Justifying solo diving to others

[VooDooGasMan]

dale, I have seen alot of you dive kits, but the one you have at keystone jetty looks like strapping with the wholes in it, do you leave it attached or have some sort of release, Yes I know this is solo, not vintage, It's been bugging me since I seen it the other day.

Oh and I told the guy on the ferryboat that is a diver, I am going to dive, have no time to make plans with someone, once in awhile I do, but very seldom. I can do way more diving solo than meeting up with others.

Happy Diving

 

[DaleC]

Sorry Voodoo, just saw this post,
That is galvanized strapping that I used to make a template for SS bands but wound up diving "as is" anyways. They do stay permanently attached to the tank.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

I thought it was a good way to travel with, plus you can adapt any size tank from being hand bendable and slotted.

Yea, you would need an exact template for sure.

Again another distraction of not noticing ya solo diving.



Happy Diving

 

[jimthediver]

I have been diving for going on fourty years. Almost immediately I started Great Lakes wreck diving. First on shallow, open wrecks and with experience deeper wrecks with penetration thoughout. By my second season I had attracted the attention of some of the experienced wreck divers operating out of the shop we frequented. They had sized me up as competent and when I had gotten some experience they invited me to join them on a boat owned by one of the group. They were not shy about telling me about the additions and upgrades to my equipment I needed if I was going to do the more challenging diving. Right off the bat I noticed most of these guys preferred to dive alone but they had no problem buddying up with me if I wanted to do so. I was never encouraged to dive alone. They always stressed that it was a personal decision that needed to be based on my experience, confidence and willingness to take total responsibility for myself. It wasn't long before I was diving solo also. Years later the diving was off my boat but we applied the same principles to the guys we invited to dive with us. Some came to prefer diving alone and some were more comfortable with a buddy so that's the way they dove.
I have never felt the need to justify it to anyone and I have never felt the need to be rude to anyone who asked/challenged me on the wisdom of the practice. I tell them it works for me and I am willing to discuss the reasons I do it with the pros and cons if they are interested, some are, and some aren't. I would never presume to try and tell someone its something they should try. However, I wouldn't hesitate to point out to someone who is looking for someone to validate that its okay for them to do it, that if you need to ask, you probably shouldn't be doing it.
I was fortunate enough to find and marry a woman who is as nuts about diving as I am. She is supremely competent and confident in the water. We have been buddies for 24 years. I do video and she does photography so we are are both well aware of the fact that we are in effect diving solo when we go down (drives some DMs nuts, at least at first, but they get used to it). Besides, she's always down there 15-20 minutes alone or with others after I go up because she just doesn't use any air. Most of the diving we do these days is on liveaboards with other experienced divers and the way we dive is pretty much the norm. Most good DMs are accomodating once they have sized up your competence which many times happens before we even hit the water.

Live to dive, dive to live!

 

[farsidefan1]

If you are worried about what others think perhaps solo diving isn't for you. Kind of an oxymoron of attitude. That being said first get proper training and redundant equipment (Is that enough of a disclaimer to avoid a lawsuit if OP drowns?).

 

[Brendon]

Does it ever get old/annoying? I have mentioned it to people before, and mentioned that its something i might be interested in down the road, and so far EVERYONE ive mentioned it to has just flipped out. So im not even a solo diver (yet) and its already getting old. I havent had one person say to me "well you know, it does have its benefits", or "i can see why youd wanna do that". No. Its just a bunch of people freaking out. So what do you guys do when someone freaks out over the fact that you solo dive? Or is it just more accepted wherever you guys are? I dont live in a big dive community, so that might play a part... Idk.

Most people are already solo divers... They just dont know it. You are responsible for, you. Unless you have been trained in rescue, you will most likely fined yourself in grave danger when your partner freaks out when they run out of air and you try to help... I have seen divers from all over and all levels panic... Grab there buddies octo and skyrocket to the surface with the other diver in tow.... Unless out of air emergencies are practiced between buddies bad things can and will happen. Many dive buddies dont practice anything... When they loose each other on a dive they just continue to dive... Im not saying everyone just a profound amount of people do this. Stay within your self rescue limits and training. Take a course with a instructor then go have some fun! I would rather dive by myself then get paired up with a new student while im on vacation.

 

[diver_doug]

They may be flipping out because you're not ready. When I first started soloing I had only a few dives under my belt and everyone I talked to about soloing (whether they be divers or non-divers) had something to say. Even total strangers would make comments about how what I was doing was dangerous. However, once I had more experience (logged 50-60 solo dives) the concern diminished and people stopped with their comments. It seemed like, in the beginning, people "picked up on" the fact that I really shouldn't be soloing and thus rightfully gave me sh#t. But then once I had amassed some experience people "picked up on" the fact that I was safe and pretty much knew what I was doing and thus didn't feel the need to lecture me about safety. So you may be hearing exactly what you need to hear because you may very well not be ready to solo dive.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

Jimthediver, must be how it is in the Great Lakes Wreck Divnig, that is a great way to sum up how I was treated from divers, and how I treat them to this day. Its, really different today On how solo, and any diving is approached, learning safety was a lot more meaningful, than it is now, Its a class, and after class its not an Issue anymore. where back in time it was always a quick talk about on different safety Items. Live to dive, dive to live.





Happy Diving

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Most people are already solo divers... They just dont know it. You are responsible for, you. Unless you have been trained in rescue, you will most likely fined yourself in grave danger when your partner freaks out when they run out of air and you try to help... I have seen divers from all over and all levels panic... Grab there buddies octo and skyrocket to the surface with the other diver in tow.... Unless out of air emergencies are practiced between buddies bad things can and will happen. Many dive buddies dont practice anything... When they loose each other on a dive they just continue to dive... Im not saying everyone just a profound amount of people do this. Stay within your self rescue limits and training. Take a course with a instructor then go have some fun! I would rather dive by myself then get paired up with a new student while im on vacation.

People who dive with the expectation that their buddy will run out of air, freak out, or lose each other are indeed solo diving ... because that's exactly what they've mentally conditioned themselves for.

If you want to assume that you're always solo diving, because you can't trust your buddy to act responsibly, that's your choice. I think, however, that the choice you've really made is to not put effort into selecting your dive buddies carefully enough.

I choose to dive with people who understand and apply principles of common sense and who assume that a dive buddy has certain responsibilities. That does, of course, preclude diving with unknown people ... at least on dives with reasonably aggressive profiles. When I dive with someone unknown to me, we plan the dive conservatively enough that I could, if needed, self-rescue. I simply won't jump on a boat and go do an aggressive dive with someone I've never dived with before. And I avoid "herd" diving altogether.

When I solo dive, I do so because I want to. When I buddy dive, I make the effort to choose dive buddies who are not going to run out of air, freak out, or go haring off without paying attention to me. I don't think poor buddy skills ... on either diver's part ... is a legitimate reason to solo dive. Because if you're not putting the effort into choosing good dive buddies, what does that say about your willingness to put the proper effort and mentality into diving alone?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Brendon]

People who dive with the expectation that their buddy will run out of air, freak out, or lose each other are indeed solo diving ... because that's exactly what they've mentally conditioned themselves for.

If you want to assume that you're always solo diving, because you can't trust your buddy to act responsibly, that's your choice. I think, however, that the choice you've really made is to not put effort into selecting your dive buddies carefully enough.

I choose to dive with people who understand and apply principles of common sense and who assume that a dive buddy has certain responsibilities. That does, of course, preclude diving with unknown people ... at least on dives with reasonably aggressive profiles. When I dive with someone unknown to me, we plan the dive conservatively enough that I could, if needed, self-rescue. I simply won't jump on a boat and go do an aggressive dive with someone I've never dived with before. And I avoid "herd" diving altogether.

When I solo dive, I do so because I want to. When I buddy dive, I make the effort to choose dive buddies who are not going to run out of air, freak out, or go haring off without paying attention to me. I don't think poor buddy skills ... on either diver's part ... is a legitimate reason to solo dive. Because if you're not putting the effort into choosing good dive buddies, what does that say about your willingness to put the proper effort and mentality into diving alone?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Bob with all the you, your & you've in your statement I believe it to be safe to assume (please correct me if im wrong) that you're directing that at me.

If that is the case, then you are correct. please note that those are my observations when diving for fun and not working in the water... An over whelming amount of inadequately trained divers do fit that statement here in south florida, I wont go as far as to include the locals in that statement but definitly in the tourist realm. So when I choose to go dive by myself on a boat going to my desired location this is exactly what I run into. If I choose to dive with a buddy he would be one that does not fit that category... Sometimes because of my standing it has been asked of me to dive with another on a boat, if im on vacation or my own personal time my answer is always no. So when I dive for fun 75% of the time I am solo. One thing I will say about Puget Sound Divers as a group is they are profoundly exceptional given the averages across the board... They are more globally aware of their surroundings for one. Anyone who dives in those types conditions for any length of time will be.