Is there a difference in diving solo.......

[DiverDMD]

from a boat than from the shore?

Signed up for a last minute boat dive this week-end, and of course since I had no buddy I had to dive for solo twice. I also used to dive solo (spearfishing) from boat dives in California long long time ago.....

Are people more prone to do solo diving from a boat than from shore?

Are the risks different?

Your input is appreciated......

 

[Tigerman]

from a boat than from the shore?

Signed up for a last minute boat dive this week-end, and of course since I had no buddy I had to dive for solo twice. I also used to dive solo (spearfishing) from boat dives in California long long time ago.....

Are people more prone to do solo diving from a boat than from shore?

Are the risks different?

Your input is appreciated......

I dont know about more prone to diving solo from a bout than from the shore. The risks, yeah theire different. Being swiped out to sea, atleast on many sites and pretty much all the sites I solo dive myself is not an issue. Upside with solo diving off a dive boat would be that despite being "solo" you do have the option of staying near the other divers which effectively makes is "less-than-solo" diving with regards to being able to recieve assistance. That is of course only 2 of several possible differences..

Where Ive been diving from dive ops boats though (I always travel alone) Ive been buddied up with other people travelling alone or with another pair of divers.

 

[Mr.X]

It's really a state of mind. Honestly, most of the serious NE wreck divers go it alone unless you are on a mission, or you have a wreck diving buddy you know well and can gas match with you.

In S. California more folks were prone to trying to stick me with some partner who often 'pooched' the dive for me. Hated it. At the end of the day if you are cognizant of what you are doing, trained well in addressing emergencies and have redundant systems - dive solo if you can't buddy up with your usual partner.

X

 

[veriqster]

if you don't know your dive buddy i'd say dive solo, no point of doubling the changes of sh.. hitting the fan for one reason or another, that's if you are responsible, take care of your gear and on't look for trouble on regular basis, otherwise buddy with anybody available, 2 tanks, regulators and BCs are better than 1, 4 hands and fins are better than 2.

i personally tend to get annoyed with most of the people that do not dive really often or for a living; hauling an overweight ass to the shore in 3ft waves was a experience i do want to repeat or relive in the form of trying to get them to / on the boat.

p.s. if you choose solo make sure that everything possible is redundant ( 70cf doubles instead of 120cf, 2 regulators, ....)

 

[knowone]

Same gear for both?
Do you like walking over cliffs and rocks and sand and piers?
Do you like people and boats and boating and trips?
Can you find the boat or the exit?
Do you enjoy fins on or off climbing the ladder or exit?
Does the boat come and collect you or can you get to land?
Is it a calm comfortable day?
Will the boat hit you in the body or will you be smashed against land under water?
Can you read water even though it can't be read?
Do you own a compas?
Do you like ladders or can you use the ocean to facilitate one for you?
If you see someone drawing an underwater geographical map, can you if you have dived the site, chime in and say, Nah mate it goes that way, or great spot?
Do you feel unencumbered diving?
How do you feel today?
How did you feel a long long time ago?
How do you feel about these couple of times?
Do you feel unencumbered diving alone?
Do you go to where the water is, which ever way is available.?
Is the difference in the dive or the diving?
?

 

[vladimir]

The biggest difference, it seems to me, is that if you don't surface near the boat for whatever reason, the boat is well positioned to retrieve you, especially if you keep yourself visible with your surface marker buoy. In a sense, the captain becomes a team member. If you are diving from shore, even if you have taken the prudent precaution of "filing" a dive plan with somebody, by the time you were judged to be missing and a search mounted, you might be pretty hard to locate.

 

[AfterDark]

The biggest difference, it seems to me, is that if you don't surface near the boat for whatever reason, the boat is well positioned to retrieve you, especially if you keep yourself visible with your surface marker buoy. In a sense, the captain becomes a team member. If you are diving from shore, even if you have taken the prudent precaution of "filing" a dive plan with somebody, by the time you were judged to be missing and a search mounted, you might be pretty hard to locate.

I put my cell phone in a camera housing I no longer use for a camera. As long as stay above 200' my cell is safe. I've haven't tried to deploy it. I'll just take the chance I'll be able to use it without getting it so wet it wouldn't work if and when I ever need it.
If I can call for help and keep it dry long enough they maybe able to locate me with it.
At least the Coast Guard will know I'm in trouble. I attach it to the spool for my flag float it keeps the spool bouyed over my left shoulder and out of my way until I need it.

 

[ScubaSarus]

If you end up diving solo, start simplifying things. Keep a safer profile, go slow, take compass readings, lighten up on un-needed gear, stay near the anchor line and make contact with it regularly, let people know your planned surface time. Have a bright light no matter how good the vis is because you can make distress or OK signals with it. Use the rule of thirds.

Solo diving can be fun and safe but just maintain a comfort zone and keep the dive simple. Staying near that anchor line is a key as if some medical condition hits you, you can at least be in contact with other divers as they return or make sight of the line themselves regularly. If you go off into the depths, then you are more on your own.

 

[dkktsunami]

One big difference. On a shore dive if you screw up navigation, the beach is always going to be there. If you're 20 miles offshore it could be a different story. Much better to be lost on land than lost at sea.

 

[veriqster]

One big difference. On a shore dive if you screw up navigation, the beach is always going to be there. If you're 20 miles offshore it could be a different story. Much better to be lost on land than lost at sea.

i'll throw you a scenario that will turn this upside down.
if you are SOO GOOD that you screw up your navigation you probably screwed the weather forecast as well. now you're next to Cat Rocks with 3-4ft breakers pounding all around, one would be better off floating in blue water.

safety is mostly a factor of your decisions and actions and not the place you are in.

on another note, put that cellphone in a zip bag and than in the housing, this way it will stay dry on the surface when you need it. if you're that concerned, a light/smoke boating "stick" will fit in piece of PVC pipe available at any hardware store, they also sell threaded caps for the pipe. also, a mirror is a better signaling device than a light (as long as there's light outside) and a good whistle does miracles at attracting attention.

solo decreases your margin of error (as well as the annoyance of diving with a poor buddy), nothing more.