Is limited solo diving completely insane for a new diver?

[HeliMech]

I started diving "solo" immediately during, and after, certification in 1996. I'm sure they meant well.

That made me laugh. Thank you.

I have had a similar experience....not knocking on my girlfriend but I have already been solo a few times. That is part of my thinking, unless your buddy has an a-level buddy game you may as well be on your own anyway (to a degree).

 

[HeliMech]

Diving in cold water, in an area where there is a potential for strong tidal currents, limited visibility, from shore with nobody on shore looking out for you and on a ship wreck that can easily hold fishing line would seem like a really aggressive place to start solo diving. A simple calf cramp and maybe a freeflow could result in things getting tough quick.

Doesn't sound like the most benign environment to teach yourself solo diving, but I really don't know the area.

Areas with currents, no surface support, cold water and the potential for entanglements are probably not the best place to practice. Very different than diving in a lake or a quarry or some still water body where the shoreline is very close.

It's a protected marine preserve so not much for fishing line but you can't control what might wash in. The wreck is just a navigation point. I don't plan on interacting with it in anyway. A sunken tug that's neat to look at is all.

I have been here several times. So far I would not consider it an aggressive diving location. It's where beginners go to do their OW. Fairly protected. The visibility could be poor - for those days I would either stay close to shore and shallow or call the dive.

That being said; conditions change in a hurry and a person would have the issues you bring up covered if they were wise. Freeflow only matters if I'm stuck at the bottom. Otherwise it's an easy swim to the surface. The cramp - well I'll deal with it like the other two I had in the water. Sort it out and carry on.

The issues that most concern me are getting stuck (should be a manageable risk), a malfunction that gets me into an OOA situation (manageable with a pony bottle), an injury (strikes head, some weird going unconscious for unknown reason etc.). If I have a buoyancy malfunction I can drop weight, bubble my drysuit and use my SMB...or a combination thereof.

 

[HeliMech]

Join Whytecliff Wednesdays. They have a FB group and are organized by experienced divers. You will
not be kicked in the face. If you are interested in sidemount and the Razor system, I think at least six of them dive in that configuration. They are a good, fun group.

Ewww...that sounds like something I'd need to join Facebook for. ;-(

Great idea though. I'll take a look on my girlfriend's account. Thank you.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I
I have been here several times. So far I would not consider it an aggressive diving location. It's where beginners go to do their OW. Fairly protected. The visibility could be poor - for those days I would either stay close to shore and shallow or call the dive.

The cramp - well I'll deal with it like the other two I had in the water. Sort it out and carry on.
.

Well, if it's a place where you went diving before I'd say that's a check in the plus column.

I had a cramp once while diving but was able to swim back to shore with one leg. Now I take Vitamin D3 every night and a Benadryl before diving. The Benadryl used to put me to sleep but I've gotten used to it. In any case I've never gotten another cramp while using the Benadryl, but of course I've only had one ever.

 

[HeliMech]

Thanks to all for the excellent replies. I really appreciate the thoughtful responses. Consider me both warned and encouraged.

I really have no disagreement with anything posted.

A few things:

- Safety checklists. Great idea for before the dive. This will provide for mitigating some of the buddy pre-dive checks.
- Experience. I have had 12 dives. Doesn't matter that I have 4 cards in my wallet. Anyone who pays the money can get the cards (sadly). So all I have is cards that show that I am likely safe(ish) to keep learning in a controlled manner. So if I try this anytime soon it'll be after I get a pony bottle (not Spare Air and at least 19l). I still have a lot to learn. I am not awesome at any of this.

If (when) I go ahead with this I'll do it incrementally in stages beginning with water I can stand in. That was great advice. I'll also enlist some help on shore.

I'll also check out some other groups for some buddy options. Not super excited about this part. I'd rather trust me than a random and experienced guys won't want to dive with me (who just wants to practice and also still sucks air like it was going out of style)....but I will look for others regardless.

Fear not fellow divers. I'm not out to kill myself. Case in point - rather than go solo tomorrow I am paying for the missing spots on my LDS's planned dive trip just so I can go. 4 people minimum - I offered to pay for all 4 spots. Hopefully they accept and I'll be in the water tomorrow.

I'm a single parent. I need to stay alive. I just know that (as in aviation) that as long as you can mitigate risks to ALARP (as low as reasonably possible) and that those resultant risk levels are acceptable...a task or tasks may be able to be done with some measure of safety and certainty.

Please let me know if anyone has a good Solo Diving book to recommend. I'll educate myself further before taking the next step.

Thanks again to all. I'm grateful for the responses I have received.

James

 

[JamesBon92007]

I have had 12 dives. Doesn't matter that I have 4 cards in my wallet.
If (when) I go ahead with this I'll do it incrementally in stages beginning with water I can stand in. That was great advice. I'll also enlist some help on shore.

4 people minimum - I offered to pay for all 4 spots. Hopefully they accept and I'll be in the water tomorrow.

I'm a single parent. I need to stay alive.

Way better than no cards

Wow, methinks you are either highly addicted or way too generous.

Yes, on a trip back from Catalina Island (off the coast of California), with the wind blowing and the waves crashing over the bow and looking up and seeing water, my ex-wife and I decided we had no business doing such things since we had just become parents.

 

[Darnold9999]

As a place to solo dive that is a pretty benign place. Was the place I chose for my first solo dive Things to think about in no particular order. Have your reg in your mouth as you approach the water. Slipping and falling is a serious risk and finding a working reg can be a challenge in shallow water. It is not as easy as you might think to right yourself if you end up on your back in a foot of water wearing 50 lbs of gear. If you have air you can figure it out.

Entanglement is probably the only really risky thing about that location. Fishing line should not be there as it is closed to fishing but ... I have seen an experienced diver panic when caught in line. Three people there helping to cut him out but he ended up thrashing around enough to take vis to 0. Ultimately no issues but if you are alone you really need to work slowly and carefully.

Tides and currents are pretty minor there. Don’t think I have ever seen anything even remotely significant.

How do you handle stressful situations in other aspects of your life. Some people naturally get calm and focus on solving the problem. Others go the other way. Which are you?

At 12 dives you really have not yet developed an awareness of how you will react when something bad happens underwater. IMHO if you are not someone that can remain calm and problem solve while underwater you should not solo dive. At 100 dives you will have figured this out - at 12 you will be guessing.

 

[HeliMech]

As a place to solo dive that is a pretty benign place. Was the place I chose for my first solo dive Things to think about in no particular order. Have your reg in your mouth as you approach the water. Slipping and falling is a serious risk and finding a working reg can be a challenge in shallow water. It is not as easy as you might think to right yourself if you end up on your back in a foot of water wearing 50 lbs of gear. If you have air you can figure it out.

Entanglement is probably the only really risky thing about that location. Fishing line should not be there as it is closed to fishing but ... I have seen an experienced diver panic when caught in line. Three people there helping to cut him out but he ended up thrashing around enough to take vis to 0. Ultimately no issues but if you are alone you really need to work slowly and carefully.

Tides and currents are pretty minor there. Don’t think I have ever seen anything even remotely significant.

How do you handle stressful situations in other aspects of your life. Some people naturally get calm and focus on solving the problem. Others go the other way. Which are you?

At 12 dives you really have not yet developed an awareness of how you will react when something bad happens underwater. IMHO if you are not someone that can remain calm and problem solve while underwater you should not solo dive. At 100 dives you will have figured this out - at 12 you will be guessing.

Thank you.

For what's it's worth I am usually cool under fire. This solo diving idea has that in mind. Know thyself etc...that being said, underwater does provide for some unique problems and experience matters.

Thanks again.

 

[HeliMech]

Quick update:

Instead of paying for empty spots to save an LDS guided dive from cancelling tomorrow I booked private instruction from my LDS to do my Deep Certification and some extra practice.

2 dives tomorrow. 2 dives Saturday at Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver.

I'll take baby steps working towards the solo thing.

Thanks again for all the replies. They have been helpful.

 

[HeliMech]

Way better than no cards

Wow, methinks you are either highly addicted or way too generous.

Yes, on a trip back from Catalina Island (off the coast of California), with the wind blowing and the waves crashing over the bow and looking up and seeing water, my ex-wife and I decided we had no business doing such things since we had just become parents.

Highly addicted. It's a problem...