gr8jab
Contributor
OK. I'm wearing my asbestos wet suit... and this is supposed to be a no-troll zone. But...
I've been set free!! I LOVE solo diving. LOVE IT!
Mind you, I'm keeping things in perspective, and doing this in a careful, introspective, and well considered manner.
I just spent a week at Coco View resort in Roatan. This is, arguably, one of the easiest places to solo dive. Navigation is shockingly simple. Entry/exit is very easy. Staff and DMs are supportive. It is awesome.
First, let me say I LOVE having a pony bottle. I'm not trying to get a big argument started. I've never run out of air, and I pay close attention to my gas management. However, the pony bottle just feels... safer. I dive as if I don't have it, and try not to change my behavior in any way.
Here is how I solo'd:
1. Guided boat dives, no insta-buddy. Yes, I stayed with the group. Yes, I wasn't really solo. But, I didn't have to worry about keeping track of a buddy. I didn't have to guess about their skill level or strange behaviors. I didn't fret about lingering over a photo too long. In fact, I was often the odd-man-out anyway. I just kept the group in sight and enjoyed the dives.
2. Drop-off dives (no guide), no buddy needed. At Coco View, there are two walls and a wreck. They drop divers for the second tank, and navigating back to the beach is super simple. I go in and take my time, sometimes going along with the group, but able explore at the depths and speeds I want.
3. Shore dives. I am no longer running around searching for someone to go diving with me. As with the drop-off dives, navigation is simple, depths are shallow, and there is a lot to see close to the resort.
In the future, I will use the pony bottle when I can. I may dive solo again, if the conditions and situation warrant it.
I've been set free!! I LOVE solo diving. LOVE IT!
Mind you, I'm keeping things in perspective, and doing this in a careful, introspective, and well considered manner.
I just spent a week at Coco View resort in Roatan. This is, arguably, one of the easiest places to solo dive. Navigation is shockingly simple. Entry/exit is very easy. Staff and DMs are supportive. It is awesome.
First, let me say I LOVE having a pony bottle. I'm not trying to get a big argument started. I've never run out of air, and I pay close attention to my gas management. However, the pony bottle just feels... safer. I dive as if I don't have it, and try not to change my behavior in any way.
Here is how I solo'd:
1. Guided boat dives, no insta-buddy. Yes, I stayed with the group. Yes, I wasn't really solo. But, I didn't have to worry about keeping track of a buddy. I didn't have to guess about their skill level or strange behaviors. I didn't fret about lingering over a photo too long. In fact, I was often the odd-man-out anyway. I just kept the group in sight and enjoyed the dives.
2. Drop-off dives (no guide), no buddy needed. At Coco View, there are two walls and a wreck. They drop divers for the second tank, and navigating back to the beach is super simple. I go in and take my time, sometimes going along with the group, but able explore at the depths and speeds I want.
3. Shore dives. I am no longer running around searching for someone to go diving with me. As with the drop-off dives, navigation is simple, depths are shallow, and there is a lot to see close to the resort.
In the future, I will use the pony bottle when I can. I may dive solo again, if the conditions and situation warrant it.