Introduction

[master00sniper]

A week ago, every fiber of my being would have promised you that I was the exception to the rule. I still think that, I don't really doubt it, but a part of me has realized that just in case I am not, and since honestly I really have no way of knowing unless I dove with someone who recognizes the exception, I should listen. Its really the only reason why I posted in this thread.

Bob, When you say develop your skills, which skills are you referring too? I want to know the skills that I should be practicing under water. The ones I can think of are ones I'm confident in, but they seem basic to me. Mask clearing, swimming with no mask, reg swap and recovery, buoyancy control, different fin strokes, ability to reach and grab exactly what piece of gear you need when you need it (not fumbling around trying to find the inflator hose, etc. i struggled with that one for a bit till I got the hand motion down. Damn snorkel just feels like its an inflator hose lol), taking off and putting back on BC under water and on surface, I'm sure there are a couple that I'm forgetting that I'm able to do. My latest goal has been to practice and accomplish most of these (the ones that apply) with my eyes closed. I figure you don't really know how to do it well until its all just muscle memory. Is there anything else? I'm sure there is. I'll look for a thread on practicable skills. I don't want to waste time repeating information, i'm sure its a question thats been asked before.

 

[sylpha]

if you have a secondary air source you must be safe (?), but just say your computer died on a second dive what would you do?

 

[Peter_C]

Great so you come in here hoping other solo divers (Like me from your other thread) would be more accepting of a brand new diver going solo. Too bad you were wrong and those that are trying to tell you to stick with a buddy and get more instruction just don't realize how comfortable you are under water. Brewski aka Ron offered to dive with you in the Camanche thread. He is an instructor and is familiar with solo diving. Why not accept his offer and learn from someone who DOES make a great buddy?

What kind of boat do you ride behind? Curious what your trick list for wakeboarding is? As in what you can land consistently (When you want to impress the chicks <Guy talk).

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

A week ago, every fiber of my being would have promised you that I was the exception to the rule. I still think that, I don't really doubt it, but a part of me has realized that just in case I am not, and since honestly I really have no way of knowing unless I dove with someone who recognizes the exception, I should listen. Its really the only reason why I posted in this thread.

Bob, When you say develop your skills, which skills are you referring too? I want to know the skills that I should be practicing under water. The ones I can think of are ones I'm confident in, but they seem basic to me. Mask clearing, swimming with no mask, reg swap and recovery, buoyancy control, different fin strokes, ability to reach and grab exactly what piece of gear you need when you need it (not fumbling around trying to find the inflator hose, etc. i struggled with that one for a bit till I got the hand motion down. Damn snorkel just feels like its an inflator hose lol), taking off and putting back on BC under water and on surface, I'm sure there are a couple that I'm forgetting that I'm able to do. My latest goal has been to practice and accomplish most of these (the ones that apply) with my eyes closed. I figure you don't really know how to do it well until its all just muscle memory. Is there anything else? I'm sure there is. I'll look for a thread on practicable skills. I don't want to waste time repeating information, i'm sure its a question thats been asked before.

The most important skill you need as a solo diver is the ability to use good judgement and make good decisions ... the type that keep you out of trouble, so you don't have to put your self-rescue skills to use.

Think back to when you learned how to drive a car. You probably thought you had all the skills down pat after completing your driver ed. But did you? How was your ability to anticipate someone cutting in front of you? Or your ability to decide that maybe speeding down this road wasn't such a good idea. And if you were like most 16-17 year old boys, you probably had an accident or two along the way.

Over time ... through practice ... you started to develop a "sixth sense" that kept you from making impulsive decisions that "seemed like a good idea at the time". And because your experience kept you from switching lanes without double-checking your side mirror, or anticipating that the car moving up in the right lane was gonna cut in front of you, those accidents you may have had earlier were easily avoided.

That's kinda the idea ... experience helps you make better decisions, and better decisions are what makes you a safer diver.

When solo diving, the idea isn't so much to have skills that'll get you out of a jam as to have skills that'll keep you from getting into one ... most of those skills are mental, and are developed through practice. That's why there's a 100-dive prerequisite on taking the solo course that SDI offers ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[CyprusSeb]

cyprus, it definitely helps hearing from another relatively new diver, one like myself. I'm coming into this thread with a lot more of a willingness to learn, a lot less of an argumentative spirit. So let me ask you, did you ever encounter anything you could not have overcome yourself in a basic open water low hazard setting, as long as you had a back up air supply and good OW skills? If so, what? How did you deal with it? I have mentally worked my way out of probably every problem I can think of. I know its not the same as ACTUALLY doing so, but it helps to think ahead. They all seem doable with a redundant air supply unless they both failed at the same time. Most problems seem preventable to me with common sense, something you don't need years of diving experience to have.

It's the things you don't think about that get you and only experience will show you those things. You know how often I see experienced folks jump in the water with their tank valves turned off? Computers left on board.
Diving with a strong current, getting tangled up in something, flashlights dying on you during a dive, sensing panic for the first time, computers failing, regs failing, getting task loaded and having multiple failures, mask strap breaking and mask getting blown away by the current, fin strap breaking, getting lost, the list goes on and on. These are just some of the things I've experienced in just one year, think about what some of these guys/gals diving for decades have dealt with.

I'm not telling you that you are not ready to solo dive. But take it from me, we all thought we had the right mindset and determination and willingness to learn, don't rush into anything. Last week I was helping out with an advanced wreck course. My first time ever diving with a GUE guy...I THOUGHT I had good buoyancy, after seeing this guy do isolation drills with perfect trim and hardly ANY vertical movement...lets just say we had a long talk after wards on what I can do to be better.

Don't get a head of yourself ...take things slow...the water ain't going nowhere. Takes time to build muscle memory...certain things need to be in muscle memory.

 

[master00sniper]

Sylpha, I would abort the dive. I have considered this before. My fear would not be reaching NDL limits, rather having my computer (which is my depth gauge) die in a low viz situation. Obviously this makes it harder to surface safely. Ideally a backup computer would be nice. I'd be happy with a backup mechanical depth gauge. I couldn't keep diving, but at least I'd be able to surface at the speed I want too. On a list of priorities, I figure not as important as redundant air. Important nonetheless. Thank you though. While I had thought about it before, and in my current dive environments from 40 to 50 feet I'm confident I could surface safely, adding extremely low viz to the mixture is a relatively new revelation. It should be something to add to my shopping cart sooner rather than later shouldn't it?

Peter, yes I remember you. I apologize I think you were on of the people I was rather rude too. And from what it seems, people are a tad bit more accepting here, but still rather weary. I ride behind a 1991 Ski Sanger, usually add 1k pounds of water using fat sacs to get that nice big wake (still small though compared to newer boats ). Working on landing 360's, and going big way out into the flats. Have tried a couple raleys and back flips. Too soon for that, I definitely wiped out bad lol. Also Peter, his post said he had plans that weekend or he'd join me. Like I said, it was already a trip set and stone on that weekend. With an inflexible dive schedule. (family doesn't wanna wait forever while I have the boat out diving you know!) I can guarantee you nobody would have been able to make it that week. I would love to go back out with Brewski or Pacificgal or anyone that wouldn't mind going with me any weekend, except this upcoming one

Bob, 100 dives seems too far away for me to be able to enjoy my lake by myself

 

[Peter_C]

The only thing I have harped on your for is your attitude towards diving and how people trying to help you don't know enough. It still comes out in this thread. If you back off the "I am the best" and ask questions, I think you will find there are plenty of highly experienced divers that would be willing to help. Do not expect anyone to condone a brand new diver going solo though. You have a lot to learn and I challenge you to take a GUE Fundies class or a UTD Essentials class then report back how hard of a class it was and how much you learned.

I rode for years but quite after breaking my leg again this time on a HUGE laid out tantrum behind the Widow Maker an SANTE. At least I went out in style. I figured walking was more important than adrenaline rushes. I was a decent rider (Although nothing compared to my friends that I rode with) with FS 360, BS 360, switch TS 540, regular TS 540, tantrum, back roll, roll to revert on occasion, Bat wing, front roll tricks like the crow I was never consistent enough to be able to call them mine by landing them multiple times in a row without falling, rode on all four edges, and could ride an entire set switch. Had pretty much all my tricks both regular and switch. Plus a bunch of grabs doing most everything in my list. Since then I no longer own a Nautique or a K2500 Suburban and now own a small 14' Zodiac that I tow with my Prius.

 

[master00sniper]

I wasn't aware I had an attitude like that in this thread. I was trying not too. Also, I did not expect anyone to condone me diving solo. However I have been surprised already multiple times. Like I said, the vocal ones tend to be you guys posting. Its the private chats that I find the more accepting ones.

Dont' get me wrong, I appreciate all the advice people have given me save maybe one person. I didn't take it too well at first because its not what I wanted, nor expected to hear. I started this thread to take it more seriously, getting advice from people who actually solo dive, and regrettably its working.

You sound very good on a wakeboard, years ahead of me. I tried a tantrum once. Landed on my head lol. I would have enjoyed watching you ride.

 

[Peter_C]

Really I am trying to help :cool2:

I wasn't aware I had an attitude like that in this thread. I was trying not too.

This is what I and probably others see as not something an inexperienced diver should be saying.

I have mentally worked my way out of probably every problem I can think of. I know its not the same as ACTUALLY doing so, but it helps to think ahead. They all seem doable with a redundant air supply unless they both failed at the same time. Most problems seem preventable to me with common sense, something you don't need years of diving experience to have.

If you do not have years of experience how can you know? Those of us that do realize there are many things that can go wrong, some we haven't even discovered. Take a few hours and read the accidents and incidents forum along with the near misses and lessons learned. I guarantee you will learn lots of good information about what can go wrong.

A week ago, every fiber of my being would have promised you that I was the exception to the rule. I still think that, I don't really doubt it, but a part of me has realized that just in case I am not, and since honestly I really have no way of knowing unless I dove with someone who recognizes the exception, I should listen.

Need I even explain that one?

My fear would not be reaching NDL limits, rather having my computer (which is my depth gauge) die in a low viz situation. While I had thought about it before, and in my current dive environments from 40 to 50 feet I'm confident I could surface safely, adding extremely low viz to the mixture is a relatively new revelation. It should be something to add to my shopping cart sooner rather than later shouldn't it?

There are other things that can be used and should be used in a lake environment. For instance an SMB on a spool. With knotted line on the spool you could easily ascend up the line and "feel" the knots for a depth reading. Have you launched one and practiced with it? I would guess you do not even carry one do you?. Which makes it very dangerous to be where boats are. People get run over all the time by boats let alone their own boats, and alcohol is typically involved.

So you have mentioned a "Spare Air" and a "pony". Just what do you plan to get? There are tons of threads on just that subject and how a "Spare Air" is barely good enough to use to cut a rope off an I/O prop.

My recommendation would be when asking a question, ask the question and leave out the part of being an expert. I think you will find people to be a lot more responsive.

Please find someone to get you out and help you learn to dive the right way. A good buddy is much more than just someone to save your life underwater, they become your friend too at the surface, when you want to talk about all the cool things you saw together.

BTW we will be lake diving this weekend at Lake Berryessa for the cleanup dive. <Best lake around for winter time wakeboarding. Delta for summer riding...and winter.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

The only way to really find out how well you can respond to an emergency is to test your skills in simulated emergency situations.

An OW class doesn't do that. It doesn't even really teach you the basic skills ... it only provides you with the tools to learn them. Learning takes place by doing.

If you believe you are capable of handling yourself in an emergency, then find out by signing up for a class that will test those abilities in the water ... something like a Fundamentals or Cavern class should do.

Reading about how to deal with emergencies ... thinking about dealing with them ... is nothing like the real thing. It's completely different thinking about it in the comfort of your office or classroom vs having to deal with the stresses that will try taking control of your mind when you find yourself neck deep in poo.

Even us experienced divers will invariably look back on how we handled a problem and second guess how we should have done it better. The difference is that because of our experience, we have developed enough tools to hve been able to come up with a Plan B.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)