Practicing Solo Diving

[Wannabedivebum]

I usually troll around blowing bubbles. But in all seriousness, I pay close attention to my stress levels, and my surroundings. I dont really practice anything except having a good time and staying relaxed. If i find myself getting uncomfortable , from either cold or anxious from bad visibility, depth, unknown surroundings, angry ling cods etc, I call the dive or head back to where I was comfortable before. One of the best things I have found from diving alone is that there is no one else there to ask why, you can do what ever you want. I dive in a plate and wing so Ive never understood the need to practice removing my BC or tank or swap gear with another diver...if I get so entangled that I am unable to free myself conventionally, Ill cut myself free of my rig, breath from my long hose or bail out and either cut my gear free, or barring that ascend and get it later. I think awareness is your biggest advantage and greatest asset when diving. solo or with a buddy.

 

[stevensamler]

Hello , perhaps when sea conditions seam to be a little more demanding and can elevate the stress level try doing a skin dive and acclimate to the present conditions then ask yourself can I do this with an additional 50+/- lbs of weight?

 

[Stoo]

Do you all practice this solo?

I don't see much point in practicing "skills" that have no relevancy to real diving. I can't imagine a case where you would exchange gear with a buddy, and obviously you won't when diving alone...

On the other hand, being able to easily complete something like that serves to build confidence in one's abilities, but just remember that if something goes sideways doing this when you're alone... well it might get a bit exciting. Perhaps better to practice solo skills with someone, oxymoronically...

I guess I feel that the best way to get good at solo diving is to just get out and do it, gradually expanding the types of diving you are comfortable doing on your own. I've probably logged 2000+ solo dives and there is no type of diving I wouldn't tackle solo, that I would with a buddy. I just don't have that much faith in the buddy system. If you knew the miscreants I dive with, you would understand...

 

[mick allein III]

Well said. Good points. Thanks.


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[jbomb001]

I agree that this is an important skill. Entanglement is a teal concern in the Midwest quarries. I'd be interested in any tips on how to make this easier. I have a weight integrated BCD and once I shed my BC I start to ascend and my gear starts to sink. Thoughts? Do you all practice this solo?

Mick


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Get a harness.

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[73diver]

I don't have a solo cert yet but I have found myself solo a few times. I plan to get a solo cert when I can connect with a training facility. When I recreational dive with a buddy, I dive proto-solo with a single tank on my back or on my right side and a pony with EAN40 on the left. I periodically practice mask removal/replacement, breathing past a free flowing second stage, deploying a DSMB, and deploying the regulator from the pony bottle. In buddy diving, I have a primary 2nd stage in my mouth and a spare 2nd stage on a necklace. The pony second stage regulator is 'break away' clipped to the tank valve and the hose held with a bungee. When I dive true solo mode like retrieving somebody's fishing equipment (done rarely until I get the cert), I have a primary 2nd stage in my mouth and the pony 2nd stage on a necklace--the same configuration as sidemount.

 

[bada3003]

In my case, the only two (minor) differences are:

1) I'm more sensitive to potential entanglement concerns. It's the only what-if scenario where I've found a buddy to be really useful. I carry 3 cutting devices, one attached to (left) waist harness, one to right shoulder harness, one in my left drysuit pocket (in case I drop one of the two). I dive sidemount so gas redundancy, detecting leaks, etc. are more easily facilitated.

2) On a dive boat in open water, make sure the captain and DM are likely to miss you. Especially in crowded boats with deco bottles/extra gear, one diver missing is not as evident as a buddy team. And carry SMB, horn, etc. but I do that even when buddy diving.

 

[letonac]

I did around 30s solo dives till today. I have been certificated for solo since last year and I pretty enjoy in one of the most beautiful tipe of diving .
In general I do solo dives following these rules:
1. No deco, No overhead environment, No pinnacle dives.
2. Allways easy profiles inside NDL and if is possible to be familiar with diving position.
3. Maiking the plan for everything - Depth, time, air consumption, route, emergency procedures, etc. (Usually pressure gauge tells me what I was plan before )
4. Risk assesment and awareenes as very important part for my dives (possible current and entaglements, complexity of navigation, nitrogen narcosis, personal readiness, suitable equipment, entrances on diving positions)
5. Equipment check - I check everything. I carry regular scuba equipment with additionally things; pony tank with the same procents of O2 like in primary tank, SMB with spool (rope at least as the same deepth of dive), spare mask, spare depth gauge, compass, computer and watch.
6. To have available medical and O2 kit (diving centar or personal)
7. Enjoy in diving

Finnaly, very offten I add add some training to regular solo dive, specially at the end of dive, such as deployment of SMB, ventils drills, mask replacement, use of ponny tanks, navigation skills, etc.)

 

[mrdre]

.... and a pony with EAN40 on the left. ...

Why do you have EAN40 as a spare air? I believe the spare tank must contain the same gas as your primary. What if you went to 120' and some catastrophic failure with you primary air supply happened? Now you will have to quickly ascend to 80' to start breathing your EAN40. Even worse you may forget about EAN40 and start breathing it on 120' and risk oxygen poisoning.

 

[r4e]

Why do you have EAN40 as a spare air? I believe the spare tank must contain the same gas as your primary. What if you went to 120' and some catastrophic failure with you primary air supply happened? Now you will have to quickly ascend to 80' to start breathing your EAN40. Even worse you may forget about EAN40 and start breathing it on 120' and risk oxygen poisoning.

Even with a catastropic failure, you are likely to have atleast one minute of breathing gas. Or you could do a free ascend to 80' before breathing EAN40. Personally, I would continue breathing the primary bottom gas until back gas tank(s) is fully depleted, and, then swap to the EAN40. Breathing gas with a slightly elevated pO2 is a smaller risk than the immediate risk of drowning.