Places to be left alone while diving warm water?

[PR_SMITH]

Only one catch with Bonaire. I’m not sure anyone will rent you a pony without a Solo/Self Reliant cert. @scubadada may be able to address that better.

Erik

Time to sidemount. Grab any two tanks and go

 

[Doc Harry]

Where are the best places to go for warm water diving where you can just rent gear and go solo dive off the shore without a guide or a boat? Bonus if they are also good for snorkeling.

In West Virginia, the best place is a lake heated by a coal power plant. I've soloed there a lot. It can be -5 deg F and 2 feet of snow on the ground, but the lake is a tropical 50 degrees F.

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[bmorescuba]

It's possible, especially from WA, to get to Hawaii Island (The Big Island) without completely breaking the bank. Warm water - Kona is 80°F right now. There are tons of shore dives sites, no one cares about solo. Total cost can be an issue, but it might be worth a look.

 

[MrChen]

I do have SDI Solo since 2013. I do not dive with a pony in Bonaire, I'm bad.

Hour and a half on Bari Reef
View attachment 813171

With the shallow beach entries and gradual depth change, I never felt the need for a pony in Bonaire. If there's an issue at the start of the dive, I just stand up and resolve it.

 

[MrChen]

The water temp is dropping in Florida. A couple of months ago, it was mid 80's. The last month was around 80. Now it's dropping below 80. If you're ok with the approaching mid 70 temps, then SE FL still qualifies as warm. Here in FL, we are wimps, and it's not uncommon to see divers in 5 to 7mm wetsuits when the water temp is mid to low 70's. I've even seen the occasional dry suit.

 

[kinoons]

I agree - for high 70s I still usually wear a full 3mm suit. Get to low 70s and even that wouldn’t be enough for me.

 

[tursiops]

In West Virginia, the best place is a lake heated by a coal power plant. I've soloed there a lot. It can be -5 deg F and 2 feet of snow on the ground, but the lake is a tropical 50 degrees F.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

Mt Storm lake is only open for diving from a boat. The Dominion Energy website says:

• Scuba diving is allowed. Divers must access the scuba diving area via a launched pontoon or other suitable boat, away from the boat launch area. Diving directly from the shore is not permitted.

 

[scubadada]

The water temp is dropping in Florida. A couple of months ago, it was mid 80's. The last month was around 80. Now it's dropping below 80. If you're ok with the approaching mid 70 temps, then SE FL still qualifies as warm. Here in FL, we are wimps, and it's not uncommon to see divers in 5 to 7mm wetsuits when the water temp is mid to low 70's. I've even seen the occasional dry suit.

The older I am, the less tolerant of being cold I have become. My gas consumption goes up and I am uncomfortable.

I have dived SE Florida year-round for 15 years. I have a 3, 5, and 7 mm full suit and a 5/3 mm hooded vest and wear them all each year. I wear the 3 mm down to mid-high 70s, the 5 mm to the low 70s, and then the 7 mm.

A wimp, maybe. However, with my chosen wetsuit and my nice boat coat, I am often the only warm diver on the boat

 

[Boarderguy]

A wimp, maybe. However, with my chosen wetsuit and my nice boat coat, I am often the only warm diver on the boat

Sounds like it's time to go dry and be truly comfortable. Anything needing a 5+ is dry imo.

Wimp, no. Better at understanding how water zaps the heat from you, yes.

 

[gordonscuba]

I've done a decent amount of what the OP describes in Hawaii. Plenty of beaches where you can just go in and explore. Water is warm year-round. I love solo beach diving from Shark's cove, Hanauma bay, Electric beach, Makaha etc.

There is no logical argument for going to 115 ft solo with only a single air source. That's a sign that the person may not have the right risk-management mindset for diving.