If you have to ask, you're not ready to solo......?

[Walter]

Then I've died alone about 500 times.

 

[AquaHump]

I am not a dive master, with hundreds of dives under the belt, but in my book, to dive alone is to die alone.

Well I have to say this is a very slim way to look at this subject

 

[Walter]

Yeah, but it's the way most folks look at it and it probably does save their lives. It's a good thing.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Sometimes people with this attitude are a good thing. It saves the coroner extra work from not having to autopsy those who should not be doing solo anyway.

 

[fire_diver]

I am not a dive master, with hundreds of dives under the belt, but in my book, to dive alone is to die alone.

Well, we all die alone. What that has to do with solo diving I have no idea. Guess you need to stay in the kiddie pool a while longer.

FD

 

[Cacia]

I say ask whatever questions you have about anything, weigh the risk, and do whatever you want, armed with as much information as you can gather.

Be sure when assessing risk and putting things in a hierarchy that you are realistic. Certain risks are sensationalized and don't let that play on your mind. Personally, I think if you ran or rode your bike to the ocean and maintained cardiovascular health, you could probably get away with diving like a stroke for years, and have less risk than the guy who sits on the couch, and follows all the safety protoccols. My point is, know what things really are likely to kill you, not the PC things to worry about.

Heart attacks, obesity related diseases, car accidents, carcinogens. Try dodging the big ones before wringing your hands about solo diving.

I went to a fabulous doctor once, in Santa Barbara. He used to be Ronald Reagan's personal physician. He put all my individualized risk for death in order of probablity (based on my age, sex etc) and helped me with an individualized health plan. I thought he was the coolest doctor on the planet for his approach. He showed me what I could do to impact my major risks and thus, liberated me from risk incurred "way down the totum pole." Guess I sound like a broken record.

 

[Walter]

Well, we all die alone. What that has to do with solo diving I have no idea. Guess you need to stay in the kiddie pool a while longer.

FD

Diving with a buddy is not being in the kiddie pool. Most people will never have the experience or the mind set to dive solo. There is nothing wrong with that.

 

[scubadiverkarl]

I haven't seen anyone mention being trained as a solo diver. I took a special course for it. There are alot of things a new diver wouldn't even know that they don't know. The buddy system was designed to help in case you got in trouble. Solo diving requires special training and equipment so you can "rescue" yourself.

 

[fire_diver]

Diving with a buddy is not being in the kiddie pool. Most people will never have the experience or the mind set to dive solo. There is nothing wrong with that.

Of course there's nothing wrong with it. My response was posted in the same spirit as the quotee I was answering.

 

[boulderjohn]

Editing a long post--srew up caused it to be published prematurely.