I've been set free!!! Solo

[Pressurehead]

Just don't tell many people, only those that need to know.
Mention it and you will be bombarded with questions , why, how etc.
Solo is keeping things to your self.
Me, myself and I.

 

[drrich2]

...and here we go again.

Actually, surprised it was almost 2 hours for the warnings to come in. I read "60 dives" and I knew it was coming.

I thought it might, too. There's no specific dive count that universally renders every diver solo ready. This diver might be fine right now. Someone else might not at 150 dives. The dive agencies had to pick some number they thought was enough, and '100' seems to be that number.

That said, it's worth being aware one is pursuing solo at a dive count/presumed experience level considerably less than what the agencies recommend.

What you do with that is up to you. I'm not saying 'Yer gonna die!'

It is worth reading the SDI Solo Diver manual. I'm not saying that's a replacement for taking the course, but at least it confronts a diver with key issues that solo involves.

 

[Robert H. Diver]

I was actually encouraged in a resort in Bonaire by the the diveshop/school to go solo in front of the resort and do some work in the coral nursery. I have to mention they know me, did my OW and AOW and > 40 boatdives with them as a “solo” diver in the group led by the DM, so just keeping an eye on the group and only regularly communicating with the DM with the normal handsignals like being Oke, half tank etc.

Real solodive in the the nursery was around 30 feet max, no pony. I do check, double check my gear to a higher standard, have a knive, return having at least 50 bar when exiting the water, being conservative in my actions and safety limits.

I did informed the dive shop upfront of my plans and timing, got my bottle and off I went. I am a confident diver, precise and have my own gear, and in total done around 60 dives sofar.

Ron

At least bring a pony….I HATE when people say “well I can do an emergency ascent from (whatever depth).” Cool, that’s stupid, carry a pony and switch to it if you need it, then call the dive.

 

[RobPNW]

At least bring a pony….I HATE when people say “well I can do an emergency ascent from (whatever depth).” Cool, that’s stupid, carry a pony and switch to it if you need it, then call the dive.

So you're saying I need yet another regulator...

 

[Robert H. Diver]

So you're saying I need yet another regulator...

Yea man just put it on your credit card and worry about that later

 

[Cthippo]

So you're saying I need yet another regulator...

Cheapest reg set on Amazon is $130 and it breathes great.

Every dive I have done since getting certified save two have been solo.

Is it more dangerous?

Probably.

Is it within my risk profile?

Absolutely.

Do what feels good to you and enjoy!

 

[Dark Wolf]

Cheapest reg set on Amazon is $130 and it breathes great.

Every dive I have done since getting certified save two have been solo.

Is it more dangerous?

Probably.

Is it within my risk profile?

Absolutely.

Do what feels good to you and enjoy!

Is that one of the Palantic regs?

DW

 

[Cthippo]

Is that one of the Palantic regs?

DW

Yes. I bought one when my SEACs weren't back from being serviced after 2 months and I needed a reg to get started. Now it's 4 months, my regs still aren't back and I am about to buy a second Palantic for my pony so I can start using that.

 

[Dark Wolf]

Yes. I bought one when my SEACs weren't back from being serviced after 2 months and I needed a reg to get started. Now it's 4 months, my regs still aren't back and I am about to buy a second Palantic for my pony so I can start using that.

I picked up a couple of sets, as well. I have been happy with mine, so far. Not sure if the deal is still active, but saw a sale recently that had them for a hair over $100.

DW

ETA-Just checked, and it appears that sale has ended.

 

[Beau Holden]

Been solo diving for years and I love it. However, from experience there are places and times to just not do it in my opinion. It's not that I am afraid to to die, because I am not. I just don't want to put someone else in a position to have come find my dead or lost a$$ or have someone have to tell my wife and her to have to go through the grief of my being stupid.

I will not solo in a cave. I will not solo at night in places that have a current like cozumel, in a thunderstorm. This taught me an important lesson. I took a group down there around 2008 or so and decided I wanted to do a shore night dive from the Casa del Mar beach. I could see lighting off the the northwest it was a long way off, as I could not hear any thunder. Was a good dive, until... The lighting got more frequent and I decided I need to check things out. When I surfaced, it was raining very hard, very windy and the waves had become pretty bad. At that time in my diving it was the worst conditions I had been in. So I took a compass heading to a point I thought was the roof on the Casa del Mar, dropped down and stated heading back. All was good until I came on some pilings to should not have been there. Now is when the demon in my head started having a discussion. Where was I? What am I going to tangled up in? How am I going to get out? Where is that damn cruise ship? At this time I could not see any landmarks because of the sea wall, its around 10:00pm and no one knows I am here. I told that demon to shut up and lets get this figured out. Well the current had not been that bad, when I started the dive but I figured I had been blown to north. What I forgot was there were no other piers just to the north of Casa del Mar. I finally found a ladder and a way out and I was to the south of where I thought I was. I had taken a bearing on a roof the looked like Casa del Mar a good distance off shore in a thunderstorm.

Should have seen face of the security guard when I came walking down the pier and under the lean to. Anyway, solo diving is great and I do enjoy it today. Do it Right and you will "learn and live and live to learn."