I do solo tech dives. Often difficult to find other tech divers to dive with, or I often find conflict in dive planning such as a potential dive buddy insisting on the use of a high helium % not necessary for the planned depth. I really only have two potential divers to dive with, one is an awesome diver when available and the other makes solo tech diving the safer option.
How many tech "solo" divers are on the solo forum?
- Thread starter CamG
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mdax
Contributor
I end up solo diving caves about once a week, never occurred to me whether it was "tech" or not...I just load up the car and go.
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I bailed out on the snow blizzard in New England last week to come down to High Springs and solo cave dive for the week. This vacation has been so relaxing and enjoyable as I've been diving 2x per day between Ginnie, Little River and Cow. I'm not pushing line but am enjoying the dives in a stress free manner as the weather has been ideal and the diving epic.
Dr. Lecter
Contributor
I usually dive solo, and that includes what I would define as "tech" dives (no direct ascent, whether due to deco or overhead). The more "techy" the dive (i.e., deeper dive, longer bottom/deco time, and/or further/messier wreck penetration), the more likely I am to opt for solo.
Less important reason: if I am spending a lot of money to enjoy diving onto and into a hazardous wreck for a handful of minutes, and then spending the next hour plus hanging on a deco line (if everything goes right and I don't wind up doing drifting deco), the last thing I want to spend any part of that precious time doing is worrying about/keeping track of about a buddy.
More important reason: that person is more of a liability than they are an asset. I don't need them to get down, in, out, back up, and manage anything that goes wrong along the way, but they complicate the already complicated task at hand simply by virtue of their doubling the number of independent actors in a confined, silty, entangly, jagged space pressurized to such a degree that even minor problems tick away gas/time very quickly.
Less important reason: if I am spending a lot of money to enjoy diving onto and into a hazardous wreck for a handful of minutes, and then spending the next hour plus hanging on a deco line (if everything goes right and I don't wind up doing drifting deco), the last thing I want to spend any part of that precious time doing is worrying about/keeping track of about a buddy.
More important reason: that person is more of a liability than they are an asset. I don't need them to get down, in, out, back up, and manage anything that goes wrong along the way, but they complicate the already complicated task at hand simply by virtue of their doubling the number of independent actors in a confined, silty, entangly, jagged space pressurized to such a degree that even minor problems tick away gas/time very quickly.
Glad to see I'm not alone!
Big Island Tec Diver
Registered
I am a tec diver and an instructor trainer...and I enjoy solo diving.
I'm Tec Trimix and Self Reliant certified and I do solo deco dives (lionfish hunts) on air the majority of my personal dives. There just aren't enough tec divers around here for me to dive with since they're all full time instructors so I do my own dives alone, which also happens to suit me. I only have to worry about myself which frees me up to kill more lionfish with what little bottom time I do have.
Bentley Hamm
Registered
I do solo tech as well as solo cave dive.
My career does not lend itself well to making plans with regular buddies, my time off is not consistent and is usually not on weekends. It is also frequently short notice or not even at home, leaving me with the option of not diving or...I solo rec, tech as well as solo cave dive, not always my preference, but usually my circumstance.
I don't consider all cave dives to be tech (just my train of thought on what I define as tech)
I define tech as any dive;
-With planned gas supply switches (voluntarily removing a functioning regulator and replacing it with another from an alternate source, ie; stage, travel/intermediate mix, or deco cyl, not side mount main tanks)
-Planned decompression, without the ability to immediately surface
-Complex penetrations requiring navigational equipment (non cave, not swim-throughs)
-Complex navigational equipment & decisions in a cave (more than one jump/gap)
My career does not lend itself well to making plans with regular buddies, my time off is not consistent and is usually not on weekends. It is also frequently short notice or not even at home, leaving me with the option of not diving or...I solo rec, tech as well as solo cave dive, not always my preference, but usually my circumstance.
I don't consider all cave dives to be tech (just my train of thought on what I define as tech)
I define tech as any dive;
-With planned gas supply switches (voluntarily removing a functioning regulator and replacing it with another from an alternate source, ie; stage, travel/intermediate mix, or deco cyl, not side mount main tanks)
-Planned decompression, without the ability to immediately surface
-Complex penetrations requiring navigational equipment (non cave, not swim-throughs)
-Complex navigational equipment & decisions in a cave (more than one jump/gap)
i preffer solo diving more than anything, started as a lack of buddies and extreme passion to go diving ended up as a extreme passion in solo dives ;p , also have my own pace my own methods underwater and it just simply task overloading anything beyond that, plus im one of those insanely worried people about my team so i can never relax and enjoy my dive unless solo , now i cant wait to finish my tec trimix in a month and do solo on he deep donw on wrecks , and start getting involved more to this wonderful community you have here
Dive Bug Bit Me
Contributor
I'm tech trained and prefer solo as buddies for wreck penetration are hard to come by.
Mostly I will do wreck penetration solo (usually within recreational limits because I run out of wreck before I transgress out of the light zone on our small wrecks).
I will often put on 10 - 15 mins of deco on the dive and use oxygen as a deco gas whilst solo on the wrecks.
Keep meaning to solo next time I get into cave country, just never haven't been for a while.
Mostly I will do wreck penetration solo (usually within recreational limits because I run out of wreck before I transgress out of the light zone on our small wrecks).
I will often put on 10 - 15 mins of deco on the dive and use oxygen as a deco gas whilst solo on the wrecks.
Keep meaning to solo next time I get into cave country, just never haven't been for a while.
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