolute certainty I was gonna die, which I seemed to translate occurring the moment my head was submerged. Hanging out there above the very comfortable diving location I kept going back over rationale, both pro and con. And, ending up each time at the same result, this was just not really different from the other solo activities I’ve done, and I was not sporting death any more now than then. I went down and forgot all about it right about the time I paused above the coral. Somewhere around the clock time I’d usually be heading up I realized I was enjoying myself much more than usual, much more. Looking where I wanted to at what I wanted to for as long as I wanted to was no doubt self-centered, but a guiltless pleasure. I recalled Lauren Bacall saying something like; I like that. I’d like some more. I noticed I was smiling and it made me smile big enough I flooded my mask. Then I noticed I had the air time for more. More of the reason I learned to dive, exploring and learning the extraordinarily different environment.
A variety of reasons such as paying the price for previous years of fun have reduced what I can physically enjoy. I’d finally found a way to be engrossed in a physical activity at my whim and desire, something I’d been sorely missing and recognized solo pushed all my warm fuzzy buttons for blatant pure pleasure.

 

[chasanova]

Gearing up, entering and swimming out was no big deal, nothing different other than the serenity of my own pace and choices. Committing was hard. From all I’d read; it was an absolute certainty I was gonna die, which I seemed to translate occurring the moment my head was submerged. Hanging out there above the very comfortable diving location I kept going back over rationale, both pro and con. And, ending up each time at the same result, this was just not really different from the other solo activities I’ve done, and I was not sporting death any more now than then. I went down and forgot all about it right about the time I paused above the coral. Somewhere around the clock time I’d usually be heading up I realized I was enjoying myself much more than usual, much more. Looking where I wanted to at what I wanted to for as long as I wanted to was no doubt self-centered, but a guiltless pleasure. I recalled Lauren Bacall saying something like; I like that. I’d like some more. I noticed I was smiling and it made me smile big enough I flooded my mask. Then I noticed I had the air time for more. More of the reason I learned to dive, exploring and learning the extraordinarily different environment.
A variety of reasons such as paying the price for previous years of fun have reduced what I can physically enjoy. I’d finally found a way to be engrossed in a physical activity at my whim and desire, something I’d been sorely missing and recognized solo pushed all my warm fuzzy buttons for blatant pure pleasure.

RIGHTON!