New Solo Diving textbook wish list...

[eponym]

Two more items popped into my head today (my, weren't the crickets astonished).

One: The curriculum for a solo diver might include discussion of possible responses when coming across another diver in trouble, whether buddied, in a DM's group, or solo. I'm thinking of the "good samaritan" laws you learn about in CPR/AED classes and during Rescue Diver training . . . and whether there's some similar subject matter for solo divers. In buddied diving it seems to me there's an explicit agreement and ensuing obligation to help each other; not so when solo.

Two: I haven't soloed in popular or crowded spots. Do some solo divers often need to communicate with other divers? ("where's your buddy" "don't have one" "say again?") Do they need more communication skills than a diver who always buddies up with one of a few close friends?

Fin on,
Bryan

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

(Of course I'm not saying that you are trying to do that 3dent... you said nice things about me. )

No offense taken, I'm still on the fence on this one. However, I can respect your knowledge base and appreciate your sense of humor w/o necessarily agreeing with you.

 

[Scuba]

Two: I haven't soloed in popular or crowded spots. Do some solo divers often need to communicate with other divers? ("where's your buddy" "don't have one" "say again?") Do they need more communication skills than a diver who always buddies up with one of a few close friends?

Communication is a two way street. Although it helps to have an extensive "vocabulary", of hand signals in this case, if the other diver does not understand it, it's useless in that case. One can alway use an underwater note pad. Knowing the standard set of hand signals is probably sufficient here.

Once, I ran across another diver while solo. I assume he was solo as well, since I din't see a buddy, he gave me the ok hand sign which I returned, end of story.

Another time while diving solo in an area commonly used by instructors for classes, I noticed a couple of seperate incidents where divers kept on eye on me for a few seconds after spotting me. Maybe they wanted to make sure that I was not a lost or confused student, that everything was alright.

I don't think this is a major issue where someone is going to interfere with you underwater. Then again, you never know. And at least in this country most will understand the message conveyed by the signal of last resort, the one finger salute. Joking.