Question Marine life risks while solo diving

[Russjstewart]

Hello!

I'm an SDI Solo Diver in NSW, Australia. Typically, my solo diving is at night, shore dive, max depth 7m, about 120min. As of recent, I'm starting to get concerned (maybe even slightly paranoid) about my increased risk of severe harm or death due to marine life (bites or stings) when diving alone. The notable large and/or venomous marine life in my area are wobbegong sharks, short-tail stingrays (aka smooth stingrays), grey nurse sharks, bull sharks (during summer and autumn), and blue-lined octopuses. In particular, wobbegong sharks and short-tail stingrays have surprised me with their presence several times underwater, and it's making me uncomfortable. My questions:

1. Are the risks of severe harm or death due to marine life increased when diving alone, compared to diving with a buddy?
   1. I already confirmed that for buddy diving, death due to marine life is negligible compared to the common causes.
2. If it is increased, is the risk significant compared to all the other causes of severe harm or death when solo diving?

Basically, do I have reason to be concerned, especially in comparison to all the other causes of incidents? I've tried googling, but I can't find any definitive information. Citations / reference links in your answer would be greatly appreciated!!! Please and thank you for your help!!

Blue ringed octopi not blue lined. Wear gloves and be careful of picking up bottles, cans, pipes, anything tubular and sticking your hand into crevices. I have never seen one on a dive

 

[Russjstewart]

When I drove cabs, people would ask if anyone has robbed me, or jumped out without paying
and I would sit my 6'4" large frame upright, inflate my chest, and turn around to stare at them

If some hear about my lifetime of diving exploits then it's, "But aren't you frightened of sharks!"

It is funny when I go around to my hairdresser, I'm introduced as, "Happy he dives with sharks!"

View attachment 866553

A look at the injuries I've sustained, I think the thing I should have bought, was a bubble house
Instead I looked at my personalities and got rid of the ones that couldn't control their thoughts

I've got a great OP Shop find. Marine Animal Injuries to Man or something
Solved the issue of a 6 months of festering urchin spine, in my finger joint

I dive like this in Queensland, maybe it's a buoyancy thing

View attachment 866554

Yeah night dives, or dusk dives without switching on my torch, also SOLO

No matter, almost every dive I would come up bleeding from somewhere


Come down my way, bottom of SA where the great whites live and grab my shark shield that I've never used


"Moops, it's Moors, look the "R" is smudged!"

+1 on the book, you did well.

 

[happy-diver]

Man I think I have two or three copies, it's wealth of old explanations and remedies is amazing
Stuff you just won't find in current stuff they just don't cover it for some reason, out of fashion

+1

Cruise under Portsea, Blairgowrie or Rye piers, when you get close they iridesce magnificently!
Cruising off Blairgowrie, or whitecliffs for scallops they're there middle of nowhere in the sand
And the spider crabs, yuck, plucking scallops out of the middle of the marauding hordes, yuck

Last night dive I did in Brisbane, at Flinders, there was a Tiger cruising quietly skirting the light

A most magnificent creatures creature!
Mostly when not attached to my body!

 

[happy-diver]

My take away from this is that you have a hairdresser and she/he is responsible for that!

(Shhh, I quite like it, maybe I will show that picture to my hairdresser and see if she can do something similar for me ).

I'm so pleased that you are able to admire a most magnificent capture, that I'll give it to you again

No need to thank me, what was that, I can't understand you, I can only hear a sphincter vibrating

Enjoy the light when you find it bud

 

[34109411]

Hello!

I'm an SDI Solo Diver in NSW, Australia. Typically, my solo diving is at night, shore dive, max depth 7m, about 120min. As of recent, I'm starting to get concerned (maybe even slightly paranoid) about my increased risk of severe harm or death due to marine life (bites or stings) when diving alone. The notable large and/or venomous marine life in my area are wobbegong sharks, short-tail stingrays (aka smooth stingrays), grey nurse sharks, bull sharks (during summer and autumn), and blue-lined octopuses. In particular, wobbegong sharks and short-tail stingrays have surprised me with their presence several times underwater, and it's making me uncomfortable. My questions:

1. Are the risks of severe harm or death due to marine life increased when diving alone, compared to diving with a buddy?
   1. I already confirmed that for buddy diving, death due to marine life is negligible compared to the common causes.
2. If it is increased, is the risk significant compared to all the other causes of severe harm or death when solo diving?

Basically, do I have reason to be concerned, especially in comparison to all the other causes of incidents? I've tried googling, but I can't find any definitive information. Citations / reference links in your answer would be greatly appreciated!!! Please and thank you for your help!!

solo or not you are exposed to marine life for sure when diving solo you don't have someone to assist you in case something happen. Otherwise risk is the same not higher or lower

 

[gmerick]

Only "bad" encounter with marine life: I surfaced from a night dive right through a "herd" of jelly fish; they were attracted by the mast light. It was tough climbing the ladder. I had dangly bits of jelly fish hanging all over the place. I warned the boat crew off when they saw I was having difficulty. That's my only involvement with marine life that caused me concern. I had been solo, but was glad the crew was there if I needed more help.

 

[swimmingpooldivein]

I discovered the answer to my question!! I found a research report that reviewed all shark-human interactions worldwide (both injuries and fatalities), and it found that the probability of being attacked is astronomically low. The report covers all types of scuba diving as well as snorkeling, surfing etc. It doesn't just cover solo night diving. However, since solo night diving is a subset of all types of scuba diving, even if we assumed that all of those shark-human interactions occurred during solo night diving, that would still make the probability of being attacked during solo night diving astronomically low.

 

[Diver-Drex]

If you are faster than your buddy, half the risk.
If you are slower, it’s double the risk.

 

[TMHeimer]

About the only thing that could get me here in Nova Scotia is sharks. I suppose if with a buddy my chances double for survival. Don't care what they say about more people killed by falling coconuts-- Haven't seen a shark in 1K dives and hope to never see one except in an aquarium.​

 

[MB NZ]

I spent many years travelling around the world with the specific purpose of seeing sharks. Now settled in NZ where visibility isn't the greatest and great whites in residence, I'd rather not see them. Any fisherman will tell you that there are a huge numbers of sharks in our waters, but I've only seen a few over hundreds of dives. They are there, you just don't know it.