My first solo

[nereas]

I respectfully totally disagree with this.

Solo, for many is not a fall back position, but an experience all it's own, with inherent risks and rewards. I'm in the camp that believes if your are diving with a weaker buddy, you probably have more risk than solo.. By the same token, when I am with a stronger partner, I am probably safer because the risk of dealing with a problem outside myself is less than with the weak link, yet I do have additional options in an emergency such as OOA, without the risk burden of a weaker diver.

Also, another assumption that is so often overlooked here on SB, especially with the DIR debates is not everyone buys the assumption that
a SAFER=Better Dive.

I find this viewpoint to be fascinating. Thanks, Catherine.

For me, solo is definitely a fall-back position, as you have gathered.

So I will in turn respectfully disagree with your eloquently put, fascinating view.

 

[Tigerman]

I definetly like being all alone, in my own little enclosed world.. thats actually rather big

 

[nereas]

That isn't anything other than preference and opinion.

I dive solo because I am one of the few people that I know that is will to spend 70 minutes at depth taking pictures. It's an extremely difficult to hang out in 50 degree water with someone that barely moves 15' a cross the bottom in 20 minutes. Then there is the 30-50 minutes deco hangs. For me taking pictures is a perfectly good reason to solo dive. I feel bad for freezing my friends to death!

Photographers and spearfishers are well known for solo. This falls more into the specialist category. The reason for diving solo is for them due to the special considerations of the objectives of the dive.

 

[BIGSAGE136]

If you are going to dive solo:

First and foremost be able to reach your valves.

2nd and equally important...configure your tanks with an H-Valve....http://www.scubatoys.com/store/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=RtHValve

This gives you a redundant 1st and 2nd stage.

 

[fire_diver]

I find this viewpoint to be fascinating. Thanks, Catherine.

For me, solo is definitely a fall-back position, as you have gathered.

So I will in turn respectfully disagree with your eloquently put, fascinating view.

I'm not trying to provoke a fight here, but I think you are not understanding what has been CLEARLY stated. We don't care what your opinion on solo diving is. This (the SOLO FORUM) is NOT for discussion of IF we should solo. It's not giving opinions on when it OK TO SOLO.

This forum, the one your are in RIGHT NOW, is for the discussion of enjoyment, safety and planning of solo dives. Please take your "solo diving is dangerous" opinions back to the general scuba forum.

 

[ffestpirate]

I'm not try to provoke a fight here, but I think are not understanding what has been CLEARLY stated. We don't care what your opinion on solo diving is. This (the SOLO FORUM) is NOT for discussion of IF we should solo. It's not giving opinions on when it OK TO SOLO.

This forum, the one your are in RIGHT NOW, is for the discussion of enjoyment, safety and planning of solo dives. Please take your "solo diving is dangerous" opinions back to the general scuba forum.

Excellent thoughts.
I enjoy solo diving. I also enjoy buddies, but even when I am with a buddy, I'm solo diving. I rely on myself. If I get into trouble and my buddy doesn't know what to do, I'm as screwed as diving alone. If I get into it, I know how to get out of it

 

[ROCKY_ONE]

I dive solo every now and then. I'm a diver on the county rescue team also. I am the only one on the team that rigs tech and dives doubles. When we are doing lake training dives, I carry an AL 40 w/air just in case someone on the team needs help. Most of them cant believe I do the doubles but you know the saying "you dive like you train". I dont do the console thing or the full face mask due to redundancy even though they always hit me up to use one. In the rescue scenario I try to explain to them about the entanglement issues with underwater branches, etc. Most of the time viz is 0 so the snowball effect can really rush up and grab you. If you're going to do the solo route, redundancy, redundancy, and redundancy. You're on your own.

 

[almitywife]

hi all... just back from a magic dive.

50ft vis, warm water, playing with a new bpw so got to drop another 3lbs, practised with finning & trim and so much fishlife even i was going wow

and to think..... if not for diving it solo i would have missed out due to lack of buddy

in fact it was 2 dives.... got in early and cruised around for 30mins, returned to catch up with hubby and students as they were entering water (i explained to students earlier i was testing out new configeration blah blah blah so they didnt freak at the solo aspect) and then i was off again for 40mins and i still came out with 100bar of air (1450psi)

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Hanging around the perimeter of an O/W class is a lot like being in the class. I am sure the instructor was aware of you at all times, if not a little nervous when he/she could not spot you right away. You thought you were solo, but there were a dozen air donors available if you needed it.

On a solo dive, there are no donors.

Van Maier wrote a book on solo diving, which you should get a hold of and read carefully, Art. It will give you rules and procedures to follow on a real solo dive.

Von Maier's book is one that I wish I had not spent the money on. It is outdated, unrealistic, and full of more anecdotal stuff than actual techniques. It seems like he got stuck and then said hey, I'll just have a bunch of people write stories and put em in the book. Forget about proper gas management, actual technical solutions, and gear tips. I'll even say a Spare air is ok. Don't waste money on it. Find someone who has a copy, take an hour to read the actual solo tips part, skip the stories, and come back to this forum for questions. And as for his "rules and procedures", after a few dives you'll develop your own to fit your style, comfort level and environment. And there are plenty of good reasons to dive without a buddy.

 

[ArcticDiver]

Turning back to a Solo Forum subject; the "How" of solo diving:

Since it is solo diving each person has to do their own risk analysis and develop practices and techniques that they are comfortable with. Primarily these are mental, not equipment.

For me it is the realization that we spend a whole lot of our lives in solo situations and the recognition that scuba isn't either unique in that regard, or even the most dangerous.

Example: Recently I had occasion to spend a few days at home while my SO was out of town. No schedule, no obligations, just veg time. Not one phone call in or out of the house. Definitely extended solo. If I had fallen down the stairs, or any number of other possible catastrophies I would have lain there until she got home several days later. But, I was mentally comfortable.

Another example: Millions of us commute on the highway daily. We don't think twice about it even though as has been pointed out many times it is probably the most dangerous thing any of us do in our daily lives.

So, to me, the most important part of the "How" of solo diving is developing a good, fact based, mental attitude. That will translate into equipment and dive site selection.